Everything changes when you trade on your desktop to get a laptop and your office to find a hotel room.

Sometimes this is best done: You are free from your belt and free to go where your work takes you.

But sometimes things change for the worse. Production suffers when you are in an unfamiliar area. The way the mobile keyboard swings your hands is sometimes enough to keep you from getting the job done right.

Here are four "must-have" technologies for the mobile office, as well as other tools that can enhance your productivity while you are away.

Correct software

It’s not just about downloading the necessary apps on your laptop or PDA, and you know if the apps are perfect for the mobile office. Is your email plan road or modified from the main app for the company network? Do the programs work seamlessly on your laptop or do they solidify when your processor is busy?

These considerations can be major problems when traveling. That's what Thab Stone, a Los Angeles doctor, knows best. He installed a new email system on his laptop before leaving for a recent trip, but it wasn't ready for mobile use. He had to remove it just before departure, but that paralyzed his backup email system.

Recent: Communication and management software programs allow you to integrate data with your PDA, so you can download and sync contacts, calendar appointments, and notes to your Palm Pilot or Pocket PC. There is also a web-based version of travelers who lose their laptops or choose to work from their desktop to their destination.

What's next? See more integration between wireless user applications. Communication managers are now taking on the role of an email system, address book, and database. The next step is making it more accessible to people who use cell phones or PDAs.

Right Hardware

I'm not talking about owning a brand new laptop computer. I'm talking about hardware for life on the street. Let's face it: Most gadgets that relied on mobile experts are not designed for travelers. For example, when Joachim Martin's laptop battery ran out of a recent airplane, a flight attendant offered to refill it in a "secret" space behind the plane. “Batteries are charged,” recalls a software developer. "But when I got home, they were dead." The power source had to be changed. Blame the airline, battery manufacturers, or even the business traveler unfortunately for not knowing better, but this kind of thing happens a lot. Phone plugs do not always last; as well as power stations. And most of the gadgets we rely on our mobile, non-functional, or both.

Recent: Some computer hardware manufacturers are meeting the need for user-friendly hardware with extensions such as the Stowaway XT Keyboard. I'm also impressed with Microsoft's Mini Optical Mouse, which frees you up from the confines of your laptop.

What's next? As the integration between mobile phones, PCs, and PDAs continues, it will not surprise me to see devices that offer the ergonomic comfort of a desktop portable PDA. It will not be a moment soon for many street heroes.

Correct connection

Communication is everything in the mobile office.

Remember Stone, the doctor without email? He eventually received his messages via an uncontrolled web connection. Spencer Field, who has just returned from a trip to Melbourne, can also tell you about email problems. He learned when he arrived that dial numbers from his Internet service provider (ISP) were not working. "I thought that might be the end of my online access," he says. "As a last resort, I let my fingers go and look at the Melbourne Yellow Pages with a local ISP." He received and subscribed to a one-month email account that gave him access to local numbers throughout his trip.

Not only is internet connection important but also connecting other devices like cell phones, PDAs, and laptops. Technologies like Bluetooth allow you to connect with other devices in the office or hotel room without the need for wires.

Recent: According to a recent AT&T study, the biggest obstacle to working in a remote location is access to high-speed data connections. Fast wireless networks are ubiquitous in hotels, airports, and coffee shops. And even if Bluetooth starts slowly, the idea behind it of losing wires is basically sound.

What's next? It won't be long before Wi-Fi is widely available as a mobile device and most devices are powered by Bluetooth. That is good news for those of us who serve in a mobile home.

Appropriate Web Applications

Web-based applications are so important to the mobile office that I have decided to give them their category, albeit with the technology of the "software" category. The web is one of the most effective ways for a mobile operator to gain access to a back-office program, intranet, or database.

My ISP provides a funny app that allows me to view my email from the web. I do not remember how often I should use it because my email system failed to work properly. But I remember one last time. I was stuck in a meeting outside the city and my email account received spam attacks on thousands of unsolicited messages that would take hours to download. I logged in to the web and deleted it all in seconds. If it weren't for the web app, I would still be downloading spam.

Latest: One of the newest Web applications is GoToMyPC, which allows you to access the desktop at your home or office via the web. Another useful mobile application for web conference services is Microsoft Office LiveMeeting.

What's next? Expect these apps to be cheaper, more reliable, and more advanced.