Companies looking to employ off-site IT contractors need to carefully consider what applications need to be made available to home workers, it is claimed.

In doing so, firms can ensure that off-site workers have everything they need, while maintaining standards of security and speed on their networks, according to managed services provider Claranet.

"For example, voice over internet protocol demands a fairly high level of availability, Microsoft exchange or email doesn't need a terribly high availability because it's still possible to read your emails and write replies whilst you're offline," said the firm's marketing director Martin Saunders.

Most firms have "shadow applications" that are no longer needed and accessing these remotely may make networks unnecessarily slow, while they often present an extra security risk, he added.

This is because they do not have tailored security process, as they are not often used.

Many companies believe remote working can increase productivity by giving businesses access to a larger and more varied workforce, according to a survey conducted by collaborative desktop application company OneDrum.