Northern California Above National Average For Remote Working

California is currently tied with Connecticut and Illinois for the third highest price for regular, unleaded gasoline. It’s no wonder that Northern California residents are dreading the daily commute to work and yearning for days spent working from home offices.

Recently, Microsoft conducted a survey of more than 4,500 information workers in 15 U.S. markets to assess opinions and attitudes on remote working as well as the technologies that enable or hinder it. The survey explored the prevalence of remote working, employer policies and the technologies available to employees to support this open work environment, often referred to as “Working without Walls.” Key findings from Northern California revealed that 60 percent of workers in the area work for companies that have a formal remote working policy; higher than the national average of 57 percent. Northern California ranks as one of the top markets when it comes to companies providing the technology support for remote working. Working without Walls is becoming a business essential rather than a “perk,” resulting in an increased competitive edge through higher productivity and collaboration among employees. As a side benefit, employee retention rates will increase as the twice-daily commute stress becomes a thing of the past.

Microsoft offers technology solutions that businesses need in order to implement a formal remote work policy. Some of these solutions include the Windows Azure Platform, Office 365, Lync, SharePoint 2010, and Windows Phone 7. Check out the latest on Microsoft’s remote working study to find ways that Microsoft’s innovative mobile technology tools can help take your company’s productivity and profitability to the next level.