Broadband Access Can Save Employers More Than $5,000 per Teleworker; Results of National Survey by ITAC.

Business Editors

WAKEFIELD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 30, 2003

On Monday at a press conference at the National Summit on Broadband Deployment in Arlington, Va., ITAC, the association for advancing work from anywhere, released Teleworking Comes of Age with Broadband, its latest Telework America Report. A replay of the audioconference is linked from ITAC's home page at www.workingfromanywhere.org.

The report, based on a national survey of teleworkers in late 2002 and funded by the AT&T Foundation, found that employees equipped with high-speed "always on" broadband service work more flexibly and productively at home and other locations than those having only dial up access. Telework refers to work independent of location. Anyone who works at home, at a client's office, in a satellite office or a telework center, or on the road is teleworking.

When combining the 33% average productivity increase realized by teleworkers with broadband access working from home one day per week, with the possible savings in reduced central office space, employers can save over $5,000 per broadband teleworker. Thus, employee broadband access more than pays for itself through these savings.

"This latest research continues ITAC's tradition with its Telework America Research Series of uncovering new findings to guide businesses and organizations on how to get the most return out of their telework programs," said Tim Kane, President of ITAC and President of Kinetic Workplace.

Jennifer Verive, CEO of White Rabbit Virtual, Inc. and chair of ITAC's Research Committee, concluded, "The report details the positive impact of broadband on telework."

Specifically, the report shows how the use of broadband

-- Improves virtual teamwork,

-- Reduces employer costs,

-- Increases employee telework participation, and

-- Facilitates home-based businesses.

Joanne Pratt, President of Joanne H. Pratt Associates, conducted the research for ITAC and further noted that "broadband dramatically increases use of technologies like home networking. Almost three times as many broadband users have a home LAN as compared to dialup users."

The report also provides valuable new market information for companies offering broadband, remote networking and computing products and services.

The AT&T Foundation has sponsored the Telework America National Research projects since 1999. Joseph Roitz, telework director for AT&T, stated that "AT&T receives over $150 million in annual business benefit from our employee telework program, but that's small compared to the potential gains to society from broader adoption. For example, telework offers a way for seniors or people with disabilities to become part of the economic mainstream, or for communities to relieve traffic congestion and pollution problems." More information on AT&T's telework initiatives can be found at www.att.com/telework/.

One copy of the Telework America research report will be provided free of charge to all ITAC member organizations; members may also purchase a license to disseminate electronic copies to fellow employees and customers. For non-members, the printed research report costs $495 per copy. An Executive Summary can be obtained at no charge from ITAC's web site, www.workingfromanywhere.org, along with the report order form and ITAC membership application.

About ITAC

Founded in 1993, the International Telework Association and Council (ITAC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the growth and success of work independent of location. ITAC sponsors Telework America and other research on how people are successfully working from anywhere; holds online and in-person educational events; distributes the e-Work Guide, a comprehensive report on how to start up telework; disseminates information about telework practices and statistics; and assists businesses and the public to optimize the advantages of working from anywhere.

Telework America is ITAC's promotional and educational program of telework for North America. In 2003, Telework America will feature the broadband research report and Webinar Series, of which three more are scheduled for the year. The most recent Webinar was conducted April 22 on Managing Performance Remotely. ITAC's goal is to expand Telework America in 2004 through partnerships with other associations and government agencies to conduct public and employee events during a designated Telework America Week next spring. For more information on Telework America Week in 2004, contact ITAC Executive Director Robert Smith at [e-mail].

Information on ITAC and its activities is available on the Web at www.workingfromanywhere.org; by telephone at 781-876-8815, or by sending email to [e-mail]. Free subscriptions to ITAC's newsletter, which includes news and case studies about working remotely, as well as updates on ITAC activities, are available on the Web site's home page.