Why, With the Right Tech, You Can Work Even on the Morning Train

• (Photo : Why, With the Right Tech, You Can Work Even on the Morning Train )

Most people nowadays have to commute to work. In fact, one study has found that the average commute to work is almost an hour. Obviously, there is nothing much that you can do if you drive to work, except for listening to the radio and drinking your to-go coffee that is, but if you take the train you might be able to use your time wisely.

 If you have a laptop, some printed work in your briefcase, or even a phone in your pocket, you can find ways to spend your hour train journey to work and back being productive. With the right technology, you might even be able to use your commute as time to work. Here is how you could do that.

Unified communications apps

Whilst generally fantastic for enhancing your communications, unified communications apps are revolutionary for remote working. Unified communications can integrate multiple communications packages into one solution, which can then be operated through a cloud-based server. In other words, all you need is an app, a device that is compatible, and access to the internet.

Most smartphones these days are compatible with the majority of apps, as long as they aren't brand specific. This means that as long as you have mobile data or access to WiFi, you can access your unified communications app. Yes, that's right, you will have access to your office, file sharing and internal communications all through one single app. 

Document editing apps

If you carry a smartphone, as most people do, you could also download Microsoft Office, like Word, Excel and PowerPoint, or Google Drive's Docs, Sheets and Slides. These can work for online or offline editing, depending on the security of the documents.

So, whether you need to quickly correct an error in your company budget or run through your slides for an important business meeting, you can do it all from the comfort of the commuter train!  Documents can be easily read, edited, saved and shared, giving you some extra time to do more important things when you are at the office. 

VPN

Another important bit of tech is the VPN. This stands for Virtual Private Network. In short, it allows you to work from home whilst tricking your computer into thinking you are in the office. This means that you get all the benefits of the work network, for example accessing certain websites or documents, whilst being able to work virtually.

In saying this, you can easily load up the VPN on your phone or laptop, piggybacking off the train WiFi, mobile data or mobile hotspot, and connecting to your work's private network. This will increase your internet security and allow you to work from the train as if you are sat at your desk in the office. 

As technology is ever growing, there are many technological solutions out there that can enhance virtual working. So, why not give yourself some extra time in the day and use your commuting time productively? Check your emails, read your briefs, message your colleagues and share your documents even whilst on your morning train.