Our vision is to take a more proactive than reactive approach towards promoting telework and telecommuting and fill the void left by other telework advocacy groups. We will develop an overall awareness and acceptance of the benefits available including:

* providing new employment opportunities for the disabled, rural, and older worker, as well as spouses of those in the military

* a means to efficiently and effectively establish a decentralized and distributed work force that is necessary as a

Through our efforts we will help the number of teleworkers and telecommuters grow to reach what we feel is its true potential. We will create opportunities for the businesses and services that support our efforts and us, and have invested so much time and money developing the tools and technologies necessary to establish successful telework programs.

The Telework Coalition brings together a diverse array of organizations, companies, and individuals with the common interest of promoting awareness and adoption of existing and emerging Telework and Telecommuting applications including telemedicine and distance learning, as well as addressing access to broadband services that may be needed to support these applications.

To promote and expand the utilization of Telework applications through the education of Federal, State and local elected officials, and employers and employees in both the public and private sectors, as to their benefits.

To work with policy makers in developing incentives including tax credits for employers and employees who engage in telework programs, accelerated equipment depreciation, and establishing pilot telework, telemedicine, and distance learning programs.

To inform the public of these available incentives to accelerate their adoption and use.

To assemble a group of experts in the telework field who can address and resolve the specific concerns of agencies and businesses that inhibit the implementation of beneficial telework programs.

To address the ever growing concerns about traffic congestion, the environment, and work~life balance.

To build awareness of Telework as a critical component in the establishment of a decentralized and distributed workforce that is necessary when addressing business continuity and disaster recovery planning.

And therefore, to help convey the concept that "work is something you do, not someplace you go".

Toward these goals, the Telework Coalition will organize disparate constituencies and provide a platform neutral voice to call for State and Federal policies to both empower greater utilization of Telework applications and for immediate increases in the development and deployment of technologies to enhance their advancement.

There are few applications that can effectively address so many of today's economic, social, environmental, and traffic related issues as Telework and Telecommuting, yet there is still a reluctance of many businesses and Governmental agencies to adopt aggressive Telework programs.

Some blame this on either a lack of deployment of broadband Internet access technologies, or a refusal of those who have access to broadband to adopt it as a cost effective means of remote work. Some groups, such as the “Positively Broadband” campaign (www.positivelybroadband.org) have been formed to encourage the adoption of broadband as a means of facilitating “e-work, e-government, e-health, e-education, and e-entertainment.

Others adopt the traditional excuse that it's the fault of managers who feel that `out of site is out of mind'. For some, it's just a hesitation to change. There is no one reason or another, but Telework in an idea whose time has come.

The major incentives for adopting telework as a way of life and way of work are here and they include:

1. Traffic congestion that, in many areas, has surpassed education as the number one concern of voters

3. The desire for a greater work~life balance that has driven many workers to desire it over pay increases.

4. The economy and the opportunity for businesses to have employees who are more productive, more loyal, and are less inclined to look for other jobs. Businesses are able to reduce real estate costs by from 20% to 50% through better utilization of office space.

5. The need for a more decentralized, dispersed, and distributed workforce is necessary when developing contingency plans for dealing with emergencies caused by traffic, weather, or people themselves.

6. The need to bring jobs to much of the rural population in the country and the disabled.

7. The fact that a considerable percentage of the workforce, the `baby-boomers', will soon be retiring and leaving many jobs without the skilled labor pool necessary to refill them.

The Telework Coalition has a lot to do and looks to you for support in its efforts.