What is the Metaverse?
With the announcement of Facebook’s Metaverse, or shall we say Meta’s Metaverse, and Microsoft’s Mesh, organizations have been constantly asking Virtway about what this new reality will (or won’t) be. Meta describes the Metaverse as a place where people can “socialize, learn, collaborate and play in ways that go beyond what’s possible today”.
Truth be told, a lot of us have already been experiencing what Mark Zuckerberg and Meta describe. Virtway’s Enterprise Metaverse, for one, has been thriving in the Enterprise Metaverse for 6 years now. Virtway has brought in large and small organizations alike into its open and inclusive virtual world. And unlike others that are selling an idea that doesn’t yet exist, Virtway’s Metaverse is accessible today, from any device, from anywhere in the world.
The current and future Metaverses are more than just a sci-fi concept. They bring people together in more immersive ways, facilitating human interaction and engagement in the virtual world. Remote teams will connect to their virtual office and “sit” next to their colleagues where they can brainstorm in real time, take coffee breaks together and even participate in interactive activities in the virtual world. Physical barriers for students no longer exist, allowing them to study when and where they want. Friends can get together to hang out, play a game or watch movies. What we have considered to exclusively be in-person gatherings, are now possible in the virtual world. The metaverse is and will be an all-inclusive environment where people can do virtually everything.
Facebook and Microsoft’s versions of the Metaverse will rely on heavy headgear and no end-user support, which is not suitable for more than 45 minutes of use. In Virtway, leading organizations have been advancing their work and fun in Virtway in comfort from their own devices with direct and live support. The Facebook & Microsoft technologies still have a long way to go, and they will spend hundreds of millions of dollars marketing their upcoming hardware and networks. At Virtway, we remain independent, and ad-free, and will remain accessible from the devices you already have!
The Future of Work in the Corporate Metaverse
The way we work has changed and continues to evolve at a superfast rate to a more hybrid way that requires new levels of interactivity and engagement and the Metaverse will play a key role in how this happens. Our digital habits are becoming more and more intertwined with our physical lives and that is even more true for innovative organizations.
Innovative companies are the forerunners to a more collaborative and engaging future of workplaces and events. They are more comfortable with gamification and 3D technologies. The Metaverse is unlocking opportunities that they are easily grasping and integrating into their day-to-day tasks, and not just for play but also for work.
Virtway’s Corporate Metaverse
Our vision of the Metaverse is one that is inclusive, where individuals from all over the world are invited to participate in their organization’s and their interest’s evolution, discourse, and dialogue. From our view of the 1000’s of events and work sessions in Virtway, the most impressive Virtway engagements have been where many ideas and opinions are spoken and shared which lead to the advancement of organizers’ and organizations’ work strategy and tactics. They also support amplifying these conversations into the future of their work and brand.
Virtway makes this vision come to life by giving companies and 1000’s of their employees access to virtual presence and proximity in beautiful virtual environments built for engagement. With our event production experts, we make Agendas and Meetings come to life, enabling all participants with whatever computer skill level to be included and cared for.
We do this in part by utilizing our in-house avatars. Webcams are not necessary (cue the end to zoom fatigue!) thanks to our proprietary avatar customization. Because we built our avatars in-house, we can specifically create for our innovative companies, including non-binary avatars and culturally responsive accessories.
The everyday overuse of videoconference or the “Zoom fatigue” factor has been incredibly important for companies and event organizers as they strategize their future.
Unlike in Meta & Mesh which cater to a few people in a small room, Virtway can bring up to 1000’s of people together at the same time. Virtway excels when a videoconference becomes too crowded.
Our in-house tech has been specifically developed to give people a more inclusive feel as they navigate, meet new people, and collaborate in substantive work with 1000’s of people at the same time. And our team has prioritized accessibility from our inception to make sure that this experience is available to everyone, no matter what device or where they are connecting from. On the other hand, Meta requires people to be strapped into a VR headset while simultaneously wearing controllers on both hands. This is not accessible or available to most of the world’s population and more speaks to the future business aspirations of a large company.
While the Metaverse is still in its initial stages, the benefits are huge and growing every day. Remote work no longer feels so “remote”. Interaction and collaboration are just as effective as they are in the physical office. Creativity and access to knowledge are increasing with geographical barriers being lowered and, in most cases, completely eliminated.
Here at Virtway, our goal is not to replicate in-person experiences – it’s to meld the joy and immersion of in-person experiences with virtual environments that can be accessible today to thousands of distributed attendees. We’re excited to be on this Corporate Metaverse journey and can’t wait to continue developing, advancing, and sharing it with you.
