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Welcome to this week’s edition the “Telepresence (News - Alert) Week in Review” focused on keeping you up-to-date with all the current news and headlines in the world of telepresence.

This week, the Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway (News - Alert) hotel announced its guests can now stay connected using virtual meetings thanks to a partnership with AT&T (News - Alert) and Cisco Telepresence.

User groups will leverage high-definition video, real-time audio and interior design to collaborate from numerous locations.

Cisco (News - Alert) also hosted a Web event this week that discussed how its telepresence solution was able to overcome hurdles and deliver quality telepresence for global language services provider Sajan and Lingoport.

The event described how their telepresence solution overcame the challenges of internationalization and localization when delivering high-definition 1080p video and spatial audio systems for businesses - so they can conduct face-to-face meetings with partners and clients from across the world.

Speaking of business users, Vu Telepresence released a report this week that found SMBs are not only optimistic about the economy, but are also investing in Next-Gen technologies as a result.

Based on responses from businesses with 10 to 100 employees, researchers found over 55 percent have made or plan on making technology investments in 2011.

In addition, it was uncovered that over 96 percent feel next-gen technologies are essential to staying competitive.

Another study also reported on this week looked at the use of online video conferencing by physicians in the U.S. to communicate with patients.

The study, conducted by pharmaceutical and healthcare market research company Manhattan Research, looked at 2,041 U.S. practicing physicians and analyzed their digital adoption trends.

According to the research, physicians are finding video chat to be a practical communications channel for discussing non-urgent issues with their patients- especially if they are located miles away with no access to nearby specialists.Other specialists in fields of study including psychiatry and oncology also said they prefer to communicate with their patients via video conferencing.

If there’s one downside to telepresence, it would have to be the report this week that said the technology might actually have the ability to take away “snow days” for kids.

According to the report, some schools have begun to look into new technologies and methods for keeping kids busy when there is inclement weather that shuts down roads or even towns.

This initiative has actually already been implemented in some colleges and universities and is making its way down to other educational facilities not only for its ability to keep kids learning at a more consistent and steady pace, but also because it can help schools cut down on electricity and other associated costs. Sorry kids – the snowball fights will have to wait until after school hours even on snow days now!

That’s all for this week in Telepresence news highlights. Be sure to check back throughout the week for all the latest new headlines on TMCnet.