Jason M. Cohen

And meet the subject of August's upcoming profile, FreeAgent.com member Jason Cohen.
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Close Up:Jason M. Cohen
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If Jason Cohen doesn't have the computer skills you're looking for, he probably knows someone who does.That's because Jason, an Oracle DBA developer, is working with other free agents to form a network -- a virtual company.

Jason Cohen is an Oracle DBA administrator and virtual team player.With a 20-year history working as an IT professional, Cohen has seen the virtual team concept work and not work.According to Cohen and others, there is still a need for the face-to-face meeting even in this era of virtual meetings.The times when face-to-face is necessary are at the beginning of a project and when human contact is the only way to solve a problem.

"I've had to go in to a client's in person to seal a deal," says Cohen."Other times on a project they called me in because they were close to the end and they needed me."

Although some clients are used to the virtual team idea, Cohen says others are still weighing the pros and cons."I explain it to them that they save money this way.It's a way to manage your explanations up front.Sometimes it can't happen because the company is pretty tight on security," he says, in reference to a job he did for Reuters in New York City.

Cohen says the potential risk of working virtually is that communication can break down."When you are working on a team and the other member has not gotten back to you while a client is waiting, that means you have no answers for the client," he says."Working with teams when you're subcontracting out requires complete honesty and professionalism, and it's important to pay close attention to the communication aspect of it, especially if you're working cross-country."

Cohen is now performing remote DBA administration for two clients.He plans to increase that number in the near future."With virtual DBA work I can have up to five or six clients.My team, other DBA people, will work from their offices," he says.

If an instance of one is an instance of many, the early evidence of virtual teams is a sign that virtual meetings will increase, whether they're online, on the phone, or through videoconferencing.With share prices of videoconferencing technology surging in the last month, and a considerable drop in airline travel, many U.S. corporations will be on the virtual teamwork trail.