Remote Home Offices

Hey corporate employees: What's it worth to you to be able to work from a remote vacation spot year-round? For risk management consultant Ben Dunn, it's worth $100,000. According to the New York Times, that's what Dunn spent outfitting his Crested Butte, Colorado home with computer equipment that includes a Bloomberg terminal flat-screen monitor, conferencing equipment, a dedicated intranet connection to his employer in Connecticut, and high speed T1 Internet lines.

Improved telecommuting technology and the growing popularity of high-speed Internet has enabled individuals to work from places they would only have considered vacation spots. While freelance workers are well-attuned to the concept of telecommuting, employees who work for companies don't always have this luxury.

Part of Jonathan Schechter's job as executive director at the Charture Institute in Jackson, Wyoming is to explore community growth in remote, small towns. “There are fewer and fewer constraints for people who want to work in remote places," Schechter tells the New York Times. "People used to go to places like Crested Butte or Jackson Hole for two weeks a year on vacation. Now people are asking themselves, 'Why don’t I live and work in a place that I love?'"

For eco-conscious types, avoiding a commute and supporting a small town's local economy are some of the main draws of telecommuting. Check out some of the technological advances that can make telecommuting a reality for individuals in the corporate world below.