What is a digital nomad and how can VNC technology help?

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The term ‘digital nomad’ has gained popularity in the last few years and a large number of people define themselves as such. Software such as VNC Connect have fuelled this transition as they allow easy access to resources via the internet. Thus remote working without an actual office is a reality for a lot of people these days.

We’ll take a look at the concept, what it entails and how VNC Connect can help, below.

What is a digital nomad?

According to Wikipedia,

Digital nomads are people who use telecommunications technologies to earn a living and conduct their life in a nomadic manner. Such workers often work remotely from foreign countries, coffee shops, public libraries, co-working spaces, or recreational vehicles.

The last few years have seen an increased number of people working remotely. A study by MBO Partners says that the digital nomad population in the U.S. has grown by 50% in 2019 alone.

So, the idea of not having an office at all and travelling the world started appealing to many. And if you could actually work while doing it, this could turn into a way of life. Which is the way digital nomadism has come about.

Latest digital nomad stats

The numbers are larger than you would imagine. According to a recent research study, there are no less than 35,000,000 digital nomads all around the planet. The same source says that the economic value of this thriving community is approximately $787 billion per year.

As far as age goes, things are very varied. The average age is 40 years old. Yet, the oldest person in the study was 72.

As for professions, over 51% work in marketing, IT, design, writing or ecommerce.

However, there are also architects, doctors and urban planners living such a life. About 83% of digital nomads are self-employed and/or business owners. The rest contains freelancers, or gig workers.

For further proof of the increase in digital nomadism, take a look at this AirBnb report. The percentage of long-term stays (over 28 days) has almost doubled. It’s a figure that clearly shows an interest towards this lifestyle.

Types of Digital Nomads

Digital nomads fall into three categories, according to “Becoming a Digital Nomad”. The guide, written by marketer and digital nomad Justin Champion, is a very good resource if you’re planning on going down this road.

According to the guide, the three types of digital nomads are as follows:

• Part-time remote– Goes on trips while still working remotely, but only works outside home for part of the time.
• Full-time remote – Has a full-time job, but with no office, allowing for travel and work from anywhere. This allows them to change locations as often as desired.
• Full-time travelling remote worker – Has a full-time job and no office. Works from their camper / van / other vehicle. They would travel and explore full-time.

In all these situations, VNC Server on your office machine will let you access your resources. You will just need to run VNC Viewer on your computer, or even on your smartphone or Raspberry Pi.

Van life is becoming more and more popular. A simple internet search will yield many tutorials on how to prepare and live this way. Some of them will even teach you how to prepare a van or a camper for full-time living, with great tips and tricks.

And if you’ve decided to adopt this lifestyle and travel the world while doing it, you can check out Nomad List. It will give you a pretty good idea regarding the best places to live, costs and other details. It also has a dedicated social network, allowing you to meet like-minded people.

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