A new breed of contract workers is emerging in the local IT industry. They work from the comfort of their own homes, and use only their Internet connections and VOIP phones to communicate with their colleagues and clients.

The telecommuting wave is sweeping the IT industry with an increasing number of companies turning away from outsourcing in favour of telecommuting.

“Telecommuting is not a new concept,” said Bruce Mills, Joint CEO of 3W Consulting Contracting & Recruitment Pty Ltd, “but it is gaining popularity in the local IT industry – especially in the face of the current economic downturn.”

Companies in the US (where telecommuting fast becoming a well-established practice) report that hiring home-based contact agents has lead to significant savings.

“In many cases, telecommuting is an attractive and viable alternative to the more traditional offshore or onshore call centres,” said Mills.

“Companies in favour of this approach claim that it gives them access to high-quality labour that they wouldn’t ordinarily be able to find in a traditional call centre,” he added.

“The process is simple,” said Mills. “Once recruits have completed an online, virtual training period, they use Internet phone services and broadband connections to perform their daily tasks.”

“When it comes to security, firewalls are relied upon to protect company information and agents use online chat to keep in touch with managers and colleagues.”

The trend has taken America by storm with over half the Fortune 50 biggest businesses employing telecommuters and US placement firms expecting the number of home-based agents on their books to treble by next year.

Agents with specialised skill sets can expect a good wage — making this the ideal job for those who can’t bare the thought of daily gridlock and business suits.