Monday, April 26, 2010

Top 5 Mobile Office Locations in London

According to the office for national statistics, 2.5 million of us accessed the internet via a wireless ‘hot spot’ last year, an increase from 700,000 in 2007. This rise can be directly attributed to the increase in both the number of public locations offering Wi-Fi and the public’s demand for such services.

A large proportion of you will have frequent requirements for virtual office working and therefore the need for areas in which remote working is facilitated. It is only a matter of time for those of you who can’t. Mobile working is set to become the UK norm by the end of the year according to Voxclever, a leading provider of small business IT services. Voxclever also claim virtual office workers could account for 73% of the UK’s workforce by the end of this year.

The recent spate of bad weather in London and the UK highlighted the need for employees and employers alike to investigate the benefits of working remotely. It shouldn’t be considered an afterthought for those not able to make it in/back to the office – especially when you consider that 73% of employees claim to be more productive when working remotely [study by Voxclever].

We have compiled a short list highlighting our pick of London ‘hotspots’ helping to make your remote working experience as productive and enjoyable as possible. Claim your booth, terrace or rent a room quickly as these locations have limited space and are already proving popular with those who have already embraced the idea of wireless working.

City Inn Westminster
Looking for an office away from an office? Walk no further than City Inn as it has just announced a planned major increase in internet bandwidth for customers. The dedicated 100Mbps (Mega bits per second) backbone will support the company’s six hotels across the UK and will mean a 36Mbps dedicated internet connection to their London Hotels which will probably cause traffic jams as people line up to take advantage (the average hotspot connection is 2.4Mbs).

Most other hotels charge customers around £25 for similar services, but at City Inn access to its dedicated line if free, so put your money towards the price of a coffee as its City Cafe provides wireless too, in fact, the wireless network can be accessed from anywhere in the hotel.

Monmouth Coffee

If you are in the Soho/Covent Garden area, you would be hard pushed to find a cafe globally that can compete with Monmouth Coffee’s world class roasting programme. Combine this coffee expertise with free Wi-Fi, and you have stumbled upon a couple of hour’s worth of caffeinated remote working heaven.

Arcola Theatre

The Arcola Theatre likes the word FREE, it operates on a shoestring budget(many staff work here for free) and it also provides FREE Wi-Fi in the theatre bar. What is not to like? Go pay it a visit and soak up the culture.

London River Service
Did you know that most London River Services operate every 30 minutes? The majority of Londoners wouldn’t be able to tell you where they dock either, although a large proportion of commuters could probably use the service at least once a week. If you are heading to a meeting or commuting home, you won’t be able to argue with the majesty of river travel especially on the Thames. The entire LRS fleet is equipped with free Wi-Fi, transforming these vessels into floating offices, with some of the finest views of London available.

The Royal Festival Hall
Head to the second floor of The Royal Festival Hall to tap into the strongest signal and for the breathtaking views across the Thames to Somerset House. Alternatively (weather permitting) take an outdoor seat and allow the morning sun to bath over you whilst mulling over a comprehensive seasonal menu. Did we mention that if work gets a bit too much, there is always culture?