Welcome to The Outpost. If you're one of the millions of workers who telecommute, I hope this blog will give you some insight into the latest products, gadgets and services for your home office -- from the "can't-function-without" to the "hey, nice abacus, where'd you get that?"

And as telecommuting grows (I've seen the figure of 45 million telecommuters in North America alone thrown around), so too does the importance of ensuring you have the right stuff to stay connected to the main office and knowing what to do when faced with a problem (as I write this, a nor'easter is sweeping across the Jersey Shore, and I hope I don't have to enact a back-up plan if power is lost ).

Aside from the nuts and bolts of remote working, I'd like to tackle your trials and tribulations as a teleworker, the latest must-have mobile tools and where teleworking is heading. Is it simply the latest trend, destined for a place among the Pet Rock and man purse, or is it something greater, something that will shape the evolution of work and life as we know it?

I'm not sure if The Outpost will be able to answer these questions, but I plan to have some fun trying and maybe learn something along the way.

Comments? Complaints? Fallen and can't get up? Shoot me an e-mail at pat.burke@ziffdavisenterprise.com.