Helix Supports Project Bedouin: Best of breed technologies combined to drive productivity and partnership benefits for CATA Alliance

Watch Our Going Bedouin Video on CATAFacebook for Business

Ottawa, May , 2008… Canada's largest high tech trade association, CATA Alliance , announced the launch of its “Going Bedouin” program as part of a full-mobility business infrastructure model.

“Work is not a place anymore -- it's a thing you do,” said CATA President John Reid. “With the new relationship-building capacity of the Web, and enhanced and affordable tools for mobile workers, we can be ‘at work' anywhere.”

The term Bedouin Office was first coined by writers in San Francisco entrepreneur Greg Olsen, who described local ‘digital nomads' as “Bay Area Bedouins'. Tired of pouring his start-up money into new office headquarters, Greg focused on a service-based mob infrastructure. Now, like their namesake Bedouin who roam looking for green pastures, the new digital Bedouins carry laptops and cell phones, and set up shop wherever there is an Internet connection.

Reid said the Bedouin Office would give CATA's members a number of advantages:

•  Speed: Our staff will be able to respond even faster to member requests, because their office will always be with them. We will never be off-line; even when we're in different cities we will be able to send messages and documents;

•  Responsiveness: We can get closer to our members, because we can visit them without paying the penalty of being away from work.

•  Efficiency: We have extended out productivity, because we have broken down the barriers between ‘at work' and ‘in the office'. You can work whenever you want to.

•  Core Value Focus: Going nomad takes your attention away from infrastructure issues and allows you to focus on the core value you deliver.

“This is definitely a case of ‘less is more',” added CATA EVP Barry Gander . “This is very different from the older concept of home worker. The Bedouin Office gives much more mobility, and puts you in control of when and where you work. It gets you out of your cubicle and out of your routine. You're going to spend one-third of your life working: would you rather spend it in an office or working anywhere you want? For many businesses, it comes down to being able to answer the question ‘why are you going Bedouin?, with the simple statement: ‘because we can'.”

CATAA lliance President, John Reid , said, “Going Bedouin is not something you just jump into - you have to be able to support all the usual business functions, like marketing, email blasts, and information sharing. For the past six months we have had a team of experts guide us in creating the next generation of Going Bedouin. Our team focused on service-based infrastructure options, including the use of social networks to drive office productivity. It is a well know fact that software is increasingly moving from a product that you buy to a free service that you go to on the web, the software-as-a-service model.”

He added, “The daunting challenge was to find, test and integrate best of breed software tools, technologies and related resources. Our recipe is proving to be highly successful.”

CATA Recipe for Going Bedouin

• laptop computers and cell phones for team members

• high speed portable internet with Wireless connectivity

• Talkswitch for smart telephony, bundled with zero cost VOIP options

• one mail address and pick up location

• content management web site with web analytics, RSS feeds, iintegrated with social ‘productivity' networks

• third party email broadcasting, virtual fax, video production etc

• offsite backup of data with appropriate security measures

• employee collaboration platform for document sharing, calendars,

wikis and Group Chat

• accounting and payroll automated, off site and paperless

• one or more work spaces with CATA research partners

• team members who value simplicity, agility and self-sufficiency

Reid added that “going Bedouin makes CATA a model user of these best-in-breed technologies -- but it's not really about the technologies. It's about changing the process of work, and the way you do things. Technology is the enabler; it's up to us to show people how their lives can change.”

CATA Alliance has also announced a Cash Reward of One thousand dollars for suggestions on how to take the Bedouin Office to the Next Level.

Reid concluded, “We are looking for additional technologies, resources and approaches that will further strengthen the concept. And we want to reward the winners who contribute to helping strengthen our business model .”

++ Action Item:

Please submit your Bedouin Office ideas and contact details to jreid@cata.ca with Bedouin in the Header.” Winners will be selected by members of our implementation team.

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CATAAlliance wishes to recognize the guidance and support /or technologies integral to Going Bedouin: Rogers Communications, MTS Allstream, Igloo Inc., Cisco, Skype, Centrepoint Technologies, Marquis, Algonquin College, Babytel, Iotum, Facebook, RIM, Viadeo, Linkedin, Helix Commerce International, Behan Webster Inc., Access Group, University of Ottawa, Telfer School, Got Marketing, UTube, MagicJack, Keshet Inc.++ Action Item: Take Bedouin Office to the Next Level: Cash Reward to Winner