Brown says that when she's working at the office, for instance, she has the EV-DO card on her laptop in place as a backup so that she can connect to Verizon's 3G network in case her wireline service goes down. While relying upon 3G cellular networks for data services can be more expensive than traditional wireline services, they provide reliable and secure backup connections, Brown says.

Bozich also fires up the EV-DO wireless card on his laptop when he's on the road and doesn't have access to Wi-Fi, and he thinks that WiMAX will also play a bigger role in keeping teleworkers connected to corporate WANs in the coming years.

"WiMAX should ultimately become an extension of Wi-Fi once it becomes more widely deployed," he says. "I don't see it as an either-or proposition. I think they can work in concert together."

Understand that security goes beyond the VPN

have become a staple tool for teleworkers looking to connect to corporate data. But there are severe limitations on what VPNs can do that make it hazardous to rely on as a sole security measure, Bozich warns.