The document discusses the potential uses of virtual worlds for businesses. It outlines how various companies have used virtual worlds for applications such as sales, branding, advertising, education, recruitment, collaboration, training, and simulation. It also examines the technological, legal, organizational, and cultural issues associated with virtual worlds. Finally, it provides examples of how IBM has utilized different virtual world platforms for various purposes, including events, meetings, learning, and systems management.

1. VIRTUAL WORLDS
‘IN’ OR ‘OUT’ FOR BUSINESS APPLICATIONS?
Greenwich Team 4
Alexandra Bayet
Christina Alvarado
Atman Bhesdadiya
Anastasia Toumazou
Daniel Marczinek
Jargalan Amarsaikhan
Avatarina

2. SALES
e.g. Miss Sixty
PUBLIC * STARDOLL

3. BRANDING, ADVERTISING & CR
e.g. AUDI
PUBLIC * 3D CITY

4. EDUCATION & RESEARCH
e.g. Edinburgh University
PUBLIC * SECOND LIFE

5. RECRUITMENT
e.g. Bundeswehr
PUBLIC * HABBO

6. INTERNAL * T- SYSTES MMS
PUBLIC * ACTIVEWORLDS
COLLABORATION
e.g. IBM

7. TRAINING
e.g. IBM (Academy of Technology)
PUBLIC * SECOND LIFE
INTERNAL * T- SYSTES MMS
Athina Chimaridou - IBM Employee Cyprus
“You can hear live the teacher speaking,
you can raise your hand to ask a question
or you can text your question .
I found the environment very interesting”.

8. INTERNAL * T- SYSTES MMS
PUBLIC * SECOND LIFE
NEW EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION
e.g. Super Buy

9. SIMULATION
e.g. US Marine Corps
PUBLIC * OPENSIM
INTERNAL * T- SYSTES MMS
Tobias Dreher – T-Systems
Learning & knowledge
Consultant
“Internal virtual worlds are
used for training-simulation
75% of the time.”

10. INTERNAL * T- SYSTES MMS
PUBLIC * SECOND LIFE
DEVELOPMENT
e.g. Palomar Hospital

11. INTERNAL * T- SYSTES MMS
PUBLIC * SECOND LIFE
Hybrid Events
e.g. CEBIT

12. IBM
ONE COMPANY, SIX WORLDS
Platform Selection considerations Use in IBM Enterprise
Active Worlds Scalable Events
Forterra Quick on-boarding & Voice integration Pilot deployment for early adopters includes team
OLIVE Pre-built spaces & presentation facilities meetings & small events
OpenSim Familiar interface for Second Life users Meetings, small events, Brainstorming, Community,
Wide scope for IBM community Translation, 2D-3D integration, Region
involvement & contribution Interoperability, Data-center modelling &
BSD licensing: Anyone can get involved management
in development
Second Life Publicly accessible and familiar to some Events and meetings, Employee orientation,
users Learning, Business rehearsals, Serious games,
Scalable Systems management, Interoperability with OpenSim
Voice integration
Torque Simple interface Remote mentoring, Small events, Brainstorming, 2D-
Quick on-boarding 3D integration
High fidelity Data center modeling
Low workstation requirements
Control for 2D integration
Unity3D Web browser based deployment Proof-of-concepts: Demonstrate 2-3D integration &
Light weight & customizable interoperability between worlds

13. ISSUES
• Technological
• unreliable systems
• incompatible networks
• Slow broadband
• slow computers
• traffic congestions
• redesign of entire information system may be necessary
• IT security
• Legal
• Confidentiality
• Ethics
• Copyright infringement

14. ISSUES
• Organisational
• Less loyalty
• Less real-world interaction
• Lack of control
• Limited target audience
• Viability
• Cultural
• Lack non-verbal cues
• Identity problem George Kyriakoullis,
• Addiction Computer Scientist DITS Officer
" It is addictive as hell!»

15. BENEFITS
• Help to establish trust
• Help to overcome geographical distances
• Increase knowledge resources and capabilities
• Enable 24 hour learning
• Help to prevent real-life errors
Michalis Simillis – Computer Scientist DITS Officer
" Disabled people can play as otherwise could not
• Time saving experience the war!"

16. BENEFITS
• Green workplace
• Real-time
• Immersive George Georgiou – IBM Director Cyprus
" Sky is the limit”
• Cost saving
• Efficient " In the future,
due to the economic crisis,
• Effective we might use it
to manage teams"
• Highly involving

17. REFERENCES
Kimble, Chris, Barlow, Alexis and Li, Feng, Effective Virtual Teams through Communities of Practice (September 2000). Strathclyde Business School Management Science Working Paper No. 2000/9. pp, 5-13Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=634645 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.634645
Seshasai, Satwik, Malter, Alan J. and Gupta, Amar, The Use of Information Systems in Collocated and Distributed Teams: A Test of the 24-Hour Knowledge Factory (September 21, 2006). Eller College of Management Working Paper No. 1034-06. Pp, 10-32. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=935106 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.935106
OECD (2011), Virtual worlds: IMMERSIVE ONLINE PLATFORMS FOR COLLABORATION, CREATIVITY AND LEARNING.OECD DIGITAL ECONOMY PAPERS, No 184. OECD Publishing. Available at: http://search.proquest.com/docview/874045972?accountid=78988
Centaur Communications Ltd (2007), GLOBAL TRENDS?- VIRTUAL B2B: You only live twice. Brand Strategy, 14-15. Available at: http://search.proquest.com/docview/224179527?accountid=78988
Saggi Nevo, Dorit Nevo and Erran Carmel (2012). „Unlocking the Business Potential of Virtual Worlds“ MITSloan Management Review. Accessed in 19th April 2011at http://sloanreview.mit.edu/the-magazine/2011-spring/52311/unlocking-the-business-potential-of-virtual-worlds/
Sherman Aliza (2011) „Virtual Worlds: Immersive Training, Collaboration and Meetings“ GigaOM. Accessed on 19th April, 2012 at http://gigaom.com/collaboration/virtual-environments-for-training-collaboration-and-meetings/
Ives and Junglas (2008). APC Forum: Business Implications of Virtual Worlds and Serious Gaming. MIS Quarterly Executive Vol. 7 No. 3 / Sep 2008. (PDF).
George Georgiou. 2012. How virtual world is being used by IBM,
Natasa Toumazou, [Telephone Conference] Nicosia and London,
Cyprus, 5/04/2012
Athina Chimaridou. 2012. How virtual worlds is being used by
IBM, Natasa Toumazou [Telephone Conference] Nicosia and
London, 5/04/2012
George Kyriakoullis . 2012. Have you ever used virtual world and
how?, Panagiota Toumazou [Face to face interview] Nicosia,
4/04/2012

18. REFERENCES
Kimble, Chris, Barlow, Alexis and Li, Feng, Effective Virtual Teams through Communities of Practice (September 2000). Strathclyde Business School Management Science Working Paper No. 2000/9. pp, 5-13Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=634645 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.634645
Seshasai, Satwik, Malter, Alan J. and Gupta, Amar, The Use of Information Systems in Collocated and Distributed Teams: A Test of the 24-Hour Knowledge Factory (September 21, 2006). Eller College of Management Working Paper No. 1034-06. Pp, 10-32. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=935106 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.935106
OECD (2011), Virtual worlds: IMMERSIVE ONLINE PLATFORMS FOR COLLABORATION, CREATIVITY AND LEARNING.OECD DIGITAL ECONOMY PAPERS, No 184. OECD Publishing. Available at: http://search.proquest.com/docview/874045972?accountid=78988
Centaur Communications Ltd (2007), GLOBAL TRENDS?- VIRTUAL B2B: You only live twice. Brand Strategy, 14-15. Available at: http://search.proquest.com/docview/224179527?accountid=78988
Saggi Nevo, Dorit Nevo and Erran Carmel (2012). „Unlocking the Business Potential of Virtual Worlds“ MITSloan Management Review. Accessed in 19th April 2011at http://sloanreview.mit.edu/the-magazine/2011-spring/52311/unlocking-the-business-potential-of-virtual-worlds/
Sherman Aliza (2011) „Virtual Worlds: Immersive Training, Collaboration and Meetings“ GigaOM. Accessed on 19th April, 2012 at http://gigaom.com/collaboration/virtual-environments-for-training-collaboration-and-meetings/
Ives and Junglas (2008). APC Forum: Business Implications of Virtual Worlds and Serious Gaming. MIS Quarterly Executive Vol. 7 No. 3 / Sep 2008. (PDF).
George Georgiou. 2012. How virtual world is being used by IBM,
Natasa Toumazou, [Telephone Conference] Nicosia and London,
Cyprus, 5/04/2012
Athina Chimaridou. 2012. How virtual worlds is being used by
IBM, Natasa Toumazou [Telephone Conference] Nicosia and
London, 5/04/2012
George Kyriakoullis . 2012. Have you ever used virtual world and
how?, Panagiota Toumazou [Face to face interview] Nicosia,
4/04/2012