Earlier this year I trialled the Nokia N95 and MDA Vario II mobile phones to see if I can become location independent.  Specifically I was interested in high speed mobile broadband and VoIP capabilities. 

I prefer the MDA Vario II over the Nokia N95, mainly because of the lack of email integration and battery life on the N95.  The MDA Vario II works very well both as a phone and a high speed mobile broadband modem.  It also has VoIP integration which allows me to make phone calls via our VoIP platform which means cheaper calls (Which can mean a saving of £1 / min). 

I often work from central London, normally in a café or some other public space.  With the Vario II hooked up to my laptop I have consistently achieved 900-1000 kbps which means I can access our CRM, send/receive emails, surf the net with no problems. 

From the mobile phone I can administer my email, calendar, contacts and tasks so that when I’m back in the office I don’t have to waste time sifting through emails and figuring out my calendar etc…

Being able to work like this does not necessarily take away the need for an office environment but I can see how it will allow a lot of companies to enable their staff to be more productive and efficient in the way they work.

Will Cheng