LindaOJ here again and as I am on the road working, I will be writing this blog partly in Geneva and the rest of it in Ireland. Now, this might sound an easy task but believe me it has been quite stressful. When I arrived in Geneva and settled into my hotel, Dave (my husband and business partner) set up my laptop so that I could connect to the Internet. Unfortunately it was not long before we both realised that the in-room Internet connection at the hotel was not working!

But wait… we have WiFi available if we work in the lobby, which also acts as the business centre. We trundled down to the lobby only to find the WiFi was not working either. This continued for the entire stay at this hotel and I for one was very disappointed. I then asked Dave if we purchased a ‘magic stick’ (as I like to call them) would that solve our problem. Unfortunately he quickly pointed out it might only work in Geneva and prove to be very expensive.

Sometimes WiFi at hotels can be a little confusing

Given these experiences, I decided to interview Dave on the technology challenges I am experiencing whilst on the road. I should share with you that he does have a lot of expertise in this area and has worked in this field for many years.

What kind of technology problems do business travelers experience these days?

Your story illustrates a common problem, in that many business travelers these days require constant connectivity to keep in touch with their business information systems. Some examples of what we expect to access are e-mail, company directories, and telephone and conferencing services. It’s easy to take this access for granted when you’re at the office, but when you’re on the road it can often be a difficult challenge. Typical issues are problems connecting to the company network; large expense that comes from roaming charges on mobile phones; and security concerns when using public Internet access points.

Let’s concentrate on company network connectivity. What exactly are the issues?

When we are at the office, our computers are usually connected to the company network rather than directly to the Internet. This means that we might have access to servers containing our company data, internal web pages with important information, and more. However, these internal systems are typically not accessible from the Internet. The answer is to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) solution. This typically consists of a device installed in your company network that will allow your laptop to securely connect to the company network across the Internet. Once you’re connected through the VPN, it’s just like being in the office!

The VPN Solution did not work in our hotel. Why not and is there another solution?

There are different types of VPN solutions from different vendors. Unfortunately some VPN solutions make use of technology that can be difficult for hotels or cafes to work with, and this causes the VPN connection to fail. I would recommend checking with the hotel in advance if your VPN solution is supported. If you are a frequent traveler, I’d consider adding support for several types of VPN solution into your company network.

Cost is a big concern for many small business owners, including myself. What advice can you give on how to save money when using a mobile phone abroad?

The problem here is Roaming—the traveller’s enemy! Virtually all mobile phone carriers charge extra for you to use your mobile phone abroad as they need to cover the cost of data agreements with carriers located in other countries. To cut down on calling and data costs, you should try to get your phone ‘unlocked’ – which simply means it can work with SIM cards from another operator. When you arrive at your destination country, obtain a SIM card to enable your phone to work directly on the in-country network. You can pay-as-you-go at substantially lower rates. Alternatively you may be able to pre-purchase a travel pack from your carrier to work more cost effectively. If you have a VoIP phone service (such as Skype for example) you may also be able to use your laptop as a phone.

Security is definitely a concern more than ever these days for us all, can you offer some simple tips in this area?

When travelling you need to be mindful of several things: keeping your technology safe, and keeping the information safe you access with your technology. If you are travelling with your laptop for instance, you should keep it stored in secure location (such as a hotel safe) when you’re not using it. In terms of protecting information, make sure to connect only to wireless networks you consider somewhat trustworthy, such as that provided by your hotel. However, be aware that any other hotel guest might be able to snoop on your activities unless you’re using a VPN solution as we discussed earlier. Those are my top two tips!

Thanks to Dave we now have some great ideas on how not to suffer the challenges I have been going through. However, I realise that I am not able to control every aspect of what we have been talking about and ultimately, technology challenges will always be there.

Now that we are arrived safe and sound in Ireland, I smiled with relief when the hotel receptionist assured us we had WiFi in our room. We unpacked and decided to check our emails. We were disappointed to find we had a very weak signal where our room was located and could not access the Internet. At one point we were walking up and down the corridor with my iPhone checking where the best signal could be found!

Eventually we mentioned to the hotel staff we needed the Internet to work in our room and they offered us three room choices, along with keys. We trotted off with Dave’s laptop only to find none of them were any better than the room we already had. Luckily for us the hotel staff were excellent and they promised us we could check out a room that was being vacated at noon the next day. Our luck was in and after checking that the Internet signal was strong we re-packed our suitcases and moved rooms.  We have been busy since then playing catch up with email and suchlike and looking forward to a nice drink in the bar before dinner, which we feel is well deserved after all our Internet woes.

Be prepared seems to be the best advice I can offer anyone traveling for work and expecting to use the Internet. Seek help from your telecommunications company (such as TELUS) who have solutions for most of the challenges we run into.

We leave for the UK on Sunday, and I am already anticipating what problems might arise when we arrive at our next hotel, but I always like to think positive so I am sure everything will be fine.

“It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.”

– Albert Einstein

Do you have any similar stories as mine? If so how did you deal with your technology challenges when traveling?

Linda Ockwell-Jenner is a President of Motivational Steps  and Co-Founder of the Small Business Community Network (SBCN) based in Waterloo  Region. Find out more about Linda at www.motivationalsteps.com and www.sbcncanada.org

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

If you are a frequent business traveler, you already know how important it is to keep on top of your flight schedule.  A busy sales executive or consultant can often find themselves on four or more flight segments every week and missing a flight or being late for a meeting just isn't an acceptable option.  On the flip side, those who travel only occasionally for business also appreciate the need for punctuality and pre-flight organization.

There are a variety of different ways to keep on top of your flight schedule.  Paper based flight itineraries are the most common, but they are only as current as the last time they were printed.  Email alerts are also available from a number of airlines, but if you fly with multiple air carriers, they become more difficult to manage.  Fortunately there is a Smartphone app here to help.

Flight Track Pro ($9.99 from the iTunes store for iPhone or iPad, or the Android Market) takes your flight information and manages it with style.  Right off the top, I can confidently say that Flight Track Pro is the current leader in this space.  Here is why:

Loading and searching flights

Adding your itinerary to Flight Track Pro is amazingly simple.  The first step is to create a profile at Tripit.com.  Next, log into Tripit via the Flight Track Pro application to create a link between the website and your app (you only have to do these steps once).  Then, simply forward your airline itinerary email to plans@tripit.com.  That's it.  Tripit will automatically scan the email for the required details and sync it with Flight Track Pro.  Within minutes your flights and their status are shown in the application.

Flights can also be entered manually by flight number or through an impressive search of flights by airline, route and date.  Personally, I have found this feature to be ideal when planning a trip.  For example, if you want to know what all of the flights between Calgary and Toronto are on a certain day, Flight Track Pro will tell you with a very high level of accuracy.  Being able to look over all of the available flights from multiple airlines helps business users choose the ones that make best use of their travel time.

Flight cancellations or delays

If one of your tracked flights is delayed or cancelled, you will quickly receive an alert from the Flight Track Pro application.  Along with the notification, your flights will be updated to show the latest status.  In the event your flight is cancelled, Flight Track Pro will even make recommendations on replacements.

Consider this scenario as well:  You are sitting in the Edmonton airport waiting for your flight to Vancouver.  Looking out the window, you see that there is no plane at the gate.  Will the plane show up in time for your flight to leave as scheduled?  While the agent will do their best to provide updated information, Flight Track Pro has the ability to predict whether or not a flight will leave on time based on the previous leg of the plane.  This edge may mean the difference between hopping on another flight, beating a weather system to get home or grabbing a hotel for the night.  (Note:  this data isn't available for every flight, so experiment with your route and airline)

Mapping

The map feature of Flight Track Pro is the flagship feature.  In essence, you can track thousands of international flights in real-time via a full featured map.  Picture Google Maps, but showing the current location of the plane, approximate flight path, flight elevation and speed and even nearby weather systems.  Visually stunning for a mobile device and full of good useful information.

The mapping feature is beautiful for picking up clients at the airport.  If you know their flight, just search it in Flight Track Pro and you will be able to map their in-flight location.  Still far away, stay at the office a little longer before leaving to pick them up.

Calendar Sync

An added benefit of using Flight Track Pro is a calendar sync feature.  If activated, your mobile calendar will automatically be booked during flight segments.  This is ideal for frequent business travelers, permitting colleagues to view and book open slots based on a more accurate picture of availability.

Conclusion

Flight Track Pro is a perfect business travel companion.  It keeps track of flights, notifies you if things change and displays it all in a beautiful, easy to use interface.  A top choice for iPhone, iPad and Android users.

Have you had an opportunity to use this application?  What do you think?  Please join the conversation by adding a comment below.