Abstract

Technology, computers, the Internet, and the World Wide Web are an accepted part of survival and success in the business world. Their acceptance means that organizations must exist and function competitively and profitably in the virtual world of cyberspace. Today work is becoming less defined as a place where one goes to, and by what one does. There has been a rapid shift in workplace dynamics with workers outside the traditional office boundaries. Already organizations of all sizes are taking advantage of anytime, anywhere access; Web services; and social networking features to boost employee collaboration, improve customer service and speed decision-making. providing organization’s with a competitive edge. Like previous technology waves mobile devices are actually a godsend for productivity and collaboration. The increase in the number of mobile workers and the trend for individuals to work on- the-go requires the need to be connected ” and to interact with business-critical information by means of the “cloud. Every organization has a distinct threshold for absorbing change. This threshold ultimately determines the pace at which many initiatives can be implelemented and accepted. When considering the mobile worker both IT and the organization need to understand the supply and demand of change and anticipate appropriately. This paper explores the changing environments of the corporation and the impact of this “cloud” on mobile workers and their affiliated organization(s). Mobile workers can be found in a variety of work settings with varying degrees of virtuality and mobility. The roles and composition of the mobile work force are delineated and investigated; the need for corporate oversight, security and governance are discussed. Overarching these work settings is the use and deployment of the cloud. The cloud is defined and a taxonomy presented which ties directly to the mobile workers and their various needs and activities