More Americans are showing they can get their jobs done from just about anywhere outside the office. And as some businesses expand in size and geographic scope, they are finding new technology to help employees who telecommute.

About 45 million Americans are working from home, according to a survey conducted by ITAC, a telework advisory group. The survey also found that out of 135.4 million workers, 20.6 million conducted work in their car and 16.3 million worked while on vacation.

By installing a server with Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Small Business Server 2003 software on it, businesses can store all of its documents, e-mail messages, calendars and images in one location. Additionally, employees can remotely access all company documents as well as programs and data on their desktop - from anywhere in the world. With a server, mobile devices such as Smartphones and Personal Digital Assistants also can connect users to e-mail, scheduling software and other programs as though they were working at their desks.

A small-business server can help increase a company's productivity and efficiency by allowing a specialized computer to perform services and run software for other computers, or "clients," on its network.

For the millions of Americans who need to work when away from their office, Windows Small Business Server 2003 offers a solution that includes Remote Web Workplace. This application allows employees to access anything on their work desktop from any PC in the world that has Internet access.

Many employees who work in a business without a server can't be very productive. They're also unable to back up their data or prevent unauthorized users from accessing their computers, all common problems small businesses experience that server software can prevent. Later this year, Microsoft plans to launch a new release, Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2, which will include even more advanced security features.

The ITAC survey also found that during the past year, the number of employee telecommuters increased by 30 percent. As this trend continues, so will the need for integrated solutions such as small-business servers.

Whether or not their employees telecommute, companies are realizing the benefits of using small-business servers to streamline processes and decrease costs.

For more information, visit www.microsoft.com/sbs. - NU

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