As we head into the active part of hurricane season here in Central Florida and our brush with Tropical Storm Debbie telecommuting looks a real alternative. It does take some preparation technically, though. Some things to consider…
- How are you securely going to connect to your office? An open wifi at a coffee shop is not safe unless you setup a VPN with your office. Be sure the wifi in your home is setup with encryption. See below for more options.
- Can you access your desktop computer at the office or do you need a copy of your software and files on your notebook computer?
- Can cloud computing make telecommuting easier? In many ways it can because your essentially already telecommuting even when you are at the office.
What about electricity. Some of the utilities have developed great communications tools. Our provider, TECO Energy, has a great mobile app that shows power outages and estimated repair times. Here are links to some providers resources.
Progress Energy – They have a very detailed map that allows you to drill into specific trouble spots. Many say assessing damage, but that could be due to the overwhelming number of outages.
Florida Power & Light – They offer a direct URL which is nice if you can remember or bookmark. Offers more details about each situation than Progress.
OUC – The Orlando Utility Commission offers a map that is scant on details, but it is updated every 10 minutes.
Tampa Electric – They offer a map with constant service updates and great detail.
The other detail is Internet access which is a must. Your options outside your business or home provider are your current cell phone carrier or a carrier that specializes in data services. One such service is Clear which offers high speed WiMAX coverage in many metropolitan areas including Orlando and Tampa. Another option for occasional usage is NetZero which uses the Clear network on a pay-as-you-go basis. Another option is tethering your smartphone. Each carrier has restrictions and potential bill add-ons with this option.