(Aug 12): A telecommuting worker is someone doesn't go to an office every day -- not to a physical office outside their home, that is. The concept of telecommuting has been in the limelight lately both in technical and management journals.

Just think about it: Corporate management will not have to worry about where to physically put more workers. Workers can sit home in their bathrobes with a cup of coffee and be "at work," and they won't have to deal with the sometimes bothersome distractions that occur in a small office.

Don't get me wrong. I think that at certain points the need for being in one location, in person, will be necessary. Even with email, phone and fax there are times when only face-to-face communication is appropriate.

And not every position is right for telecommuting. Telecommuting is more likely to happen in technology-oriented companies such as ISPs (i.e. Midcoast Internet Solutions or MINT), technology magazines (WIRED, PC Magazine, etc.), and of course, community Internet stations like Ligature.Com. The possibilities are endless, and, as I say every day, we are still in our infancy with just about all of this technology.

Ligature.Com already provides some good examples of how telecommuting can work.

First, our employees can dial in to our system from home -- we have four high-speed modems -- just as they would into any ISP. This option is one of the basic types of remote access (another term for telecommuting).

Once one of our employees dials in and logs on, their computer becomes a part of the Ligature.Com Local Area Network (the network that is in our office).

Since our office network is connected to the Internet, they are also inherently connected to the Internet. This is the lowest-speed option for connecting to the Internet and is not the most reliable. This option will stay around for quite a while, however, as proven technology doesn't fall to newer technology all that quickly.

Another way to telecommute at Ligature.Com is by using the Internet as it is, without any special software or hardware. We let employees log in and access parts of our servers (the computers that provide central communication and serve up Web pages to Internet users) from anywhere on the Internet.

Theoretically, I could be anywhere, from Allagash, Maine to Paris, France, and I could post this column to our server for our editor to read and process.

This is a great option for infrastructure needs, but it lacks some security and usability features that many systems administrators feel are needed for telecommuting workers.

Finally, we have Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). This builds on the technology previously discussed. In non-technical terms, a VPN is an extension of a local network within an office, via a public network, which, nine times out of ten, is the Internet.

For example, when I'm in my dorm room at college, I will be connected to the Internet via a cable modem. Using special software on my laptop at school and a server in Camden, my dorm room in Waterville will be a part of the Ligature.Com network in Camden.

Using advanced security techniques (such as encryption, where the data that is sent back and forth is locked on one end and unlocked on the other) the information I send and receive will be secure, even though it's going over a public network (the Internet). This option is usually more expensive than other methods but is more secure and is more robust.

That's the technical part of it, but what about good old management? Accountability becomes of great importance when you're dealing with telecommuting workers.

Managers may wonder how they can be sure a telecommuter is working, and not off running errands. This is certainly an issue, but it's something that has deeper roots than technology. It's all a matter of trust and a good relationship between employer and employee.

I wouldn't want technology (especially telecommuting technology) to be used to create a virtual prison. I'd rather see it developed into an effective and exciting way to work in the next century.

So as computer equipment becomes less and less expensive and office space comes more and more at a premium, don't be surprised if you are asked if you would be willing to work from home via computer at your next job interview.

Ryan Connon is the Systems Administrator for Ligature.Com in Camden; his columns will be a regular feature at Ligature.Com. Email Ryan with any questions, comments, and ideas for future columns.