Government Technology - June 2008 - (Page Intel2)

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) believes in telework. That’s why it’s leading by example, increasing its own telework efforts while encouraging other federal agencies to do the same. Under the agency’s telework policy, GSA helps government agencies ﬁnd the best-value products and services they need to serve the public. GSA recently announced its new telework policy as it continues to sing the praises of telework to other government agencies. “What we want to do in GSA is to demonstrate to the entire government that telework is a winner,” said Bill Kelly, GSA’s special assistant to the administrator for telework matters. “Telework, from our perspective, can have many positive effects.” GSA is deploying 5,000 more laptops this year as it gets more of its own employees teleworking. GSA is also making it mandatory for supervisors and other employees to take a telework training module. It’s also working on a white paper it will share with other government agencies. GSA also plans to step up its marketing efforts to let more people know about the beneﬁts of telework. GSA itself is aiming for those beneﬁts, including making itself an attractive place to work. It also uses telework for better continuity of operations, more productivity, less energy consumption and reduced need for ofﬁce space. GSA wants to be among the best employers in federal government, and sees telework as a means to that end. For agencies wanting to start their own telework programs, Kelly said four key elements need to be in place: strong leadership support; trust between supervisors and employees; a focus on production, outcome and results; and using technology well to stay connected with other team members. Kelly noted that focusing on results is the best approach; managers who focus on line-of-sight forms of management — watching workers themselves — are missing the point. Kelly is such a believer in telework that he postponed his planned retirement to help lead the cause. “I think the nature of work and the nature of man are more in sync when telework is put into the equation,” he said. He believes it makes sense to give an agency’s most valuable asset — its people — the freedom and trust to work from home because it makes those people happier and more productive. Although there is still work to be done in spreading the word, Kelly is ﬁnding that more and more people agree with him. GSA Touts Telework It’s time to rethink the traditional ofﬁce. These days, the ofﬁce can be anywhere — and often should be. With numerous advances in technology, it makes more sense than ever before to have employees avoid the commute and work from home. Mobility is key as workers, empowered by the latest technological advances, can stay connected and be productive far away from the ofﬁce. With less time spent driving to and from work, employees can spend more time actually working. Technology has caught up, making it possible for telecommuters to be just as productive, if not more so, than they would be if they were at the ofﬁce. Many workers now expect telework to be an option if an organization is serious about hiring them. “In the 21st century, fewer employees will be content driving 60 minutes from one computer screen to another,” said Nigel Ballard, federal marketing manager of Intel. The computer at home can be just as productive as the one at the ofﬁce, and it takes just seconds to get to it. There are no excuses for government to be behind the times. The technology is available and affordable. Powerful, fast, cost-effective notebooks can now be securely managed from the home ofﬁce, no matter where they are. And wireless broadband access makes it easy to connect from more locations. There’s plenty of evidence that telework increases productivity and results in happier, more loyal employees. Employers see many beneﬁts too, including better continuity of operations (COOP). With its people already comfortable working from afar, a government agency set up for telework is better prepared for emergencies. “In the 21st century, fewer employees will be content driving 60 minutes from one computer screen to another.” — Nigel Ballard, federal marketing manager, Intel Powerful Machines Intel® Centrino® 2 with vPro™ technology is providing a better telework experience by improving performance and manageability. Centrino 2 processor technology is designed speciﬁcally for mobile computing. It gives notebooks unprecedented performance capabilities. It enables faster, more powerful multitasking and improved high-deﬁnition visuals. It has the latest and greatest wireless connectivity. It also helps provide the longest possible battery life and enables lighter notebook design. Centrino 2 also has high-bandwidth Wi-Fi. Intel vPro processor technology provides improved proactive security and remote management capabilities. It helps organizations lower the cost of managing notebooks while providing better protection for them. An IT administrator can manage thousands of notebooks in thousands of homes or other locations. The administrator can see and ﬁx security issues on a machine that’s dozens of miles away. “He doesn’t

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Government Technology - June 2008

Government Technology - June 2008 Contents Point of View The Last Mile Big Picture On the Scene Four Questions For... 3 Technologies That May Change Your Job ...And Your Life Loosening Medicaid's Grip Better Living Through Technology Immersive Itineraries Help Yourself Taking the Bait Shared Connection Up Close Spectrum Products Personal Computing signal:noise Digital Communities Contents Digital Tactics for a U.S. Recession E-Dilemma Stifling Community Innovation Leadership Interview Estonia Becomes E-Stonia If It Were Up to Me …

Government Technology - June 2008

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