Auto-answearing ANY form of comminication is not good.
I understand the problem that this approach is trying to address and whilst it is in some way a problem there are better ways. I spent less than a minute thinking of a better solution (IMHO) and that is:
You have a webcam on your desk (or remote hot vid mini desk spots) and you are permanatly logged into that. This allows the remote worker to be apart of the office and also for people to walk up and speak to them, allowing the remote worker to be seen as well as see who is approaching, instead of wam bam in your face. This also affords people to see when they are busy or not. To me this approach is better. But this and also assumes the remote worker has the bandwith to accomodate this and there not on some 3g/28.8 connection due to there location and for alot that is why they are remote working anyhow. Rememebr remote working also covers workers in different locations. I and many others I can garantee have worked in companies with more than one office in more than one location and none of them have an issue and tend to still use bridged conference calls or phone calls. Video has it's uses but it also has its distractions and overheads that can outway the task at hand.
I understand the problem that this approach is trying to address and whilst it is in some way a problem there are better ways. I spent less than a minute thinking of a better solution (IMHO) and that is:
You have a webcam on your desk (or remote hot vid mini desk spots) and you are permanatly logged into that. This allows the remote worker to be apart of the office and also for people to walk up and speak to them, allowing the remote worker to be seen as well as see who is approaching, instead of wam bam in your face. This also affords people to see when they are busy or not. To me this approach is better. But this and also assumes the remote worker has the bandwith to accomodate this and there not on some 3g/28.8 connection due to there location and for alot that is why they are remote working anyhow. Rememebr remote working also covers workers in different locations. I and many others I can garantee have worked in companies with more than one office in more than one location and none of them have an issue and tend to still use bridged conference calls or phone calls. Video has it's uses but it also has its distractions and overheads that can outway the task at hand.