Telstra has started offering a location-based mobile workforce management solution that enables companies to automate employee timesheets, and to monitor job activity and physical location in real time.

The Xora TimeTrack solution runs over Telstra's Next G network, making it the first provider outside the US to offer the business efficiency tool, according to the company.

Telstra's enterprise and government group managing director, David Thodey, said Telstra's corporate and business customers were increasingly interested in location-based services for their mobile workforces to help increase productivity, lower costs, and improve customer service.

Thodey said Telstra's wireless broadband network was now powered by the Next G network with more capacity and speed to run bandwidth hungry business data applications like Xora TimeTrack.

"It's the higher data speeds and wider coverage of the Next G network that makes this possible, and means Telstra's customers are the first businesses in Australia to benefit from these services," Mr Thodey said.

Xora CEO Sanjay Shirole said the Xora service has helped companies save money and improve productivity.

"Employees can feed back information when they clock in for work, or start or end a job [and] by entering that data directly into the phone using a simple, one-click interface, the time and location are captured automatically," Shirole said. "The information can then be used to generate accurate and detailed reports for costings, payroll and billing, and provide better business planning and customer service."

TimeTrack has been available for some years in the United States, enabling businesses to move off paper-based processes for managing a mobile workforce.