re: remote software programming; wake up and smell the fortran...
This has been around almost as long as reliable server to server connections. Software houses in US write code for 8 hours (for example) then send it to india for testing, modifying etc etc (whilst the US sleep) then send it back...
This in the days before go getters bought their own PC's (then argued with HR for a month or five it was a good idea) and worked from home.