Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Home2Office LLC?
Home2Office LLC, located in San Diego, CA. (see bio page for info about principals), continues to refine its deep roots in technology, which originated in 1994 when we first opened our doors. Today, Home2Office LLC is exclusively focused on helping businesses solve the quagmire that is telecommuting by allowing them to efficiently and effectively distribute their workforce while enabling productivity management.
What is ManageH2O?
ManageH2O is our proprietary application portal, which integrates into your existing network and offers your company a centralized portal with everything from collaboration standards to management oversight (real-time viewing of remote co-workers), as well as a CMS (content management system) and reporting for executives and management.
What is “The Managed Telecommute®”?
The Managed Telecommute® is a collection of our ManageH2O portal solution—tightly integrated with our ConnectH2O (VoIP) and ConsultH2O (consulting practice) service offerings. The Managed Telecommute offers these three solutions to provide you the greatest return on investment.
How is this any different from PCAnywhwere® or GoToMyPC?®
Those are connectivity agents, not business platforms per se. They help individual USERS connect to a remote office and work on their remote system. These products aren’t designed as a comprehensive, policy-based solution. Our ManageH2O portal solution is specifically designed for a company seeking a comprehensive, enterprise-wide solution that includes: collaboration, shared documents, connectivity, VoIP and real-time management oversight, with reporting capabilities for its distributed workforce.
What kind of “reporting” are you referring to?
The ManageH2O software provides management with reports on data regarding the productivity of the remote workforce (docs accessed, idle time, etc.); along with “GREEN,” carbon credit and LEEDs reporting. GREEN reporting allows companies to take advantage of beneficial tax programs in place for companies that are doing their part in the face of environmental concerns*. *(Not all states currently have legislation promoting teleworking.). See Georgia PDF.
Why should I buy the ManageH2O product?
Convenience and value: There are so many “intersection points” to a telecommuting program—HR, IT, facilities, executives, management, etc. The Managed Telecommute® engages all of the critical elements that are required for a successful, comprehensive teleworker program. By bringing these elements together, Home2Office® provides a relatively quick and comprehensive telecommuting solution for an entire business with its “out-of-the-box” ManageH2O software. Additionally, larger enterprises and government agencies benefit greatly from our ConsultH2O practice. This complementary practice helps companies identify quality teleworker candidates, devise best practices for hoteling of office space, and establish a company-wide teleworking policy. As a result, companies realize significant savings in terms of time and money by having a very singular solution and solution provider dedicated to implementing your managed telecommute.
My company is UNIQUE—what do you know about our company or industry?
Because we deal with a multitude of companies, industries and agencies, we are able to offer best practices from across multiple industries. Our collected knowledge is a tremendous advantage for YOU. Additionally, while the Home2Office® Server is a standard component for all companies, the installation process and policy overview is specifically tailored to your company’s unique requirements.
Do we need to have a dedicated server to run with your software?
Yes. You will need to have a server resource (specs below) available to support The ManageH2O software.
What about installation and consulting services?
Yes. Part of our value is installing and configuring our unique software for your unique requirements. While we do provide and recommend our consulting services, ConsultH2O, prior to installation, this is not a requirement to purchase the solution.
How is The Managed Telecommute® priced?
The Managed Telecommute® is priced on a monthly “per seat” basis. Prices range from $19 - $65 per month, per employee. The range in pricing is due to the à la carte nature of the solution. Some clients favor all components, and some want only the core software with limited capability and limited consulting.
Your “Movie” suggests we might realize a 40-percent savings in operational costs. How is that possible?
There are multiple means for achieving an overall savings of 40 percent: reducing floor space and current lease costs; recapturing lost work days as a result of sickness or bad weather; reducing the cost for talent as your company’s “reach” increases to hire new talent in different locations, improved employee morale and retention due to “work at home” days. Additionally, in many states there are “green” credits to be accrued by companies that provide a teleworking program. Remember, less time driving means more time able to work—and happier employees. Article – (LINK HERE) ???demonstrate in terms of employee productivity and turnover reduction alone of 25%
If my employees work from home, won’t we lose a sense of teamwork and collaboration?
Knowing this is a key concern for the majority of clients we work with, we’ve added Web 2.0 collaborative tools and presence management built right into our solution. Our software provides the ability to maintain company culture and has even been shown to enhance teamwork via the centralized and standards-based portal.
How much impact to the environment can telecommuting have, and why do I care?
If each employee were to telecommute just 1 day per week, we could reduce our gas consumption by 15 to 20 percent. This is not only good from a carbon emissions-reduction standpoint, but also extremely important to the U.S. economy, where our dependence on foreign oil poses critical National Security problems. For your company, this is important to the bottom line as well, since many states offer LEED Points and other opportunities for tax credits. Teleworking has been known to improve a company’s image within the community by acting as a good corporate citizen that cares to increase employee quality of life, reduce traffic and pollution, and support the environment.
Why would I want to attend the Web seminar?
Our Webinar provides a more personal opportunity to address specific questions that you may have about your company and how the ManageH2O portal can work for your company or agency.
What types of jobs typically work well for telecommuting?
Statistically speaking, the U.S. government reclassified 70 percent of its job codes as “telecommuter-capable.” We have found that almost all job types can be effective using some degree of telecommuting. Those jobs that can be conducted without much personal interaction, such as telemarketing, research, etc., can be performed effectively while telecommuting every day, while others, which require periodic personal interaction, might telecommute less frequently, such as 1-2 times per week.
Does the Managed Telecommute strip away all the privacy of the telecommuter? Isn’t this “Big Brother” attitude a negative signal to send to our employees?
Well, today, most businesses maintain the policy to freely monitor their employees’ computer, e-mail and Instant Messaging (IM) activity. Also, the effect is quite the opposite, as we’ve found the employees’ desire to telework a couple of days a week is so high on their priority list (2nd to pay!), that they have no problem with any oversight policy.
If my employees are working from home with the Managed Telecommute solution, will the employee be required to have a company-owned laptop or computer at home?
No, The Managed Telecommute® allows your employees to work from home on any computer, as long as they have Internet access.
How can our company begin the process—what are the first steps?
Please e-mail: Richard Grunburg: rgrunburg@home2office.com or call our main office at 800.800.9H2O.
2005 Government telework Study