Finally, there is Notes and there is the Web. From the telecommuting vantage point, the Web and Notes via Domino offer a tremendous amount of flexibility and must, I believe, be used in tandem to create the most flexible and comprehensive solution.

Notes as culture
As techies, we frequently underestimate the power of the human element in our technical strategies. We do this at great risk. I believe that Notes, more than any other product, deals so directly with the cultural elements of an organization that care must be taken in understanding how this is so. It would be fantastic if technical organizations began working more closely with organizational development firms in the implementation of products and "solutions". We must begin to understand the kinds of effects technology has on people in business -- and how we can alter our implementations to better take that into account. Telecommuting is a major cultural shift, it's a major life shift, and we absolutely must take that into account in our planning of it.

A case study
Telecommuting, perhaps contrary to what I've written above, is neither simple nor guaranteed to succeed. It can wreck havoc on a company's culture and can cause a great deal of annoyance if it's not thought through carefully. As a consultant with IBM Global Services, I've telecommuted for over three years. I've seen first hand the good and the bad. The critical thing to consider with a telecommuting solution, particularly when considering Notes, is how best to maintain and encourage community and teaming while promoting the mobility. For most companies, this won't be a problem because their employees will still come to a common office where they will see each other, retain community, and work together. Success or failure is determined largely in terms of how prepared the organization is for the change.

Bart's disclaimer
I always say that the technology must fit the need, and, though I say Notes again and again, if that particular solution doesn't fit the clients or your needs, it shouldn't be used.

Conclusions
Telecommuting must be looked upon as a long term endeavor, as a cost saving factor, as a way to increase employee satisfaction, productivity and be good to the environment. As professionals who work with Notes and Domino, we are in an excellent position to leverage Domino as a telecommuting solution. At IBM, we are doing just that. After transitioning to a mobile organization ourselves, we are now helping other organizations make that same transition. Many benefits can be wrought from telecommuting. The mobile organization can be a wonderful thing -- if executed properly -- and Notes is an excellent tool for that execution.

David Gewirtz is the author of How To Save Jobs and Where Have All The Emails Gone? For more than 20 years, he has analyzed current, historical, and emerging issues relating to technology, competitiveness, and policy. David is the Editor-in-Chief of the ZATZ magazines, is the Cyberterrorism Advisor for the International Association for Counterterrorism and Security Professionals, and is a member of the instructional faculty at the University of California, Berkeley extension. He can be reached at david@zatz.com and you can follow him at http://www.twitter.com/DavidGewirtz.