At 9am every morning Maddock Douglas both our Midwest and east coast officesconvene for the Nine at Nine (9@9), the daily nine minute meeting where we share and discuss good personal and business news and ask Does anyone have any stucks? (The stuck question is our way of utilizing our resources and talents where we need them most, as if anyone is overloaded with work, they can step forward with a stuck, and anyone with extra time can volunteer to help.)

And instead of flying our entire Midwest office to our East Coast office, we use what many companies, families and organizations also use to stay connected:

Videoconferencing

More than voice alone, videoconferencing allows both of our offices to not only hear whats going on, but to also see it. (This is especially important on Halloween.) And for many organizations that work collaboratively, or for those that require face time, its a travel cost reducing, environmentally friendly option that allows those involved to accomplish the same things they would have otherwise accomplished, in-person. But many already know about the consumer grade videoconferencing options and have even used them, but lets talk about the next level:

Telepresence

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO) the company whose vision is to change the way people work, live, play and learn, has been in the videoconferencing game for a while, but its their recent development and the spreading corporate adoption of their offering that sets them apartthat and the experience they create with the installation of their system.

This is no plug and box operationto ensure that their customers feel like they are literally sitting in the same room, wall paint, chairs and tables specific to Cisco Telepresence are installed. Lighting and acoustics, are of course taken very carefully into consideration. And the effect? Very impressive.

With Cisco Telepresence you can even record a video conference and send it to a mobile phonethe integration of high quality video into our daily lives is boundless with this technology. And with the recent acquisition of Tandberg, a Norwegian firm that offers similar technology, but on a smaller, cheaper scale, Cisco is building out their portfolio, according to Ned Hooper, a Senior Vice President. Building out their portfolio, indeed, but also innovating how we might communicate in the years to come.

So are you video conferencing? Is it changing the way you see communication?

Have you seen the new Maddock Douglas homepage?