Objective The objective of the project is to show how telecommunications can enable geographically remote workers to be fully integrated into economic activities. This may be achieved through the development of the market for Information Processing services provided by TeleService Centres, (TSCs), also known as telecottages or telehouses. For these to flourish, their economic viability must be proven. These to date have (understandably) been teleworker oriented. We believe that the time is right for a complementary focus, on the commercial requirements of large companies, who have the most to gain from the decentralisation of their information handling activities.The results of previous experiments in teleworking have been distorted by the perceived need to subsidise TSCs, in order to encourage the customer to try something new. The project will investigate whether, if all the communications needs of the function are adequately met (including communications defining the required task), the location at which a job is performed can be irrelevant to the customer. The economic and quality of service arguments put forward by a professionally run teleworking programme must themselves suffice, if a net redistribution of wealth from the cities to the regions is to occur. Telework initiatives to date has been led from the regions, and not from the economic centres. A great deal of historical and diagnostic information has been amassed, and the time is now ripe to add the commercial dimension, and to provide innovative solutions to real commercial needs. In the first year, the emphasis will be on producing realistic proposals for decentralising economically significant IT functions in industry. In the second year, a prototype system will be conceived, designed and built, and a blue-print for implementation of a major EC teleworking initiative will be prepared. Fields of science engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringinformation engineeringtelecommunicationsnatural sciencescomputer and information sciencesdata sciencedata processing Programme(s) FP3-ORA - Specific programme of research and technological development (EEC) in the field of telematic systems in areas of general interest - Telematics systems for rural areas -, 1990-1994 Topic(s) Data not available Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme Data not available Coordinator Home Office Partnership Address Jeffreys building st john's innovation centre cowley road CB4 4WS Cambridge United Kingdom See on map EU contribution € 0,00 Participants (4) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all EMPIRICA GESELLSCHAFT FUER KOMMUNIKATIONS- UND TECHNOLOGIEFORSCHUNG MBH Germany EU contribution € 0,00 Address Oxfordstrasse 2 53111 Bonn See on map HORSENS POLYTECHNIC Denmark EU contribution € 0,00 Address 11 slotsgade 8700 Horsens See on map MAC LIMTED Ireland EU contribution € 0,00 Address Ul building, plassey technological park Limerick See on map University College Cork Ireland EU contribution € 0,00 Address Western road Cork See on map