Real options for today's nomads and telecommuters

In the past, nomadic computer users would have relied primarily on the applications located on their laptop. They would exchange e-mail and file transfers with the corporate suite, but these transmissions largely served to complete work that users initiated and performed on their laptops. Today, the nomadic user can have a more intricate relationship with corporate resources. Web-based and other thin-client applications run at the corporate site, not on the nomads' laptops, and groupware lets remote users participate more fully in enterprisewide applications. Two options for dial-in service are the do-it-yourself model and 2. carrier-managed. In the do-it-yourself model, ISDN PRI links are preferred between the corporate site and the public switched telephone network. The Internet has become a viable alternative for the nomadic user, especially for international travelers. Several Internet service providers offer global remote access services based on their shared IP networks and the Internet. ISDN is available in nearly every major population center in North America and Europe.