Mobile Working

One of the major developments of our system is the ability to maintain access to your office systems while on the road.  There are a range of methods of accessing your data remotely and securely.

A web based version of Microsoft Outlook provides access to your email, calendar and contacts from virtually anywhere that you can access the internet.  This can be used from home computers, Internet Cafe’s or using a laptop and a mobile phone.  All communications to our system are protected by 128-bit SSL encryption to provide security while you work.

For users with a compatible mobile phone a superb system is available that uses Microsoft DirectPush technology.  This technology puts your Outlook information directly onto your phone and is constantly synchronised with the core network to ensure you are always kept up to date.  New emails that arrive in your inbox are delivered to your phone almost instantly as well as any updates to your calendar or contacts.  Likewise, any changes that you make on your phone are almost instantly sent back to the core network.  Emails sent from your phone will be found in your sent items folder as they would if they were sent normally from within outlook on your office PC.

For laptop users, a VPN connection can be made that will create a secure link back to the office from a remote location.  This link is virtually the same as plugging your laptop into the network in the office and will provide you full access to files and folders stored on the network as well as Outlook and office printers.  Since this connection is running over an internet connection, it will be much slower than being connected directly which is where the Offline Files function within windows comes in.  Offline files allow you to take your laptop out of the office while retaining access to a copy of network documents.  Connecting the VPN and allowing the laptop to synchronise while on the road updates files on the office network with any files you have changed on your laptop.  Likewise, any files changed in the office that are not up to date on your laptop are automatically updated.

While mobile working implies that it is intended for use when you occasionally leave the office, it is very possible to operate a laptop in this way for a user that is predominantly based out of the office provided that they do return occasionally.