As promised last week, here's a great video from Wednesday’s Calgary Economic Development and Teletrips’s seminar with Scott McNealy, Co-Founder of Sun Microsystems.

The overarching theme of the day was, "you don't have to go to work, to be at work.”  Check out the video to learn about Scott’s personal experience leading Sun Microsystems through a "WORKshift and the triple bottom line benefits (financial, environmental, and societal) the company realized after making the transition to telework.

What are your company’s plans for telework?

On behalf of the Talking Business blog and the whole telustalksbusiness.com community, we’d like to extend a warm welcome to our community’s second guest-blogger and technology expert Mark Evans, ME Consulting.

Last year, Mark was named one of Canada’s best technology bloggers by ComputerWorld Canada.  He is one of Canada’s leading social media experts, an entrepreneur and enthusiastic blogger.  Mark also writes several blogs, including Mark Evans Tech and Twitterrati, as well as a regular column for the Globe & Mail.

Over the next while, Mark will be guest-blogging regularly about technology and mobile working trends.  His first post will cover TELUS’s Work Anywhere Discovery Tool – an online tool that helps businesses understand their flexible working needs and benchmark themselves against industry peers.  As with all our community guest-bloggers, Mark will be actively listening and responding to comments, so please don’t hesitate to connect with Mark by leaving him comments on his posts.

Please join us in welcoming Mark to the telustalksbusiness.com community!

Many mobile workers use PDAs, cell phones, laptop computers, wired or wireless headsets, an external mouse and keyboard and even microphones and video cameras connected, or built in to their computer. 

As mobile workers, we have learned how to connect, configure and use most, if not all of these devices and the associated software programs required for our jobs, either through in-house education, peers or experience.

Since we work away from our corporate offices most of the time, we have developed the skills and processes to backup information to large capacity RAM drives and over the Internet, become self sufficient and very proficient in using the various computer programs required, and have even learned how to troubleshoot and isolate problems with our various technology devices.

This technology self sufficiency increases professional productivity, reduces our use of internal technology support resources, but most importantly allows us to effectively work from a wide variety of mobile locations.

There are unexpected personal benefits from being a successful mobile worker.  With the evolution of next generation network technologies available now and continuing to improve in the future, we can also work from a cottage, a boat, or from friends or family locations, with a work-life balance finally becoming possible.

Comments? Leave your thoughts below.

Part 1: Well Versed Verbal Communication

Part 2: Excellent Written Communication Skills

Part 3: Electrical Power

Part 4: Proper Transport, Storage and Security

In order to prevent future physical problems, it is important to provide technology carrying bags designed to hold the various devices regularly used.  We have standardized on leather computer cases with roller blade type wheels that have long, strong telescopic handles, and padded shoulder straps.

For those of us who prefer backpacks, we have standardized on well made leather computer backpacks that have padded shoulder straps, properly sized, reinforced pockets with good, sturdy zippers.

To add security, we use computer cable locking units with combination locks to secure either the computer or our technology bag, as and when required.  Some of us even have the models that have a loud audible alarm that will activate when the bag is moved.  These devices have prevented theft of our computer bags and contents multiple times at airports and hotels over the years.

Well designed, well made technology bags are well worth the extra investment.  Many of us have had ours for over ten years, even after hundreds of thousands of miles in the air and on the road!

Comments? Leave your thoughts below.

Part 1: Well Versed Verbal Communication

Part 2: Excellent Written Communication Skills

Part 3: Electrical Power

Ever wondered if corporate philanthropy might be right for your business? At TELUS, we believe that to do well in business, you must do good in the communities you serve. This commitment was recently recognized by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, which honoured TELUS with the global 2010 Freeman Philanthropic Services Award for Outstanding Corporation.

In a five article series, TELUS will be interviewing Jill Schnarr, VP, Community Investment and Engagement at TELUS.  Jill will share her insights on the value of giving back for businesses of every size, and how to get the greatest impact for your investment dollars. This is the third article in the series.

How do I get the most value from my community investments?

Tell people. It’s not bragging to let your customers and employees know about your company’s charitable giving. It communicates that you appreciate the good work of others and value your place as part of the community. The goodwill your support will foster is a result of that. And it’s also an opportunity to promote the organizations you support which helps build their profile.

Whom should I target in the promotion of my businesses’ community investment program?

It is worthwhile to share news of your support with past, existing and potential customers, employees, partners and suppliers. Anyone your business might touch in any way. If your company is big enough, you might also want to let other charities know you have a charitable giving program so they can also approach you for support. If you do that, it’s worthwhile to have a policy which sets out giving guidelines to make it easier to process requests.

I would like to encourage my employees to participate in the company giving program. How do I do that?

Involving employees in your community investment program is an excellent way to broaden your overall contribution and build team member loyalty at the same time. Among other things, at TELUS we invite team members to come together and volunteer with the charity of their choice on our annual TELUS Day of Service. It’s a popular event and participation is huge – staff, alumni and their friends and family take part. Whatever the scale, creating opportunities for employees to volunteer fosters teambuilding, loyalty and customer appreciation.

You may also wish to consider allocating a portion of your corporate philanthropy dollars to matching your employees’ charitable donations. Supporting their giving choices lets your team members know you value them and the importance of giving back.

What is the best way to promote my giving program?

There are a variety of ways to draw attention to your community investments. Which tools you use will depend on the size of your business and the kind of organizations you support. Technology offers many options. Include a section on community support in your company web site; have links on your site to the charities you support and on theirs to you; reference your support at the bottom of your email e-signature and post articles and information about your giving to your company’s intranet if you have one. More grassroots methods such as signage in your place of business are also effective.

In the next article, Jill will discuss determining how much to give.

Do you have any ideas about promoting a corporate giving program?  Please join in by creating a profile or logging in and adding a comment below. Join the conversation; we would love to hear from you!

Welcome to our App of the Week series where we highlight Smartphone applications for business.

Are you a note taker or list maker?  Do you have dozens of sticky notes attached to your desk?  Or do you simply desire to be more organized and less forgetful at work?  If so, Evernote is the app for you. Although Evernote isn't new, I'm often surprised at how many business users do not know about it.  For me, it's a “must have” app.

A free app for Android, iPhone, BlackBerry® and Window Mobile Smartphones, Evernote is designed to capture notes, ideas and reminders in a number of different forms.  Need to create a list?  Add it as a text note. Don't have time to record a part number?  Take a picture of it with Evernote.  Inspiration strikes?  Record a voice note.  The application is very simple and clear to use, making the learning curve short. 

Evernote specializes in three main areas:  1) Capturing notes;  2) Organizing notes; 3) Finding notes quickly. This includes wireless synchronization of notes between between your Smartphone, the web and your PC or Mac as well as advanced search functions. To learn the basics fast, here is a 60 second “elevator pitch” from Evernote CEO, Phil Libin:

Here is a longer, in-depth look at many of the overall Evernote account features courtesy of EvernotePhil:

The Evernote app and the Evernote service comes in two versions:  Free and premium.  The features are the Smartphone app are generally the same free and premium, however premium provides more storage space, enhanced security and other worthwhile features.

Bottom line: Evernote is a great app (and background service) for business users. The abiltiy to manage, organize and search so many different types of notes can directly improve your business productivity.  Download the app to your Smartphone, sign up for the free service and try it for at least one week - odds are you will be hooked.

Join the conversation in by creating a profile, logging in and adding a comment below.

Mobile workers generally communicate the written word via multiple means, such as email and text messaging.  The best tip to effective written communications is to err on being conservative by using proper grammar, punctuation and spelling, while being respectful of the person’s business culture, language and expectations.

To minimize the risk of your written message being misunderstood, we advise our clients to think this way...If your written message or document appeared in court as evidence; would it be misconstrued, taken as slanderous or appear inaccurate?   Again, with new laws mandating some organizations to record all communications, including email and text messaging, caution is warranted.

This approach may seem a bit extreme or old fashioned, particularly by younger generations, but we believe that written communications should be clear, concise and accurate to minimize the chance of being misunderstood.  We find that the more cryptic the message, the easier it is to misunderstand.

Comments? Leave your thoughts below.

Part 1: Well Versed Verbal Communication

To celebrate the launch of the Motorola BRUTE i680™, we’re giving away a phone a week until April 25, 2010.  All you have to do is visit www.noordinaryphone.com to tell us what a tough day looks like for you!

Check out the video below for contest details:

Ian over at www.mobilesyrup.com recently had the chance to test out the device.  Take a look at his video (below) to see how the phone stands up to tough working conditions encountered by contractors and construction workers.

Do you work with Mike now and have experiences that you want to share? Or are you considering Mike for your business and have more questions?  Please join in by creating a profile or logging in and adding a comment below. Join the conversation; we would love to hear from you!

Contest rules at www.noordinaryphone.com

As mentioned last week, General Rick Hillier, former Chief of the Defence Staff for Canadian Forces,  joined TELUS to speak to a group of 200 Toronto-based managers and entrepreneurs at the TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning in Toronto.  As an officer in the Canadian Forces’ highest rank, General Hillier translated his experience in military leadership into lessons for today’s business world.

Small business & leadership expert Evan Carmichael was on hand with a video camera to talk to the crowd about key lessons and he sat down with General Hillier for a one-on-one interview about leadership strategies for entrepreneurs.

Stay tuned for Evan’s blog post (expected later this week) about the event and his one-on-one interview with General Hillier.

Welcome to our App of the Week series where we highlight Smartphone applications for business.

Mobile working and eating out usually go hand in hand. Unfortunately, it's often quite difficult to decide where to eat. “What do you want?” is usually the first question, followed up with something similar to:  “I don't know.  Chinese? Burger? Steak?”  It's even harder to decide if you are travelling in an unfamiliar city or neighbourhood.  Fortunately, there is an app that specializes in making the decision a little easier:  Urbanspoon.

A free download for iPhone (link opens in iTunes), BlackBerry® and Android platforms, the Urbanspoon app can be likened to a restaurant slot machine. Open the app, select your location (or let your GPS enabled Smartphone  determine your location automatically) and the app will randomly select a restaurant close to you. Don't like what it selected?  Ask the app to find another one.  You can even narrow down the search criteria to food type, price range and general location.

If the randomly selected restaurant is unfamiliar, it's easy to select the restaurant name and view valuable ratings and reviews from members of the www.urbanspoon.com Community (if you are a member, you can also add to the ratings via the app).  Contact information and additional details are also displayed. There area also less random search options including by food type, feature, popularity or by name.

iPhone users also get a cool additional feature: Augmented Reality.  It may sound complicated, but it's actually really slick and surprisingly useful.  Picture yourself walking in the downtown core of an unfamiliar city.  By selecting the “Scope” function, you can use the camera on your iPhone to look around and actually see, via the iPhone screen, the direction, distance and name of restaurants in your area.  Point the camera to the horizon, look around, pick the restaurant you want, and start walking. It's that easy.

Is every restaurant in the app?  No.  There are some obvious misses.  However, since the data is created  through the Urbanspoon online Community, anyone can add new restaurants via their website.

There is one item that may concern some business users:  when a search is run, a simulated slot machine sound is heard.  It can be very annoying after repeated searches, so switch your Smartphone to vibrate or turn the volume down to avoid it.

Overall, this free download is great for business people on the go who like to try new places to eat (or just can't decide where to go).  But what do you think?  Please join in by creating a profile, logging in and adding a comment below.

Ever wondered if corporate philanthropy might be right for your business? At TELUS, we believe that to do well in business, you must do good in the communities you serve. This commitment was recently recognized by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, which honoured TELUS with the global 2010 Freeman Philanthropic Services Award for Outstanding Corporation.

In a five article series, TELUS will be interviewing Jill Schnarr, VP, Community Investment and Engagement at TELUS.  Jill will share her insights on the value of giving back for businesses of every size, and how to get the greatest impact for your investment dollars.  This is the first article in the series.

Why is giving back important for businesses?

Simply put, it’s the right thing to do for your community and it’s the right thing to do for your business.

Corporate giving creates a symbiotic relationship between your company and the communities you serve. We live in an increasingly socially conscious world. More and more consumers are seeking out companies with a conscience. Research shows that all things being equal, consumers are more likely to support companies that engage in some kind of charitable giving. It’s also been shown that employees are more interested in working for and staying at companies that give back.

How does community investment help a business stand out from the crowd?

When you give back to the community, you become part of it. You become more than a supplier of goods or services. As a business citizen, you demonstrate that you value being part of your community and people respond to that.

How big should a business be before starting a giving program?

It doesn’t matter what size your business is. Whether you have three employees or 30,000, the benefits of community investment are the same. The program you create might be on a different scale, but the importance of giving back doesn’t change.

I like the idea of community investment, but I’m not sure I can afford it.

By investing in your community, you not only help others, you attract customers and build employee loyalty. And that’s good business sense.  Keep in mind, your contributions don’t always have to be financial, you can donate time, services or goods and still make an impact.

I’d like to start a community investment program for my business. How do I start?

At TELUS, our guiding philosophy is that ‘we give where we live.’ We support organizations that make positive differences in the communities we serve.  For your contribution to be the most effective, consider giving locally. Create a plan. Identify whom you want to reach with your investment, what message you want to convey and what you can give. From there, it’s a matter of finding the right charity to support.

Next week, Jill will discuss how to choose the right charity to support.

Do you have any ideas about about the value of giving back for business?  Please join in by creating a profile or logging in and adding a comment below. Join the conversation; we would love to hear from you!

It happens to almost everyone. You can't find your Smartphone.  And of course it happens at the very worst time - when you are late for a meeting, just leaving the house or, even worse, when you finally arrived at your destination.

As a business user of a Smartphone, you most likely have accumulated a large amount of private or proprietary data on your device. This could be in the form of emails (and attachments), contacts, notes and call records.  Consider what you would do if all of that data was lost?  Worse yet, what if that data wound up in the wrong hands?  Here are four areas of consideration to help reduce the business risk of a lost Smartphone:

1.  Sync your Smartphone wirelessly.

While only a few years ago this feature was exclusive to big corporations, every business can and should sync wirelessly.  Wireless synchronization means important data on your Smartphone such as email, calendar and contacts synchronize themselves with a secured system automatically, via the wireless network. Since you don't have to connect your phone to a computer, it automatically updates itself throughout the day.  So if something changes or is updated on your Smartphone, all the data is backed up and fully accessible.

There are a variety of wireless sync solutions available for BlackBerry®, Apple iPhone, Android, Windows Mobile and other device platforms.  The right solution depends on your business size and needs (like the type of data you need to sync). To discuss the solution that is right for your business, you have two excellent options:  a) fill out the Contact form above to have a TELUS Business Solutions expert contact you personally; b) post your situation as a question to the TELUS Talks Business Community and receive a public reply from both TELUS experts and members of the Community.

2.  Password protect your device.

All Smartphones have the ability to set an access password.  While it can be a bit annoying to enter a password every time you use the device, the data protection benefits are a must for business users. Setup a short, easy to enter password.  Numeric passwords are often easier to enter quickly, but avoid using your phone number, 1234 or anything too common. As a security bonus, many Smartphones, including devices made by BlackBerry®, automatically delete all data from the phone if a password is entered incorrectly more than a specified number of times (usually 10 or less).

3. Understand your remote wiping options.

As a last line of defence, remote wipe is a command that is sent to your Smartphone that erases all data from the device.  If successfully sent and received, specified private data is deleted from the phone.  If your business uses Microsoft Exchange Server for email, calendar and contact synchronization, remote wiping may be automatically available for your Smartphones ( check with your IT administrator or server documentation).  For many other devices, such as Apple's iPhone 3GS, services such as MobileMe provide single user remote wiping capabilities.  BlackBerry® devices also have multiple excellent, easy to administer options.

Register and add a post to our Ask the Community section if you would like to discuss a remote wiping solution for your Smartphone.

4.  Keep track of serial numbers.

Create and maintain a list of all wireless equipment your business uses.  For each device, record the following:

1. Phone number of the device.  For Mike business users, also include the Direct Connect number.
2. ESN or IMEI.  This is the unique serial number of the Smartphone and can be numbers or a combination of numbers      and letters. You can find it on the original box, under the battery or through the settings menu of each phone.
3. SIM card number.  If you have a 3G+ or other SIM card based device, ensure you have recorded the SIM number.

Having these numbers readily available will help in two major ways.  First, since two phones of the same brand and model look identical, these numbers are sometimes the only way to determine if a phone is yours.  Second, in the event you discover your phone is stolen, these numbers may be required for law enforcement and insurance purposes.

This article only scratches the surface when it comes to business security and wireless devices.  Look for further in-depth articles on these subjects in the future.

(Note: If you would like to see an article on a specific subject sooner, just add a comment and a member of the team here will work with a security expert to get the details you are looking for.)