• Bi-State Coalition exploring ferry service to relieve congestion
  
  
• The coastal link brings seamless bus service to Route 1 corridor.
  
  
• NYSDOT and Westchester on track with the Bee-Line's "LIKE-RAIL" - FDR To White Plains Express.
  
  
• Regional survey provides a look at commuter choices.
  
  Many people don't travel to work anymore - they are already there.
  
  
• Highway Advisory Radio on the air in Connecticut's southwest corridor.
  
  
• New web site helps Hudson Valley travelers get around.
  
  
• New Transportation guides available in Connecticut and New York.

The latest gag in the northern geoplex of IBM goes like this. An employee e-mails another person on her team, "Where's your office?" The answer comes back, "Somers, Building 5." Reply: "There is no Building 5 in Somers." Reply: "It doesn't matter, I'm never in Somers anyway."

A seamless organization focused on the customer is made up of highly mobile people who communicate from a virtual office that might be at home one day, Sterling Forest (NY) another, and Southbury (CT) the next. More and more of these folks on-the-go are signing up for the Flexible Office Program (FOP), which caters to those whose job assignments allow them to work from a home office base or customer location and who spend the rest of their time in a variety of locations. The company saves money on office space and overhead, and the employee gets to set up shop in a comfortable place called home. Work space is provided for mobile employees when they need quiet time at IBM.

The program, which was announced in December 1996, presented two options that called for employees to give up their offices at IBM. The work-at-home alternative suited people who were in the office most of the time, while the mobility option fit employees who traveled between IBM and customer sites. In April a telecommuting alternative was added that recognized special virtual office needs but also provided a shared office at IBM. Projected savings to IBM in reduced office space and overhead is significant.

"At first, people were reluctant to come forward even when their situation matched one of the categories," says Kelly Miceli, who administers the North's program. "Even though they were rarely there, people had a hard time relinquishing their offices. And they feared that they might have less face-to-face time with their managers." Now 320 people are happily in the program and others are discussing the merits of FOP. Employees in the Work-At-Home and Mobility categories get an IBM tie-line into their home office, are reimbursed for two extra phone lines, and are offered up to $500 for office equipment. Floating office space and LAN access for mobile workers are provided at IBM locations.

Bob McTigue, senior program manager, Business Development, is a perfect match for FOP. He lives in Scarsdale, N.Y., and is wearing several hats. First, he monitors the proposal status on pending deals, which brings him in contact with *the technical portions of the organization. Though he utilizes a database to help him track the developing deals, McTigue needs to physically be at different IBM locations. One day, he can be helping the project executive and a customer look for resources to help staff a datacenter. Yet another assignment finds Bob working with different teams on a study to estimate the impact on engagement and transition management skills. Finally, he is working on upgrades to a database that will allow a wider group of employees access to information they haven't had before.

"From the beginning I felt the program fit my work pattern, and I've learned to manage my time to make it work for me," says McTigue. "You need to think in advance about office work and aggregate it for the days you allocate to the home office. You also have to work on relationships, make yourself visible, and use all your communication tools." With grown children, the McTigues had a room they could set aside for Bob's office. "The program won't work if you can't get comfortable in a private place at home," he adds. "In my office I can work longer, work smarter, and save energy."

Helene Yagoda, manager of Business Development, has four FOP employees for whom the program was a good match. "FOP often lends itself to our way of conducting business," says Yagoda. "While we're all mobile, it's not for everybody, because some people don't have space at home and others don't work well in a place by themselves. From my standpoint, FOP presents no hardships. The people are always available and become excellent communicators. Morale is higher and the company saves money. What could be better?"