Always On, Always Connected

Picking the right technology has always been an essential skill for virtual teams as a failure to understand the dynamics and appropriateness of each kind of communication tool can adversely affect performance. But until recently the information and communications technology (ICT) availabl e to virtual teams was predominately divided between asynchronous and synchronous tools. Now with the development and increased availability of wireless, presence aware and Internet Protocol (IP) based messaging systems the capability to be "always on, always connected" is becoming a reality for many knowledge workers. In effect the line between asynchronous and synchronous is blurring. But does the proliferation of this type of technology make virtual teams more agile? Is always on, always connected the right choice for virtual teams? This paper will investigate trends in the virtual team technology infrastructure, the impact this has on ICT tool selection and overall implications for virtual teams. This presentation was made at Going Virtual, 26th August, 2004 in Brisbane, Australia.