Speaking of employee stress - who in this day and age is not acquainted with benefits of telecommuting or working from home? Many studies show that employees who work from home are often happier, more efficient, and show a greatly decreased rate of absenteeism. For employer, too, this makes sense. Because modern technology makes it possible for us to maintain close and effective communication with employees who are working from home, this arrangement is often a win-win situation - greater satisfaction and decreased overhead costs. New call center software makes it possible for some call center employees to experience benefits of working from home. In fact, in near future, virtual call center may become norm - employees, equipped with right hardware and software, will both make and answer calls from a home office, while staying in full communication with their co-workers and supervisors. Communication software will facilitate instant system-wide messaging, employees will be supported by software that enables and facilitates telemarketing, routing, predictive dialing, automatic dialing, and automatic messaging. At same time, they will be able to stay close to their families, avoiding a costly and time-consuming commute.

The potential of call center software has barely begun to be tapped. In time, this software may allow call center to move far beyond its present role as a sender and receiver of business related communication. To cite just one example, in this time of political uncertainty, quick and efficient lines or communication throughout a community are more important than ever. Call center software could, in an emergency, be called into service: picture an emergency alert system capable of reaching tens of thousands of households almost instantly. Far from being an alienating force, communication software has potential to connect our growing communities in ways we might never have dreamed of. Innovative use of this technology will be both a challenge and a highly satisfying adventure.

As businesses adopt RSS and consumers experiment with feeds, popularity of RSS will grow. Ultimately, consumers are driving force behind technology. The convenience of RSS and increased popularity will set a precedent for consumer expectations. Businesses using RSS as a communication vehicle are able to create keyword-rich, themed content, establishing trust, reputation, and ongoing communication with current and prospective customers.

The big consumer benefit to RSS is that consumers opt-in to content of interest, totally controlling flow of information they receive. If quality of content in feed declines, users simply remove feed from their RSS reader and they will not receive any additional updates from that source. The RSS reader acts as an aggregator, allowing users to view and scan multiple content streams in a timely fashion.

Consumer expectation will drive businesses that are slow to adopt. Ultimately, RSS will be a standard, like email addresses and websites are now a "must" for businesses. RSS feeds will join their ranks.

Unlike blogs, businesses can easily justify RSS feeds, as they will be increasing customer and corporate communication. RSS will create new revenue channels. RSS has potential to help companies develop strong relationships with consumers and create brand loyalty. RSS Feeds will draw existing customers and prospective clients, translating to a new or renewed income stream. Businesses using RSS feeds as a communication medium to notify interested customers of specials, discounts, product announcements, technical support tips, news and industry studies will ultimately sustain RSS as a viable and valued communication medium.