Yet many IT organizations are hopelessly out of the loop when it comes to how home-based networks are configured. That is a scary thought considering that in many cases the organization is reimbursing users for their connectivity expenses and that corporate data is riding across those networks.

Experts say the stakes are too high for IT to be disconnected from home network decisions and that IT should be involved in every decision, including the foundation of it all, connectivity.

"If there's a corporate mandate that users work from home at some point, then IT has to help them with their networks," says Steve Taylor, an industry consultant and editor of Webtorials.com.

Danny Briere, CEO of telecommunications consultancy Telechoice Inc., agrees. "Broadband to the home is more than just a luxury today, it's a requirement," he says.

"More and more broadband is playing a critical role in corporations. If you're doing call center applications or have senior managers working from home, you need to be involved," Briere says.