An Open Window !

"Here's your visa, flight details, hotel reservation, company credit card and a thousand in South Korean won" announced Carol, dumping the impressive pile on Debbi's desk alongside her laptop. "Carol you're a star, mwah !" gushed Debbi, standing up to plant a kiss on her assistant's cheek. "I don't know what I'd do without you !" Carol glanced down guiltily at the open laptop. "You really shouldn't leave that lying around open like that all the time" she said. "Oh, don't be a fusspot" Debbi chided her. "I know you worry about me but it's perfectly safe. Besides, nobody would ever guess my password." Carol shrugged. Oh well I tried, she thought.

Three days later, Debbi was ensconced in her hotel room in Seoul. Back in England, the conference call was being displayed on a large screen in the board room. The screen was divided into six segments and the person speaking was brought up to full screen as needed. The six participants on the call comprised two executives from the Korean partners who were recording events to share later with their colleagues, plus Jeff, Diane and the company chairman as well as Debbi. Other members of her team were in the board room but just as observers of the big screen without any individual input from their computers.

"So you can see, the cost benefits to both parties would be huge. I really think this could lead to great things and help to cement relations between our two companies !" Debbi was concluding her pitch. "Wonderful Deb, thanks for your hard work so far" Jeff congratulated her. "We're going to carry on with the call, there's more financial stuff to discuss with Mr Kim and Mr Son. But I know it's past ten o'clock over there and you must be tired and still a bit jet lagged I'm sure. We'll let you go and we'll fill you in on email."

"OK, I wouldn't mind getting some rest. Ciao for now" Debbi replied, leaning over to press disconnect on her laptop. Her face, that had been displayed full screen while she spoke, shrank down to the bottom right hand corner. But instead of the square going blank, Diane was delighted to observe that it remained lit and continued to show an open window into Debbi's hotel room !