Is knowledge management about technology or people? Sometimes its about people using technology well. I don’t know exactly how much KM (or other business) efforts are compromised when key people are in remote locations, but I think that most would agree that it can be significant. [If you are aware of any please link to studies or statistics in the comments] “Out of sight, out of mind” can often turn into “Out of sight, out of knowledge.”

Google is taking a step to solve this problem with its “Collaboration with Marratech.” And by “collaboration with” we mean “acquisition of” Marratech’s software. Marratech, headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, is a maker of videoconferencing software. Google hopes that this effort will “enable from-the-desktop participation for Googlers in videoconference meetings wherever there’s an Internet connection.” Easy desktop videoconferencing isn’t so easy, unless of course, you use an Apple Mac with iChat. And you’re a lawyer, so chances are slim.

If Google does it right, this collaboration with Marratech will result in some slick videoconferencing web application [called "Google Conferences"?] and will integrate with all of their other wonderful (and cheap, if not free) applications. Maybe even the forthcoming Google Presentations a.k.a. “PowerPoint Killer.” And as Google CEO Eric Schmidt has no doubt learned from Steve Jobs by virtue of sitting on Apple, Inc.’s Board of Directors, integration of applications is what will really wow the users.

So even if you can’t get that ultra-experienced employee into the room to unload her high-value intellectual capital into the minds of some sponge-like knowledge workers for a session of tacit knowledge trading, at least you may soon be able to get her face on a computer monitor in real time. Maybe that will get people to drop their BlackBerry devices and pay attention.