This is a terrific question. Since starting my consulting in 1982, I have probably spent more time talking employers OUT of telecommuting than into it. While I am a strong advocate, I also firmly believe it's a great solution only in the right situation.

It's very hard to make this kind of projection on a blanket basis because there are many factors affecting the rate of use. Some of them include:

• Mix of jobs involved
• Demographics of workforce
• Suitability of technology
• Open-mindedness and acceptance by managers
• Extent to which a "painful" problem exists for which telecommuting is an answer
• Nature and visibility of senior management support
• Company's willingness to commit a suitable budget
• Extent to which the office design will change to become more, or less, friendly to telecommuters

And that's just a start. The only thing I can tell you is that in my consulting work since 1982, I can think of only one company that was NOT able to get enough employees to express interest in telecommuting to expand beyond a small pilot program. The question more of the time is how to stage the growth so it doesn't get ahead of you.