Staying connected to the world while you’re away on business is an important way to keep everything running smoothly at the office, as well as help keep you sane during those extended periods abroad.
Besides a great Wi-Fi connection, there are plenty of tools at the traveling businessperson’s disposal to make sure that the trip goes as smooth as possible, including a VPN service, which can help you bypass online banking blocks, censorship policies, and gain access to geo-restricted sites.
Bypass Online Banking Blocks
Managing your finances using your bank’s online site is extremely common today. Because of this, it’s important that you are able to access your banking site even when you’re overseas. Some banking sites have security measures to make sure that no one is using your account without your knowledge.
Even if you call to let them know you’ll be traveling abroad, you may run into some trouble when a foreign IP address is logged. If you have a VPN service, you can make sure that your IP address is familiar to your bank and you can avoid the headache of trying to get your account unlocked.
Gain Access to Geo-Restricted Sites
When you’re busy on the road, especially in foreign countries, sometimes the only thing that can keep you sane is making your hotel feel a lot like home. If you’re wired to the Internet, that probably means accessing those comfort websites like Facebook and Netflix that we take for granted.
In other countries, however, Netflix is slightly different and most foreign versions of Netflix are limited in choices. Skype and other VOIP services are also blocked in some foreign countries by governments looking to monitor phone calls or telecom providers who are afraid of losing income.
Luckily, if you use a VPN service, you can change your IP address and access the all of the above.
Bypass Censorship Policies
If you’re living in the United States, it may sound like a foreign concept to have to deal with a censored Internet. However, some countries, especially in the Eastern Hemisphere, have strict government policies on what their citizens can access online.
Usually in these countries, political articles are the subject of these stonewalls, but some other online destinations can be blocked as well.
This sort of censorship can be found in the Middle East, Asia, and even Australia, but if you have a VPN service, you can make sure your IP is set to the United States in order to reach an Internet that is virtually unfettered.
Accesss Cheaper Airfare
This may be a little known fact, but did you know that your IP address could affect the price of airfare that you are looking at on travel websites? It’s true; travel sites are able to track your IP and your cookies, so the next time you log on, that great deal you saw could be more expensive than that time when you didn’t pull the trigger.
By using a VPN service, you may be able to reap the benefits of having cheaper airfare thanks to a different IP address. You may even be able to take advantage of certain exchange rates if your IP address registers in a different country.
With a VPN service, you basically have the entire Internet at your disposal when you’re away from home. This can help you avoid missing a step when you’re looking to work online or manage your personal life.
Check out the full list of VPN providers here.
