In the 70's a research group lead by J. Niles demonstrated that using existing technology, corporations such as insurance companies could decentralize into a group of local offices connected by communications and be just as effective. The major advantage to decentralization is much less distance to commute by workers which results in much less smog.
In London, Mrs. "Steve" Shirley organized F International Ltd., a company where everyone works at home connected through terminals. This software firm does $5Ma year business and most of the workers are women with children. Telecommuting enables F International to obtain skilled workers who otherwise would not be able to participate in the workforce.
Telecommuting does not bring positive benefits to all participants. Generally, professional benefit from telecommuting because they can have a wider choice in lifestyles. For example, a couple of years ago Business Week reported on a partner of a Chicago law firm who telecommuted from Teluride, Colorado. Phone calls were automatically rerouted to Telerude. If he was called before 10am, he could make a business meeting in Chicago that evening. Towns in Colorado are so interested in acquiring telecommuters they are installing better communications to attract them. Compaq made its salespeople telecommutes with both corporate and personal success.
In contrast, clerical workers frequently do not benefit from telecommuting. Business managers have used telecommuting as a device to eliminate fringe benefits and place telecommuters on piecework wages for typing and so on. There have been law suits against this practice.
Telecommuting will increase as automation displaces people from manipulating physical objects and the channel capacity of the communication system makes video communication inexpensive. With the TV flat screen which is just coming online currently, you could have a wall with multiscreens for each participant in a conference. Most critics of telecommuting do not perceive the impact of the vast increase in channel capacity. New social customs will evolve for telecommuters, however, this will take time. The cottage workers who did not want to work in the textile factories tried to destroy them. There is generally a tremendous resistance to social change.
The major growth in telecommuting will not be in full time telecommuting but in part time telecommuting. With the rapid advance in wireless communication, notebook computers and other portable electronic gear, individuals can link up with their offices from any location. This means they only have to be in the office for face to face meetings. Corporations are going to promote telecommuting in cities with dirty air because of provisions in the Clean Air Act of 1990. Thirteen cities with dirty air must increase the average number of riders per car from 1.3 to 1.5 to prevent 3.5 million tons of carbon from polluting the air by the year 2000. Telecommuting satisfies the requirement for increasing ridership.