The Virtual Office

A long time ago, I wrote The Future Of Working At Home, in which I predicted that we'll be hearing a lot more from the virtual office because it's superior to the physical office.

I spotted the article No Brick, No Mortar: Virtual Approaches To The Daily Grind, which goes into the benefits of working at home some more:

But despite the difficulties of virtual work, virtual employees all agreed that they feel they have a freedom in being able to work in a way that fits their lifestyle.

Mosley speaks about finding remote employees, some of the best in the field that may not have local opportunities.

"We've got really talented, smart people who are the best at what they do from the Boston area to New Hampshire to San Francisco. There aren't a lot of great PR opportunities in New Hampshire, so working virtually is an excellent opportunity for them."

"There are more fluffy perks, too, such as not having to dress up for a client meeting or day in the office. In addition, it satisfies your inner workaholic because you get back those hours you'd spend commuting."

Mosley added, "I work with better people now than I did when I worked at an organization with more than 100 people."

Gaebler calls his virtual office "a superior way to do business."

"It's easier to set up a new employee, we have lower overhead, and it allows us to tap into talent in other geographies," he said.

"The best part is the freedom to make your own schedule. Nobody tells you how to structure your day. While you have to be really disciplined in the work you do, it's easier because you also love your job more," said Samantha Morris, an affiliate program director at Partner Centric, who left her job at the Gap to work virtually.

Turner is probably the most idealistic about running his own company.

"Whenever we get someone who can work from home, I feel like we're changing the world. We're giving them some of their time back to them, and to their families."

As our society becomes more and more integrated through the evolving web (think live video streams), we will be working at home more and more often. Physical offices will gradually exit mainstream use. More and more businesses will become virtual, thereby transforming our society once again.