Putting my critic hat on... Not too many new things here but a helpful reminder.

I would challenge whether there are substantial savings from telecommuting to the employer. Sure, possibly office space saved, perhaps a lower raise, but I can't see substantial savings there. Some additional costs may result from the need to review the home workplace and the same or greater oversight is needed.

While the basic Second Life environment is free, setting up a permanent environment is not for the faint of heart and outside SL experts charge for their work.

Very interesting article with some excellent points in it.
If you also would like to learn how to strike a balance between cutting costs and exceeding expectations on a software development project, read the related article Cutting Costs & Exceeding Expectations – A Simple Seven Step Solution.

The article highlights seven key steps to consider when approaching your new software development initiative from a business and financial perspective.
www.executivebrief.com/article/cutting-costs-and-exceeding-expectations-a-simple-seven-step-solution

As mentioned, these solutions are really just a reminder...

However, I'd like to point out that you should make sure that any solution you choose is secure. Although the author has recommended many free or "cheap" online services (essentially SaaS), please be aware that if you use them, you must make sure to evaluate their security (not to mention verifying their cost-effectiveness over 3 years).

I am especially concerned with the implied comment that VPN's are too much hassle. While it's true that you should know what you're doing when setting it up, once setup VPN's generally just work. Just as you wouldn't want a mechanic working on your teeth, you should just pay someone competant an hour or two to set it up for you. If you want secure telecommuter access, a VPN is a must. It can even be done for virtually free if you have a spare desktop (e.g. using OpenSWAN and OpenVPN open-source packages), or relatively cheap (e.g. many off-the-shelf routers have built-in VPN). Centralizing access (rather than using a 3rd-party like LogMeIn Hamachi) allows you to ensure who is connecting (and when), and ultimately costs less long-term (no ongoing monthly costs), especially if you have many users. In addition, a VPN means that end-users can take their laptops with them, and still connect to the corporate network. With services like LogMeIn Hamachi and GoToMyPC, the end user must have their own machine to connect to at work.

Thanks!

Rom.

This article has some good points, but I see a larger opportunity.

While purchasing refurbished PCs from Apple and Dell is a good place to start, your users may want to consider purchasing refurbished server, storage and networking equipment.

You can typically see savings on this type of equipment ranging from $1000 to $300,000 per system, far more that a few hundred bucks for a PC.

Savings like these not only improve the bottom line, but help preserve jobs and provide a monetary lifeline for critical IT projects.

To put this plan into action for yourself, email sales@reliant-technology.com , and we'll build up a free customized savings report that details ways you can save thousands on your upcoming server, storage and networking initiatives.