Editor’s Application Pick:
TELEPOST AND THE VIRTUAL WORKPLACE

The fact that millions now telecommute from home is only one slice of the virtual pie. With road warriors roaming the globe and remote workgroups collaborating on projects, simple conference calling and universal messaging is not enough. Teams need to share documents and presentations with each other.

Telepost demoed their suite of services for me right in my office, even though the presenter was 3,000 miles away. Steve Cherry, Telepost’s CEO, spoke to me on one phone line while we both looked at his PowerPoint presentation on computer screens in New York and Santa Cruz, CA. I didn’t need to download any special software, just log on to the Web with my browser.

Later on, Steve switched both of us into a Word document. "Go ahead, make any changes you like," he said to me. Now we could both critique a document and edit it together real time.

Telepost also offers a Ring Me Now service which enables a web surfer to click on a button or an e-mail recipient to click on a hyperlink, type in the number to be called back on and receive a call within seconds. Shoppers concerned about security can call a customer service rep and give their credit card numbers over the phone. Or you can send e-mail to hard to reach folks and invite them to click on the hyperlink that lets them call you at your expense. All these products tap into our need for instant gratification and instant response.

Kudos to Telepost. Virtualism just moved a few steps closer to reality.

(Contact: Kristen Benjamin, TelePost, 408-420-1300; http://www.telepost.net; info@telepost.net.)