'Til We Meet Again Teleconferencing -- the next best thing to being there.

It's invaluable for meetings where participants arescattered around the country--or even around the world--but thereare some limitations to teleconferencing, namely not being able tosee the body language of the participants. St. Paul,Minnesota-based product manufacturer 3M takes teleconferences tothe next level with its new line of user-friendly remote meetingproducts.

The 3M Videoconferencing System VCS3000 takes advantage of afast 128 Kbps ISDN line to provide high-quality video images aswell as audio-only teleconferencing via analog lines. A built-inWeb server allows users to share PC-based graphic presentations(which can be displayed at the same time as the video feed by usingthe picture-in-picture window feature) as well as perform remotediagnostics of the unit. Unlike many higher-end units, the VCS3000doesn't require technological expertise to operate. Setup isautomatic, and the user interface is easy to understand. Priced ataround $6,000, the VCS3000 supports all major audio and videostandards.

Another 3M product designed to make meetings a little easier,the Ideaboard IB3000 ($4,299) may resemble a common wall-mountedwhiteboard, but it's actually a porcelain-coated steel surfacethat uses laser scanner technology to digitally capture anythingwritten or drawn on the board with standard dry-erase markers. Theinformation is automatically saved to a PC and can be displayed andedited when used with an electronic multimedia projection system,such as 3M's MP8620 ($5,995). Meeting notes can also bedistributed to participants over a LAN or via e-mail.