I’m writing this from a plane, and I will be sending this article from the backseat of a taxi.
While there was a time when such mobile working was uncommon, it is now likely that at least one person reading this article is also on a plane or in transit. With smartphones, the cloud and mobile communications now fully entrenched, working no matter the location is increasingly becoming the norm.
There is no guarantee that working from the road will be a seamless experience, however, even if it is becoming increasingly common. If done right, there can be almost no interruption as a mobile professional moves from office to flight to hotel room. But, it does take some initial planning.
The three big issues to consider are resource availability, communications, and power management.
If a mobile worker is to seamlessly work while he or she travels, he needs to have all of his business resources in order and in a mobile format. This is easier than it might seem.
Email is already mobile, so the first step is making sure computer files are mobile. This can be done by keeping all important files on a laptop, but better still is using a cloud service such as Google (News - Alert) Drive or Dropbox to sync files among desktops, laptops and phones and have it stored securely in the cloud if they are needed.
The next step is getting phone and fax mobile. This can now be done relatively easily using voice-over-IP (VoIP) and fax-over-IP (FoIP). Essentially, these technologies enable the office phone and the office fax to connect with the mobile professional anywhere that there is Internet. With VoIP and FoIP, a worker can start his day calling from the office, have the office phone routed to his mobile phone during a plane ride, and end the day by making calls from his laptop in a hotel room.
For VoIP and files in the cloud to work, however, there must be consistent Internet access. This is key, and in many regards it is the secret to successful mobile work.
There are various options for having Internet on the road, including Wi-Fi hotspots and Ethernet through business centers. But frankly, these are yesterday’s solution. For all but the casual mobile worker with no pressing deadlines, the solution in 2014 to the mobile connectivity issue is using your smartphone as a mobile hotspot.
Basically, for a few dollars a month, most cellular providers will allow business pros to connect their laptops and tablets to the Internet by piggypacking off the data network on their phone. This relatively cheap solution far exceeds previous methods, because, in all but poor cell reception areas, this is the only way to ensure availability—which, as a mobile professional, is more than a little important. Don’t mess around with café hotspots and other methods, just turn to your cell phone, since Internet is a nonnegotiable for most mobile workers.
The one exception to the mobile hotspot technique is when actually in flight, in which case there probably won’t be cell reception. Many airlines now offer in-flight WiFi (News - Alert), albeit at a price, including Delta, Southwest and US Airways. Personal experience says it makes more sense in most cases to download data that will be needed and work online only before takeoff and after landing. However, if connectivity is essential or the flight is long, it pays to pick an airline that offers in-flight Wi-Fi.
The third component that must be considered is power management. A mobile pro can feel pretty slick typing away in an airport on a laptop and talking on his VoIP-enabled business phone via by using his phone as a mobile hotspot. But this confidence quickly fades when the batteries start dying.
Managing power is key, but not actually that hard if a few simple best practices are followed.
The trick is always starting travel with all devices fully charged, and taking advantage of electrical outlets whenever they are present. You may have enough juice to operate on battery power in the airport, for instance, but don’t. Save it for the plane and unexpected moments when outlets are not available.
It also pays to be aggressive with battery conservation: turning down the brightness of electronics screens and investing in a backup battery when possible.
Therefore, if power, resources and communications are all kept in mind, the mobile experience will never be easier or more seamless.
Edited by Blaise McNamee