New PTO procedure relaxes requirements for Examiner interview

Patent Docs reports here about a relatively new PTO procedure which relaxes the requirements for attorney/agent participation in an Examiner interview. According to the Patent Docs post:

Under the old procedure, practitioners were required to file a power of attorney or authorization to act in a representative capacity in order to participate in an interview.  Under the new procedure, practitioners need only file an Applicant Initiated Interview Request Form (PTO-431A).

I'm not sure that all Examiners followed the old, more rigorous, procedure, but I like the new procedure better.