Computer World Predicts In 5 Years 3D Virtual Worlds Will Be As Important As Web For Companies

3Dwalkthroughs.com came across an interesting article from ComputerWorld.com detailing a new Forrester Research Inc. report. The report argues that the 3D Internet will be as important to companies in five years as the Web is today.

The "Getting Work Done in Virtual Worlds" report released by the IT research firm this week concludes that executives should begin investigating and experimenting with virtual worlds soon because of their promise for remote collaboration, training and the ability to build and share 3D models.

In a 3D virtual world, people can have their name, job title and business unit associated with an avatar that can attend meetings and have access to virtual buildings, rooms, equipment and people, Forrester said. The avatar is controlled by information in an enterprise directory and access control system, it said.

The 3D virtual model is especially important for professionals like surgeons, architects, engineers and product designers, who use CAD models or visualization systems to explore or create projects, Forrester said. In virtual meetings, these professionals can import models for discussion and modification, according to the report.

3D Virtual worlds can also eliminate the expense of remote training and provide a better experience by simulating on the job experiences as well as recording the training so that multiple sessions can be run across time zones and different job descriptions, according to Forrester.

Source: Computerworld.com

It is not secret that 3Dwalkthroughs.com thoroughly believes in the validity of the Forrester report. We are very busy getting ready to burst onto the 3D Virtual World scene. We should be making our announcement in the next few weeks...stay tuned.