ForConstructionPros.com

Scott Prewett

Terry Porter is worried about "windshield time." That's the term he uses to describe the time he spends traveling from jobsite to jobsite checking up on his crews.

Porter, an electrical contractor in Jenks, Okla., says he'd rather be behind his desk than behind the wheel. "From a business standpoint, you're better served back at the office drumming up new business instead of driving around checking up on existing business," he says.

And with gas at well over four dollars a gallon, Porter adds that windshield time is now taking a bite out of his company's bottom line. "Ideally, I'd like to run all my jobsites without leaving the office," he says. "I'm just not sure how that's possible."

What Porter is talking about is what industry insiders have coined Remote Project Management - the ability to manage several jobsites from a central location. And the good news is, two emerging technologies - broadband for cell phones and GPS - are making remote project management both possible and practical for business owners like Porter.

3G brings broadband to your cell phone
There's been a lot of buzz about third generation (3G) services for mobile phones, and with good reason. 3G technology brings broadband wireless capabilities to your cell phone. With speeds that rival DSL connections, 3G networks have the potential to allow you to view streaming video, videoconference with colleagues, send and receive large files, and blaze through Web pages.