Imagine a virtual world where billions of people
live, work, shop, learn and interact with each
other, all from the comfort of their desks or
their couches in the physical world. The computer
screens we use today to connect to a worldwide web
of information will become portals to a 3d virtual
realm that mimics real life only bigger and
better. digital versions of ourselves or avatars
will move freely from one experience to another
taking our identities and money with us. Fasten
your seat belts as we journey through the
anticipated virtual world of the metaverse and
what's to come. The Metaverse could key word could
fundamentally change the way we all live, work and
play with big implications for enterprise IT and
business leaders. Right now the metaverse is a
vision of what many in the computer industry
believe is the next iteration of the internet, a
single shared immersive, persistent 3d virtual
space where humans experience life in ways they
couldn't in the physical world. We do have to
remember that the metaverse is still a set of
possibilities, not a reality. There are many
unknowns, who will control it, what it will
encompass, and how much of an impact it will have
on our lives is very much up for debate. At one
end of the spectrum are those who believe the
metaverse will enhance our lives enabling
experiences we couldn't have in the physical
world. On the other hand, Metaverse, skeptics view
it as merely an extension of the digital
experiences we have today, but not life changing,
and that it could potentially lead to something
worse, like magnifying social media ills,
disinformation, campaigns, addictive behavior and
tendencies toward violence. Regardless of whether
the metaverse lives up to the hype, businesses
must be prepared in some ways to maneuver within
the 3d virtual world, or else fall drastically
behind. The Metaverse became a household name when
Facebook rebranded its corporate identity to Meta
in October 2021, and announced plans to invest at
least $10 billion in the concept, but work on the
technologies that underpin virtual reality based
internet dates back decades, rather than a single
shared virtual space. The current version of the
metaverse is shaping up as a multiverse, a
multitude of meta versus with limited ability to
interoperate with each other as companies jockey
for a leadership position. tech giants including
Google, Microsoft, Nvidia and Qualcomm are also
investing billions of dollars in the concept.
Today, companies apply the term to many different
types of enhanced online environments. These range
from online video games like fortnight to
fledgling virtual workplaces, like Microsoft's
mash or meadows, Horizon work rooms, to virtual
dressing rooms and virtual operating rooms. Some
of the technologies that provide access to this
virtual world like virtual reality headsets and
augmented reality glasses are evolving quickly.
Other critical components of the metaverse like
adequate bandwidth or interoperability standards
are probably years off or might never even
materialize. The two primary technologies
contributing to the development and growth of
today's Metaverse are virtual reality and
augmented reality. Virtual reality is a simulated
3d environment in which users interact with the
virtual surrounding in a way that mimics reality
as perceived through our senses. These types of
environments are typically accessed through a
virtual reality headset that takes over your field
of vision blocking out the real world, haptics
including gloves, vests, and even full body
tracking suits enable even more lifelike
interaction with the virtual environment.
Augmented reality is less immersive than virtual
reality. It doesn't block out the real world, but
instead adds digital overlays on top of the real
world with a lens of some type. The game Pokemon
Go Google Glass and heads up displays and car
windshields are early examples of augmented
reality. But these technologies are only
considered precursors to the metaverse. Right now
many of the metaverse like experiences offered by
gaming platforms such as Roblox, decentraland, and
Minecraft can be accessed through browsers or
mobile devices, and a fast internet connection.
Experts generally agree that seven existing
evolving and emerging technologies will have the
biggest impact on Metaverse development over the
next decade. Artificial Intelligence AI is
processing capabilities could create Metaverse,
avatars used to navigate the virtual world. IoT,
the Internet of Things would help create the
connection between virtual spaces and interaction
with the real world. Extended reality comprised of
augmented virtual and mixed reality technologies.
This will provide more realistic experiences that
better synchronize with head movements, brain
computer interfaces, these types of systems are a
ways off but they could be operated with just our
thoughts and replace traditional control screens
and physical hardware, 3d modeling and
reconstruction. This can be used to capture the
shape and appearance of real objects to recreate
them accurately in a virtual space, spatial and
edge computing this can provide the quick response
time user actions that mimic reality and keep you
immersed in the metaverse. In other words, no lag.
And finally, Blockchain blockchain technology
could secure digital content and decentralize the
metaverse to avoid delays or single points of
failure. The Metaverse may be in its embryonic
stage, but elements of it are already taking off.
In some ways. Companies are experimenting with
Metaverse applications in the workplace that build
on the virtual applications they've used during
the COVID 19 pandemic to support remote work. To
add some realism to remote work experiences,
companies are setting up 3d rooms where employees
can collaborate. Some hospitals are using virtual
and augmented reality to train for common medical
procedures. Soon digital twin avatars will be
rendered as AI powered holograms or holographic
images that are assigned tasks. CEOs, for example,
could activate an AI powered hologram of
themselves to engage with multiple stakeholder
groups at once. The Metaverse is coming to
Microsoft teams to users in different physical
locations will be able to join collaborative and
shared holographic experiences during virtual
meetings. For example, Accenture uses Microsoft
mesh to help onboard new employees. New Hires meet
on teams to create a digital avatar and access one
Accenture park a shared virtual space that
includes conference room, a boardroom in digital
monorails that new hires used to travel to
different exhibits. The Metaverse is possibilities
both good and bad, or unlimited. Let's speculate
about the good first. Generally, Metaverse
technologies could increase teleworker
camaraderie, improve collaboration, speed up
training, reduce the need for office space and
make work a happier place. Everyone will have
equal access to lifelike otherwise unattainable
experiences in their own environments like
venturing into outer space or climbing the
Himalayas, people will be able to interact using
more accurate virtual representations of physical
objects as if they're real. Take car shopping, for
instance, in the metaverse, you'd be able to scope
out a vehicle in a fully immersive spatial whip.
Family and friends can share virtual experiences
in real time as if they're all together in the
same living room. metaverse. Video conferencing
might look like avatars gathering into smaller
groups like what naturally happens in face to face
social gatherings. work colleagues will be able to
collaborate and CO create as if they're all
together in the same place. For example,
executives and managers could visit a factory on
the other side of the world and be able to shake
hands with employees and do inspections as if
they're on site. testing and training sessions
will be more efficient using computer code instead
of physical resources. For example, surgeons in
Brazil first practice the seriously complicated
procedure to separate conjoined twins with virtual
reality. And finally, companies can create new
business opportunities to connect, engage and
interact with existing and prospective customers.
Theoretically, a digital twin replication of a
building could make it possible for architects to
collaborate with clients in real time on Layouts
before building out the space. Keep in mind
though, that creating successful Metaverse work
environments will require far more than grafting
existing office spaces and protocols into a 3d
virtual equivalent. worker productivity in a
Metaverse world could suffer. Some people are more
susceptible to motion sickness and could become
nauseous with a virtual environment, while
individuals with auditory or visual disabilities
may have difficulties in the metaverse. Like
almost any technology, the metaverse will
eliminate jobs and require companies to rescale
workers and invest in new equipment and
technologies, which can be cost prohibitive.
negative behavior is just as much a concern in the
metaverse as it is in the real world raising
issues about Metaverse, policies and standards.
Sadly, just like with video games, those looking
to escape everyday life may become addicted to the
metaverse and lose the ability to discern reality
from virtual reality. Finally, introducing new
devices into the metaverse will raise security
concerns and create potential points of
compromise. Businesses need to consider the level
of anonymity allowed, where data will be
collected, how much government control there will
be, and how they'll secure devices like VR
headsets. management consultancy McKinsey and
Company boldly predicted that the metaverse
economy could reach $5 trillion by 2030. Yes,
that's $5 trillion. Ecommerce is expected to be
the driving force with gaming, entertainment,
education and marketing in the metaverse are also
becoming important sectors. The combination of
uncritical enthusiasm for the metaverse and deep
uncertainty about how it will pan out has sparked
some backlash. But others argue that even though
it's early days for the metaverse and fundamental
technical barriers still exist, the metaverse will
happen and it will arrive with a big bang that
businesses need to be ready for