Evi Jones, an artificially intelligent office assistant, joined SMG staff in Renfield Street, Glasgow, in a pilot project. Evi, with her shiny black hair and immaculate blue jacket, can speak 19 languages and change her look and dialect to suit any firm's corporate image. She has a virtual desk, decorated with virtual flowers, and shifts in her chair and moves her head like a real person.

On their first encounter, users familiarise themselves with the interface, type in the name of the person they want to see, and then enter their own identity.

Evi is not intended to replace existing staff, when there is a queue, however, she can help visitors contact the person they have come to see by telephoning them directly. If the person is absent or busy, she can leave a voicemail message and try a colleague.

Michael Antliff, CEO of DA Group, said: "VMS draws upon the best qualities of human contact, so you can be greeted by a friendly character interface."

A spokesman for SMG said: "We are a communications organisation and harnessing new technology, where it is appropriate, is something we are always interested in doing."