Software firms enabling work-from-home jobs - Mass High Tech Business News

Galen Moore reports on Massachusetts startup firms using work-at-home for cost savings to IBM at-home employees working across multiple timezones. There is an interesting contrast between Sonian, which rents space when it needs an office, and MathWorks, which believes "success is 80% showing up."

Work-at-home is called into question when Agile methods are being used in software development, placing high value on face-to-face interactions. I highly value face-to-face interactions and have often benefited from hallway conversations. On the other hand, my development team is located in four distinct locations located across three separate states. We use email, the phone including audio bridging, and occasionally conference room-based video conference to keep in touch between face-to-face meetings. Some will throw IM, personal video conferencing, collaboration portals like SharePoint, and perhaps tools like Twitter into the mix in order to keep in touch. Even a face-to-face interactions kind of person sometimes just has to make do.

Q: Do you prefer the chance hallway encounter, or staying focused in the home office?

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