So when Art Holden, who manages IT projects at Deerfield Beach, Fla.-based Statia Terminals Group, was asked to set up a teleworker program, security became a top concern. Statia has five terminals located in North America, from the Caribbean to Nova Scotia. Holden had to connect several dozen of the company's 200-plus employees to his network of public and private lines, plus a satellite link. With the help of third-party vendor Information Resources Engineering, Holden extended the reach of his workforce whenever they work from home. Statia's workers can now conduct business around the globe without fear of leaks to competitors, thanks to a virtual private network.
Workers use smart cards that slide into their computers at home to protect the company's secrets.
Telecommuting has been especially beneficial for managers who start preparing for tankers well before they dock. They can coordinate most of the paperwork from home. Statia joins the growing list of businesses large and small that allow employees to work from home. Two-thirds of Fortune 1000 companies now have teleworker programs in place, and most of the rest are planning such programs. In fact, as many as 15 million workers will be toiling away from home offices at least one day per week by 2000, predicts Telecommute America, a Washington trade association.