Flexible working could grow more popular after tube strikes

More people could turn to flexible working practices after the tube strike caused problems throughout London last week.

Businesses that have not yet invested in resources that allow their employees to work remotely, such as mobilebroadband equipment and VoIP solutions, could struggle if their staff are unable to get into the office.

There may be further strikes in the next few weeks, but companies with VoIP hardware and more flexible infrastructure could find they are far less affected.

Nigel Hawthorn, vice president of Europe, Middle East and Africa marketing at network security and management company Blue Coat Systems, said: "Every time there's an event like this the sales of remote working equipment increases [and] sadly that shows that some organisations still haven't invested in home working technology."

Earlier this year, research from the Chartered Management Institute revealed that more than 30 per cent of businesses had untested strategies to cope with staff not being able to come to the office.

In other web news, Steve Robertson, chief executive of Openreach, has told the Guardian that he thinks the government will be able to realise its universal broadband targets of supplying two megabit-per-second services for all.