In July, here at Alliance Virtual Offices we looked at how the world of court reporting was becoming more diverse. In the US, stenography is moving away from the court and its popularity is growing in a number of other fields, from transcribing board meetings and AGMs to interviews and broadcast captioning.

And it’s broadcast captioning that seems to be setting the world of stenography alight right now.

As reported in the Stenotech Career Institute, the London 2012 Games are having a profound effect on the industry. Watched by billions of people all over the globe, the Olympics strike a chord with people from all walks of life – and a significant proportion of those watching the sports on television are deaf or hard-of-hearing. According to Stenotech there are an estimated 28 million deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals in the US alone. Of course, still more will require captioning for other reasons – such as watching the scenes in a loud bar or in a gym.

Stadium captioning is just one field of broadcast captioning that’s in great demand – and what better way to boost your stenography career than by captioning a major sporting event? One of the wonderful things about this career choice is that it promises excitement – be it in the form of travel, working at world-famous events, or standing shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the world’s most famous figures.

Virtual offices make the perfect partner for the court reporting industry. When you’re not trackside captioning coverage of the 100m sprint final, or poolside as Lochte or Phelps make history, you could be making use of a professional day office or quality meeting room to catch up on emails or debrief with your client. With Alliance Virtual you can take your pick from over 600 global locations which means you can always be right at the heart of the action.

London 2012 aside, what’s next in the major sporting calendar? Could you be captioning the US Open in Ardmore, Pennsylvania? The Super Bowl in New Orleans? The Tour de France? Or perhaps you prefer a different stage such as the Oscars in Hollywood? The list goes on.

Whatever your preference, if you’re planning to take your broadcast captioning career to the next level, virtual offices provide the perfect partner both at home and abroad.

Image source – Golzolito

It’s been seven years in the waiting. Now, after a spectacular Opening Ceremony that highlighted the UK’s sporting, industrial and social history, the curtain has lifted on the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. All eyes are on the 10,000+ athletes from 205 countries, who are competing for golden glory across 300 sporting events. But medals, records and achievements aside, here at Alliance Virtual Offices we’re focusing on something slightly different.

We reported recently on how thousands of London businesses are attempting to avoid an Olympic commute by enabling their employees to work from home throughout the durations of the Games. Businesses have invested significant amounts of money into adapting and improving their IT systems to allow home access. The question is, could this be the dawn of a new era for the UK’s workplace? Now that the investment has been made, will businesses allow staff to work from home in the future?

And for those businesses that choose to continue this foray into the mobile workplace, what better way to take advantage of this new-found flexibility than using a virtual office?

Picture this. You’ve discovered that part of your workforce can work from home both happily and efficiently. Once you’ve undergone a trial period and you’re satisfied that your staff can do their job, the possibilities are endless. You could reduce your physical office space and resort to hot desking – encouraging staff to use the space on a rotational basis. Some businesses have successfully closed their physical space altogether, replacing it with a virtual office.

If you have a number of offices across various locations, consider scaling down your presence. By using a virtual office as an alternative you’ll still have a professional business address, use of meeting rooms and ad hoc day offices, but you won’t have the overwhelming expense of a permanent office. In addition your business will benefit from numerous support services, from call answering services and professional live receptionists, to mail handling facilities.

So rather than using this homeworking period as a stop-gap until the Games have finished, why not look at it as an opportunity? Consider it a trial for a new, more flexible way of working. It could be that golden solution your business has been looking for.

Image source

Businesses utilising virtual offices in London or travelling to the capital are set to benefit from a boost in wireless connectivity this summer, thanks to a new scheme being launched in time for the Olympic Games.

Virgin Media Business is joining forces with Transport for London (TfL) to deliver Wi-Fi in 80 of London’s tube stations. The initiative will reportedly be available through pre-paid travel cards and will give users free access to Wi-Fi throughout the duration of the Games. Following the closing ceremony, the service will be chargeable on a pre-paid basis. It’s expected that passengers will experience connection speeds comparable to a 4G network.

In a separate scheme, London Overground is working with The Cloud to provide free Wi-Fi connection at 56 train stations across London, giving users up to an hour per day free internet usage. The service is being rolled out this summer and is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.

Commenting on the reasons behind this new initiative, Managing Director of London Overground, Steve Murphy, said: “Access to the internet is no longer limited solely to home or to the workplace, and people’s expectation is to be able to work and communicate effectively and seamlessly while they’re on the move.”

Mobile employees and professionals – especially those that travel frequently to London – will no doubt be nodding in agreement with this sentiment. Time spent waiting for a train or facing delays need no longer be considered a waste, as users can now log on and make the most of their time with the added benefit of a fast, free connection.

The initiative should help to improve productivity and keep business moving, benefiting virtual office users in London as well as those travelling to the capital on business. These exciting new initiatives show that London certainly seems to be ahead of the game this summer. So if you’re interested in taking advantage of the possibilities, why not take a look at our range of London virtual offices and get in on the act?

Source: www.computerworlduk.com

As the hotly anticipated Olympic and Paralympic Games draw ever closer, the hype and excitement continues to escalate. But amid the enthusiasm for a sporting summer of epic proportions, those that live and work in London are bracing themselves for what promises to be every commuter’s nightmare.

As well as those that live in the capital and alongside the millions of people attempting to go about their regular working day, there will be an additional onslaught of visitors arriving for the Games. Officials have already warned that the city’s transport infrastructure will be “exceptionally busy”. So how do you cope with this disruption to your business?

While the Olympic committee have organised workshops and drop-in sessions to help companies deal with the effects on their staff, suppliers and clients, we at Alliance Virtual Offices recommend remote working to help companies sprint through the Games. Many businesses have already set up remote connections for staff, meaning that employees can get their jobs done from home or from a satellite office without affecting productivity.

Remote working goes hand in hand with the virtual office product and growing numbers of businesses of all sizes are well-versed with the benefits of going virtual. Skip the commute and work from the location of your choice, knowing that your mail is being handled safely or forwarded to your home address, and your landline calls are being diverted or answered by a professional live receptionist. It provides the ultimate flexibility and keeps your business moving forward.

Your business needn’t stand still with the traffic. Go virtual and discover greater flexibility!