This time it's different. This time negotiations between Local 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union and owners of residential buildings in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island to replace the current contract - which expires on Sunday, April 20th - don't have to be so potentially disruptive for building residents. With the threat of yet another doorman strike looming over another soon to be blooming April in New York City, building owners can embrace innovation and create redundancy with Virtual Doorman. Virtual Doorman makes sense for the same reason building owners now have auxiliary power generators on hand - to safeguard residents against black-outs caused by hurricanes, blizzards and other service disruptions. In the event of a strike, Virtual Doorman will keep the premises safe and provide uninterrupted service to residents. Developed more than 10 years ago by Virtual Service, the leader in advanced video security systems, Virtual Doorman now offers more than 250 buildings in the New York area - more every week - the safety and peace of mind of a full-time doorman at a fraction of the cost. Not only is Virtual Doorman 90% more cost-efficient than humanly possible, it never sleeps, takes breaks, accepts gratuities or goes out on strike. What's more, with innovations like the industry's only Internet Web Portal and On-the-Go Mobile Application, Virtual Doorman allows building residents to manage their preferences and provide specific instructions from wherever they are ­- using a computer or smart phone. Virtual Doorman is also able to perform services that no doorman I've ever met will even attempt. Like send you emails or text messages when your dog walker arrives and returns. Or when the tutor, housekeeper, caregiver, babysitter, repair or installation person arrives. Or when a package or letter arrives that you absolutely must know about immediately. Or doing other cool stuff, like monitoring the temperature of your wine cellar. There's more. Virtual Doorman safeguards your residents and your premises by providing "eyes on the street," as well as in your lobbies, elevators, corridors, laundry and storage rooms at all times. We've entered an age where technology, the consummate game-changer, can take the bite out of a strike threat by doormen and take the sting out of an actual strike for building owners and residents. Building owners and residents now have a technological superhero ready to come to their rescue, save the day and provide nearly every doorman service without missing a beat - Virtual Doorman. Sorry, doormen. Nothing lasts forever. Technology changes everything. It's the pitch black swan that cuts both ways. Is "Robby the Doorbot" who greets you by name and opens the door of your taxi while shielding you from the rain with an umbrella the next big thing from Virtual Doorman? Maybe. We're working on it. Colin Foster is a partner and vice president of sales at Virtual Service, New York, N.Y.