Your Commute Just Got Shorter: a Complete Virtual Office

Wednesday, February 28th, 2007 by Jordan McCollum

Your Commute Just Got Shorter: a Complete Virtual Office

I’ve been working from home, mostly telecommuting, since my son was born a year ago. If, like me, you’re one of those SEMs who works from home, Read/WriteWeb has compiled a list of programs to create a complete virtual office, including giving presentations and collaborating with team members (presumably also working from their homes). In addition to the author’s (Alex Iskold’s) favorites, he offers several alternatives in each area.

The best things about working from home? Alex writes:

In addition, virtual companies consist of happier employees. These are people who do not need to spend time in traffic, people who save money on gas, people who conserve resources and, perhaps most significantly, people who spend more time with their family. So perhaps this simple, yet very profound, application of technology is the beginning of a new trend and the way we will mostly work and communicate in the future.

I like it. And the list looks like it features some good tools for anybody using a virtual office.

Want more marketing news & views? Follow Marketing Pilgrim's Andy Beal on Twitter!

Share this post

8 comments on “Your Commute Just Got Shorter: a Complete Virtual Office”

DanielthePoet Says:

February 28th, 2007 at 11:07 pm

I would agree, except that working from home these past 2 years has made me a little desperate for human contact. I started working from Starbucks every other day for a month just to be around other people. It can be harder to make yourself get out and have a social life if you’re used to doing everything out of your home.
Scott Clark Says:

February 28th, 2007 at 11:17 pm

Wow, I’d definitely add Google Docs and Spreadsheets to this list. Google spreadsheets has become one of my main tools for collaborating on data-intensive stuff with others in real time.
Jason Schramm Says:

March 1st, 2007 at 2:09 am

I like seeing Basecamp up there, and I love Google Calendar. It is the program I had always been waiting for to manage my day.
kelvin newman Says:

March 1st, 2007 at 12:37 pm

I’m glad this virtual office is getting going after doing a 2 hour in 2 hour out of london for nearly two years I can certainly see the appeal.

Now I have a nice half hour cycle along brighton beach, Not quite working in your dressing gown but can’t complain!
As We Continue to Go Social, Are We Moving Closer Together or Farther Apart? » 10e20 - Search, Design & Social Says:

March 13th, 2007 at 2:05 pm

[...] After yesterday’s blog post announcing my new role as a blogger for Search Engine Roundtable with Barry Schwartz, I can’t help but wonder, is this a “goodbye?” I’m being wished good luck on my future endeavors, which is difficult for me to really grasp (and comprehend) as I feel very much part of the 10e20 community and our blog, and truthfully, I don’t feel that I am going that far away from it. It’s interesting to realize that this is an industry where the virtual office is not an incredibly outrageous work environment, and the reality of that vision is apparent in the emphasis on social media and online communities. [...]
sheds Says:

July 19th, 2007 at 6:37 am

Basecamp is great and we used it for a long time until we found Webcollab which is a free and easier to use and mange open soucre version. I love it.
Russ Says:

January 3rd, 2008 at 3:23 am

Yeah. contact with other people is a big part of alot of peoples workday. However more time at home is great for family life.
Virtual Office Says:

May 26th, 2008 at 5:19 am

Great link Jordan – Basecamp is excellent, there are also many free alternatives out there.

Virtual Offices are definately becoming increasingly popular, for many people the thought of being able to work from home is great!

Marketing Pilgrim