Wireless technologies have made the 24/7 mobile office a reality for business travellers. The biggest problem now is finding the downtime to completely disconnect from work, according to U.K. CIOs and IT directors.
All members of Silicon.com's CIO Jury panel said they are able to easily stay connected and get work done when they are on the road.
Many cited the now almost ubiquitous executive travel tool, the BlackBerry. Jacques Rene, director of IT and projects at insurance company Airclaims, hailed it as a "godsend", while Colin Cobain, IT director at Tesco, called the wireless e-mail device a "star".
Graham Yellowley, director of technology at Mitsubishi UFJ Securities International, added: "Having been initially sceptical of BlackBerrys I have to admit that the email connectivity is excellent and that this is a major benefit. The ability to be permanently online - except in Japan - and have instant access to email without having to carry bulky laptops or power cords or phone cables is very beneficial work-wise."
Others said the downside is that it is now almost impossible to get away from work, whatever the time of day and wherever you are in the world.
Kevin Fitzpatrick, CTO at Manpower, said: "People can always find me. Gone are the good old days when you could relax with a nice drink in an airport lounge. Now every part of the planet is an extension of the office."
Steve Ritchie, CIO at Investcorp, said: "It's too easy to stay connected and get work done when on the road. There is no longer any excuse not to be working. With BlackBerrys, PDAs, laptops, wi-fi hotspots and high-speed internet from hotel rooms there really is no way to honestly say you cannot stay connected."
Another problem that is aggravated by greater mobile connectivity, according to Nick Masterson-Jones, IT director at payments body Voca (formerly Bacs), is getting people to "mentally disconnect" from work when they are travelling on holiday.
The mobile workforce also presents issues for the IT department. Mark Foulsham, IT director at eSure, said: "Remote access for the business user is all about simplicity and relevance. The interface and device needs to be straightforward to use and applicable for the roles performed by employees. The challenge of the IT function is to provide a 'pick and mix' solution which is also cost effective and secure to support."
Andy McCue of ZDNet Asia's sister site Silicon.com reported from London.
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