10 Must-Have Tech Tools for Telecommuters

Telecommuting keeps getting more popular, as businesses seek to lower their overhead and embrace flexible staffing options. Last year, a survey by the Citrix-sponsored Worldwide Workplace Council, which promotes the idea of a "location-independent workforce," found that 53 percent of small business owners favored a telecommuting option. When small businesses surveyed were asked about the criteria for making this a reality, the top requirements were the availability of low-cost and easy-to-use technologies to support remote workers.

Michele Goodman, author of The Anti 9-to-5 Guide, said she agrees with the Citrix study. A recent article in Fortune quoted her as saying, "Teleworkers should have access to the software they need to join meetings, as well as the corporate systems and files they need to do their work without having to rely on onsite workers, which can make them feel like second-class citizens." Here are some of the key tools for making sure telecommuters feel like first-class citizens.