Of course, Virgin Media Business have a vested interest in just such an outcome proving correct but it still makes for interesting reading. The research was carried out by LM Research and surveyed 5,000 directors / business owners from companies with 100+ employees between 12 December 2011 and 16 December 2011.
According to the report, businesses are already putting in place plans to support these changes. Access to super-fast connectivity as standard is now the top investment priority for UK businesses (31 per cent) as they prepare for staff to work away from the office in the years to come.
Tony Grace, Chief Operating Officer of Virgin Media Business, said: ‘There’s a change coming to the way we work. Remote working isn’t anything new, but with technology providing the right tools for the job, the acceptance that it will soon be the norm is.
‘Businesses are already getting fit for purpose by investing in cloud-based software, virtual private networks or investing in new tools such as Unified Communications to ensure that remote teams remain connected and engaged. The growth in video and social media across corporate networks is also supporting this migration away from the traditional office confines; the importance to underlying network infrastructure once more comes under the spotlight.’
These results will be music to the ears of commuters as the majority of employees (62 per cent) expect to be commuting less thanks to more flexible working practices.
The capital’s public transport network currently caters for 25 million journeys every single day. If the predictions of the UK’s business leaders come true, that number could tumble to a more manageable 10 million journeys. With the average desk in London costing £285 to rent per person per month, companies could be saving thousands of pounds on costs.
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