Technology at heart of O2 flexible working pilot - Network Accessories

O2, the telecoms giant, has used network equipment to help it roll out an innovative remote working trial in advance of London 2012.

On February 8th the company asked more than 2,500 employees to work remotely, with just 125 workers left in the company's HQ to complete mission critical tasks.

The pilot was designed to test O2's readiness for the Olympics – the expected travel disruption and delays during the event means firms must put in place business continuity plans.

O2 found the pilot helped it slash its corporate emissions – halving its water use on the day and recording a 12 per cent drop in electricity consumption.

Technology was at the heart of the home working pilot. O2 said newly strengthened networks and sophisticated collaboration technology were used to ensure everyone who needed to get online was able to do so.

O2 upgraded its virtual private network technology ahead of time as well as automatically redirecting traffic between servers in the north and south of its offices.

Ben Dowd, business director for O2, said: "The success of O2's experiment extends much further than just allowing some of the workforce to stay at home and work.

"It proves that with the right thinking and planning, even the largest organisations can protect themselves from the most severe disruptions to their business."

The Games begin on July 27th.

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