She fields his calls, rerouted via Cisco's phone system; arranges meetings; and even can overhear his phone conversations to anticipate his needs. "Marthin and I haven't missed a beat," says Hooshmand, who can see into De Beer's office through her own screen in Texas. As she waves down another San Jose (Calif.) colleague walking by, from 1,600 miles away, it's hard not to believe her.