The timing of ZDNet's Mark Orchant's post could about my launching the Working Anywhere project could not have been better.
Call Mark clairvoyant, but his post was just a few hours ahead of the New York Times article that I was quoted in today about Hotel Broadband.
A few points I made to the reporter that didn't make the story.
1. I use VoIP tools a lot to stay in touch with colleagues, clients and friends. Right now Gizmo Project for Voice is the cat's meow for me as it's resident on the Nokia N80i and so so cool with some of the tricks I've got working via Grand Central. I'm also using TruPhone on my E61. Bottom line, while it's not Fixed Mobile Convergence the ability to make and receive phone calls via WiFi is a sweet deal using the same phone I'm using as my mobiles.
2. Video-I can't say it enough. SightSpeed lets me see the people I need to see when i need to see them, regardless of where I am, as long as there's broadband.
3. Unified Messaging....between Webley and GrandCentral I'm easily found or not found at all.
4. Web conferencing..Services like WebDialog's Unyte make presentations easy when you're on the road.
5. T-Mobile, Boingo and Wayport are the best wireless and broadband providers hotel to hotel, but the experience within hotel brands varies by location. Until the hotel operators get this right, the experience will never be the same twice.
6. Blocking of ports or bad router deployment. I run into some NAT traversal issues. Largely this is caused by just not knowing how to "wire up" the property the right ray. Double NATing leads to a less than happy customer experience.
7. The need for "bandwidth on demand." I related the story of being at DEMO in February and staying at the Pointe South Resort outside of Phoenix and the abysmal bandwidth we all had to live with. The hotel blamed a) some kids downloading music b) the ISP. WRONG. I called Wayport and learned that no one told them DEMO was going to be there. That was the hotel's fault. I actually went so far as to call Loews Hotels and shared my views with them. I hope things have improved. Bandwidth on Demand means it's there when you need it. My guess is that T-Mobile uses this approach.
8. My experiences in Europe. Consistently better. When in Munich last year I executed computer repairs with my assistant using SightSpeed. I could see what needed to be done and was able to guide her. This year hotels in France the times I've been over here have been stellar. Orange has it nailed. In Austria during Thanksgiving in 2005 the bandwidth was so good Ken Rutkowski remarked how much better I sounded vs. being in Del Mar.
More in the next post of Tips On Working Anywhere..
Oh...don't miss pal Om's Web Worker Daily. They have more on this and the fun of what we both will do will be your daily one-two punch on how to work away from home and the office.
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