Positively Broadband Campaign Issues Call to Action on e-Work Broadband Program.Business Editors/Hi-Tech & Government Writers WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 18, 2002 The Positively Broadband Campaign, a group of companies, industry and education associations committed to fostering demand for broadband services See broadband and broadband service provider. , today issued a call to action for government and industry to make e-work via broadband a key priority, incorporating measures to spur the adoption of home broadband usage for America's workers. The campaign proposed several specific e-work measures for public and private sector adoption in order to spur broadband usage. In the public sector, the group said the Department of Commerce, Office of Management and Budget The Office of Management and Budget (OMB), formerly the Bureau of the Budget, is an agency of the federal government that evaluates, formulates, and coordinates management procedures and program objectives within and among departments and agencies of the Executive Branch. , Office of Personnel Management, other agencies and Congress should act as champions of such an initiative, working to ensure broad support across all federal agencies. The campaign called for the increase of government e-work that would spur economic investment and development, while providing more flexibility for government workers, relieve traffic, and provide the ability to carry out work in emergencies. The campaign's call to action on e-work includes: Senior management involvement - managers should provide leadership in developing e-work policies and promoting its adoption; IT planning for telework See telecommuting. - IT requirements for e-work should be adopted in planning and budgeting by federal agencies; Broadband services - agencies should adopt policies that clarify government funding of home broadband services for e-work; Information security - security must be assessed and addressed when planning for increased e-work; Homeland security-Congress should take steps to assure that the federal government makes full use of e-work as a homeland security Noun 1. Homeland Security - the federal department that administers all matters relating to homeland security Department of Homeland Security executive department - a federal department in the executive branch of the government of the United States strategy; Training - IT and management training is essential to ensure strong e-work programs; and Promote E-work within the private sector-- The federal government should help to promulgate To officially announce, to publish, to make known to the public; to formally announce a statute or a decision by a court. e-work within the private sector, espousing a strategic vision and developing appropriate incentives. "Many companies in the private sector have utilized e-work with great success to enhance productivity for workers and improve work-life balance The expression work-life balance was first used in 1986 in the US (although had been used in the UK from the late 1970s by organisations such as New Ways to Work and the Working Mother's Association) to help explain the unhealthy life choices that many people were making; they were . It's time It's Time was a successful political campaign run by the Australian Labor Party (ALP) under Gough Whitlam at the 1972 election in Australia. Campaigning on the perceived need for change after 23 years of conservative (Liberal Party of Australia) government, Labor put forward a the government capitalized on those same benefits," said Harris N. Miller, President of the Information Technology Association of America See ITAA. (ITAA (Information Technology Association of America, Arlington, VA, www.itaa.org) Formerly the Association of Data Processing Service Organizations (ADAPSO). A membership organization founded in 1960 that defines performance standards, improves management methods and monitors government ), a member of the Positively Broadband Campaign. "We believe that by taking steps to evaluate, plan for, and implement e-work policies, the government will be doing a great service to taxpayers, federal workers, and the economy by spurring broadband adoption," Miller added. Rep. Frank Wolf Frank Rudolph Wolf, born January 30 1939, American politician, has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 1981. He represents Northern Virginia's 10th congressional district. He is the most senior of Virginia's eleven Congressmen. , a champion of telework within Congress, greeted the coalition's efforts, noting: "Federal agencies must lead by example. At the moment, telework is a great idea waiting to happen. As we proceed with business as usual, our roads have become badly congested con·gest·ed adj. Affected with or characterized by congestion. congested ENT adjective Referring to a boggy blood-filled tissue. See Nasal congestion. , frequent ozone alerts have become a rite of summer, and workers are bearing the brunt brunt n. 1. The main impact or force, as of an attack. 2. The main burden: bore the brunt of the household chores. of management practices well behind the technology curve. We agree that broadband can be a major enabler of telework and telecommuting telecommuting, an arrangement by which people work at home using a computer and telephone, transmitting work material to a business office by means of a modem and telephone lines; it is also known as telework. . We welcome the useful ideas and suggestions of the Positively Broadband Campaign for creating telework incentives within the federal government as well as the private sector." "As a national organization with a regional core in the Greater Washington DC region, CapNet is extremely sensitive to the role that should be played by the federal government. With respect to e-work, the federal government must lead the way. Simply, it has the potential to improve the quality of life of millions of Americans," said Tim Hugo, Executive Director of CapNet. The campaign committed to pursuing its e-work program and made specific recommendations for the private sector adoption of e-work. These steps include: Support and participate in research and survey projects to understand and document the benefits of e-work and specifically examine productivity improvements that can be made through the use of broadband; Share "lessons learned" about the management and contribution of broadband enabled e-work through a web-based resource on the Positively Broadband website; Publish a compilation of best practices for establishing and operating e-work programs; Promote the transition from dial-up to broadband within existing industry telework programs. "AT&T is a supporter of e-work because we have seen the contribution it can make to the bottom line as well as to the lives of our employees," said AT&T Vice President Brad Allenby. "Our research shows that we save $100 million annually through our e-work programs. We believe the benefits of the productivity gains, reduced pollution of our many communities and the improvement in quality of life for our employees makes this a win-win-win for public and private sector alike." The Positively Broadband Campaign is a coalition of companies and trade associations committed to fostering demand for broadband services. Companies and organizations supporting the campaign include AT&T, Best Buy, CapNet, CompTIA, Corning, Dell Computer, Educause, Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), Kodak and Siemens. For more information visit www.positivelybroadband.org. |
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