Emergence of Virtual Worlds A look behind Second Life and its application to business The use, disclosure, reproduction, modification, transfer, or transmittal.

Emergence of Virtual Worlds A look behind Second Life and its application to business

The use, disclosure, reproduction, modification, transfer, or transmittal of this work without the written permission of IASA is strictly prohibited. © IASA 2006

Akhil Kumar ([email protected]) a.k.a. Rob Cushing

IBM Certified Senior IT Architect, IBM India

© 2007 IBM Corporation

Agenda

Evolution of Virtual Worlds

Virtual Worlds Potential

Second Life

Applications to Business

Demo


Struggling to Survive Information Overload

e-mail

IM

Web

newspapers

audio/video

business data

market reports


Visualizations: Cure for Information Overload?


Visualizations: Cure for Information Overload? Social Interactions More Like Real Life


Evolution of internetworking

Individual

Connected

Inside

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Time


Evolution of Web 2.0 Personal websites → Blogs Britannica Online → Wikipedia BBS → Forums Content management systems →

Wiki Directories (taxonomy) → Tagging

("folksonomy") Screen Scraping → Web Services HTML → AJAX Double-Click → Google AdSense

Key Themes to Remember Social networking User-generated content Collective Intelligence Rich User experience

Evolution to Web 2.0


Massively Multi-user Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG)

A software environment where each individual who is logged in

is represented as an icon that is visible to other individuals who are logged in

Can ‘interact’ with other individual through actions of their respective icons


An application that runs on the internet and allows the

Creation, manipulation and shareable experience of

persistent 3D representations of real-life artifacts along with their behaviors and resultant scenarios,

through open, standards based (man-machine) interfaces.

What is a virtual world

Massively Multi-user Online Collaboration Platform (MMOCP)


Imagine the Internet with Highly Immersive, Visual Components and Social Interactions

3-D online spaces where your “avatar” can walk around in a real life setting

Build virtual buildings and machines, socialize and exchange ideas with others – even do business

…satisfying two key aspects of being human: our innately social and visual natures …


Second Life


Second Life

“An online society within a 3D world, where users can explore, build, socialize, and participate in their own economy.”

– Linden Labs

Since 2003, it has grown explosively and today is inhabited by a 7.25 Million people from around the globe.

A vast digital continent, teaming with people, entertainment, experiences and opportunity.

Residents retain the rights to their digital creations, they can buy, sell and trade with other residents.

The Marketplace currently supports millions of US dollars in monthly transactions.

This commerce is handled with the in-world unit-of-trade, the Linden dollar, which can be converted to US dollars at online Linden Dollar exchanges.

Demographic – Average Age – 34 Male: Female Ratio – 60 % in favor of Women

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Two remarkable features

User Generated Content Hundreds of thousands of player-

created downloads are available, for furniture, wallpapers, clothes, gadgets with behavior

User content can help turn a great game into a mainstream phenomena. (Limitless possibilities)

We believe that players will be given more and more direct control over the shape and structure of the world through further refinements in concepts such as crafting and ownership.

Ownership Rights Who owns the artifacts that are

being created inside the virtual worlds ?

Linden Lab, the creators of Second life made an unprecedented offer to its players

It allowed residents to retain full ownership rights to their virtual creations

This created a real economy


Early Virtual Worlds Business Applications

Commerce Collaboration and Events

Education and Training

Other Emerging Applications


Early Adopters – Commerce

Improve customer serviceand satisfaction with 3-D help

Simulate entertainment experiences

Custom design tools in a 3-D, immersive environment

Preview how products will look in your home


Early Adopters – Collaboration

Global events, audience participation

Virtual meetings, sharing

Connect after meetings like you would in real life

Closer to real life than teleconferences and web chats


Early Adopters – Events

Recreate real world destinations, events

Spectators immersed in action, take view of athletes

New revenue stream opportunities

Provide access to remote destinations for millions


Early Adopters – Education and Training

A highly compelling distance learning environment

Connect with experts and teachers from around the world

Train, rehearse, role play in virtual world

Simulation of real world environments for “walk-through” or re-enactments

3-D models, immersive environments recreate real life and simplify the complex


Emerging Business and Societal Applications

University of California, Davis: Peter Yellowlees, professor of psychiatry at UCD using Second Life to simulate and experience Schizophrenia

Centers for Disease Control: Created virtual clinics to train emergency workers who might be called to rapidly set up medical facilities in a national crisis

ANWR* Oil Rig: Second Life’s ANWR oil rig demonstrates ability for development of education and workflow optimization of process based industries

* Arctic National Wildlife Refuge* Arctic National Wildlife Refuge


Emerging Business and Societal Applications

Medical or other training using virtual world technology

Rehearsal and role playing

Simulations and response

3-D models, immersive environments recreate real life and simplify the complex


Evolving to a 3-D Internet

Immersive, social attributes reflect real life experience

Move towards open standards will reduce interoperability challenges

Faster computers, improved graphics, more bandwidth continuing to improve user experience

Beyond Second Life, moving toward a 3-D Internet,integrated with current 2-D Net

Significant potential for all industries


Transforming Customer Experiences

Improving Business Process (i.e, supply chain, manufacturing, HR)

Commerce and Transactions

3-D Modeling and Simulations

Real World and Virtual World Connections

3-D Internet: Implications and Opportunities

…applications nobody has imagined yet


American ApparelMicrosoft

Enterprises Now In Virtual Universe

Text 100 Adidas

Sun Telus Starwood HotelsSony

Intel Reebok Toyota Vodafone


Education, Charity and Government

News, Media and Advertising

Harvard NOAACancer SocietyUN Against Poverty

Infinite Mind

Wired CNET BBCBBH

Mark WarnerLeo BurnettReuters


Demo Application: Furniture retail of future

Aspects of a Retail Experience in Virtual Worlds Browse, Compare Assembly, Interact/Customize, Buy, Fun, Familiarize.


Thank You

Emergence of Virtual Worlds A look behind Second Life and its application to business The use, disclosure, reproduction, modification, transfer, or transmittal.

Documents

ibm india slide

ibm corporation visualizations

real life slide

business demo slide

rob cushing ibm

online society

life applications

d online spaces