SINGAPORE : Some 70% of top executives in Asia are buying into the traditionally Western practice of telecommuting, which is working away from the usual desk-bound offices. A survey, commissioned by US-based business communications solutions provider Avaya, shows that two-thirds of employers in Asia are confident their staff will be more productive through telecommuting. It also shows that most employers in the region do trust their employees to work remotely. The survey shows that employers in New Zealand have the greatest trust in their workers. Some 95% trust their employees to be productive at work away from the office. In comparison, Singapore scored more than 70% along with Malaysia and the Philippines. Chinese bosses were more sceptical with a trust level of just 54%. The survey did not capture the data on the number of businesses that have actually implemented telecommuting.But Avaya believes the wave of telecommuting is unstoppable and it has come up with an updated software allowing workers to be contacted, whether in or out of office. Avaya is aiming to enable some 40% to 60% of the 400 million fixed business lines worldwide over the next three years. On average, 40% of Singaporean executives carry two mobile devices with them, while one-third carry just one. Full article Channel News Asia