When someone walks out of the elevator and into the lobby of new SOS headquarters in Loomis, they’ll get a taste of how technology can improve communications.

The lobby will have a modern look and artistic furniture, but there will be no receptionist sitting behind a desk. Instead, a virtual kiosk will be the first point of contact. A recorded voice -- possibly activated by a motion sensor  -- will welcome the visitor.

If the kiosk design works out as currently planned, visitors can use either the touch screen or the keypad to look up whomever they have come to see. The kiosk will then make the phone connection and announce the visitor’s arrival.

Details are still in the planning stages, but the kiosk will most likely have ways of finding other people if the first choice isn’t available. It may automatically route the message to the next most logical person on a list, or might look for people within the same work group.

Of course the kiosk will be connected to the cool SOS phone system that seeks out people who don’t happen to be sitting right next to their phones when a call comes through.

Who knows, someday soon it may even have voice recognition!

More photos of our HQ under construction: