Home is set to become the new office as new broadband technology means calls can be made and received from your business number wherever you set up a desk, says internet phone company VoIP Traders.

With the number of teleworkers having more than doubled in the past eight years thanks to email and internet access, VoIP Traders predicts the figures will rise higher still as the broadband revolution steps up a gear with the use of internet phones or VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol).

Gerald Freeman, managing director of VoIP Traders, says: "With VoIP location is irrelevant. Companies can link home workers into their telephone network and transfer calls to them just as easily as if they were in the next room – so there really is no need to go into the office every day. And with a VoIP telephone number, you can also make and receive calls from any location with an internet connection. So you can man the office phone from home or even your holiday home without anyone knowing the difference."

The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show the number of teleworkers – people who use phones and computers to work from home – rose from 921,000 to 2.4 million between 1997 and 2005. Teleworkers now account for eight per cent of the UK workforce, with the vast majority being managers, professionals or skilled tradespeople.

"Internet access and email have made home-working a realistic option for many," adds Gerald Freeman. "With the advent of internet phones or VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), the broadband revolution is entering a second phase which will free many more people from the daily grind of commuting."

"Tomorrow’s workers will enjoy greater flexibility than ever. Proximity to the office will become less important as a factor in buying a property and space for a home office will be a key consideration. Workers will have the freedom to live in more remote locations, and there could also be a rise in holiday home ownership as many divide their time between their main residence and a home overseas."

For further information see http://www.voiptraders.co.uk