We learned from the Internet and have gone digital with the Metaverse
Jonathan Escobar Marin
When the team of ActioGlobal shapes the future of work, it is with the vision of creating a meaningful, global, digital future in which everyone, from every corner of the globe, can have the opportunity to turn their talent and passion into a positive impact for the world.
Today, we can confirm that in this mission of structural transformation of the working world, known as “New Work”, the metaverse will play a fundamental role.
Metaverse transforms the relationship with both your teams and customers.
Metaverse is the real digital transformation of the way companies work; everything that has been achieved so far, such as the shift to remote work, hybrid work or the introduction of omnichannel, have only been small steps on the way to that destination.
Metaverse means to realize a Phygital world (a concept resulting from the fusion of the Physical + Digital world), allowing people to interact in parallel spaces, one hundred percent virtual, through immersive digital experiences from anywhere in the world.
1. On the internal level,
it will accelerate distance-free, remote and distributed work. It will enable companies to provide a more global, faster, and more effective service thanks to the collaboration of their teams in shared virtual spaces.
Companies will not operate in corporate facilities but on virtual platforms that will unite hubs of talent, located anywhere in the world, to achieve common objectives – together. Consequently, the Metaverse will disrupt the limits of space, place and language as it provides simultaneous translation of languages – we will discuss this later – and ensure empathy towards cultural habits, synchronization of time slots and the quality of data infrastructures.
All this will make Metaverse revolutionize the business world as we have known it until today. Metaverse is the accelerator of the New Work, the future of work, where corporate facilities become transparent, companies become ecosystems or platforms that integrate talent from inside and outside the organization, from anywhere in the world, from any discipline and from any sector.
Companies will disappear as places “reserved for employees” but become connectors of the passion and capabilities of the collaborators´ talents.
Companies will not operate in corporate facilities but on virtual platforms that will unite hubs of talent, located anywhere in the world, to achieve common objectives – together. Consequently, the Metaverse will disrupt the limits of space, place and language as it provides simultaneous translation of languages – we will discuss this later – and ensure empathy towards cultural habits, synchronization of time slots and the quality of data infrastructures.
All this will make Metaverse revolutionize the business world as we have known it until today. Metaverse is the accelerator of the New Work, the future of work, where corporate facilities become transparent, companies become ecosystems or platforms that integrate talent from inside and outside the organization, from anywhere in the world, from any discipline and from any sector.
Companies will disappear as places “reserved for employees” but become connectors of the passion and capabilities of the collaborators´ talents.
2. On the external level,
it will provide the opportunity for new business activities, given that companies know how to approach and understand the new behavior of their consumers and the new needs that will be generated by this new immersive reality of a combined physical and digital existence.
It will mark a revolutionary relationship with customers: Companies will have the ability to reach customers through a channel that has not existed until now, putting them at the center of every initiative.
In other words, the Metaverse will force any company in the world that seeks to get closer to its customers to become a digital company , transforming its atoms into bits and, above all, learning from its users and consumers based on the data by the interaction between them generated in real time by the Metaverse.
It will mark a revolutionary relationship with customers: Companies will have the ability to reach customers through a channel that has not existed until now, putting them at the center of every initiative.
In other words, the Metaverse will force any company in the world that seeks to get closer to its customers to become a digital company , transforming its atoms into bits and, above all, learning from its users and consumers based on the data by the interaction between them generated in real time by the Metaverse.
What impact can its implementation have on the future of companies?
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Metaverse for all, no exceptions.
Metaverse will develop virtual spaces that mirror the physical world. Therefore, it will be applicable to all companies, regardless of their nature.
However, in its earliest stage of development, which is already immediate, it will be adopted with more agility by digital organizations, more accustomed to interacting in 100% digital and remote environments, and also multinationals, with a great need to connect talent.
However, in its earliest stage of development, which is already immediate, it will be adopted with more agility by digital organizations, more accustomed to interacting in 100% digital and remote environments, and also multinationals, with a great need to connect talent.
MICROSOFT
Mesh
Metaverse Deniers
Metaverse also brings with it the mockery of its scope, development and future. This is nothing new. Progress deniers have already scoffed in their day at the three-dimensionality of the earth, the existence of the universe, the automobile, the computer, the Internet, the cell phone, Youtube, Netflix, Blockchain and now, eventually, the Metaverse. In less than a decade, all these skeptical opponents of truth will have shifted their focus and enriched their linear minds by denying the next reality of evolution on this planet.
The future is shaped
in real time.
For now, the Metaverse is not just an obsession of Mr Zuckerberg or Facebook. Among many other leaders of the world’s top tech companies, Satya Nadella and Jensen Huang, CEOs of Microsoft and Nvidia, follow in Zuckerberg’s wake.
And there are indeed good reasons to take the Metaverse seriously today.
One of them is the historical context. The more powerful computers have become, the more intense the experiences they create. Let’s not forget that the Internet started with something as unspectacular as white text on a black background. In the 1990s, one-dimensional images were added. Then, in the 2010s, video became the dominant medium. From this perspective, the transition to three-dimensionality is a logical consequence of the ever-increasing computing power.
Following, the possibility of a digital object feeling touch was a pending issue for the Metaverse. Therefore, Zuckerberg’s company has developed a haptic glove, on which it has been working for seven years, that generates a very distinct sensation of touch. This Meta accessory, together with the Oculs Quest 2 device, takes the virtual experience to the next level.
But the progression is not just theoretical. Google Maps already offers a virtual space containing the stations, stores and streets of the real world. The video game industry (the only type of entertainment fully exposed to the progressive power of Moore’s law) has been selling virtual worlds for years. EverQuest, an online game launched in 1999, had half a million subscribers at its peak. (Players soon used not only to slay dragons but also to socialize, and even marry). World of Warcraft, launched five years later, reached 12 million players. Today, 200 million people a month log on to Roblox, a video game platform where games can be created. Many users spend real money on virtual goods. It’s hard to argue that an idea will never take root when it has already been anchored in millions of people.
Given all this evidence, mocking progress is an unreliable guide to the future. Remember, when YouTube was launched in 2005, many wondered why anyone would want to watch pimply teenagers videotaping themselves in their bedrooms while the pleasures of cable TV were just a button press away. Within two decades, online dating has evolved from a secretive and embarrassing affair to a normal platform for getting to know people. Smartphones are among the best-selling devices in history. In the 1990s, their brick-sized predecessors were still derided as crude status symbols for insecure bankers. Just like these, many disruptions were initially mocked at.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that every brilliant idea from Silicon Valley will inevitably be successful. Nor does it mean that a full-fledged Metaverse will emerge overnight; it will be an evolving process. In any case, it should be kept in mind that a “metaversal” reality is a serious idea and not far off at all.
One of them is the historical context. The more powerful computers have become, the more intense the experiences they create. Let’s not forget that the Internet started with something as unspectacular as white text on a black background. In the 1990s, one-dimensional images were added. Then, in the 2010s, video became the dominant medium. From this perspective, the transition to three-dimensionality is a logical consequence of the ever-increasing computing power.
Following, the possibility of a digital object feeling touch was a pending issue for the Metaverse. Therefore, Zuckerberg’s company has developed a haptic glove, on which it has been working for seven years, that generates a very distinct sensation of touch. This Meta accessory, together with the Oculs Quest 2 device, takes the virtual experience to the next level.
But the progression is not just theoretical. Google Maps already offers a virtual space containing the stations, stores and streets of the real world. The video game industry (the only type of entertainment fully exposed to the progressive power of Moore’s law) has been selling virtual worlds for years. EverQuest, an online game launched in 1999, had half a million subscribers at its peak. (Players soon used not only to slay dragons but also to socialize, and even marry). World of Warcraft, launched five years later, reached 12 million players. Today, 200 million people a month log on to Roblox, a video game platform where games can be created. Many users spend real money on virtual goods. It’s hard to argue that an idea will never take root when it has already been anchored in millions of people.
Given all this evidence, mocking progress is an unreliable guide to the future. Remember, when YouTube was launched in 2005, many wondered why anyone would want to watch pimply teenagers videotaping themselves in their bedrooms while the pleasures of cable TV were just a button press away. Within two decades, online dating has evolved from a secretive and embarrassing affair to a normal platform for getting to know people. Smartphones are among the best-selling devices in history. In the 1990s, their brick-sized predecessors were still derided as crude status symbols for insecure bankers. Just like these, many disruptions were initially mocked at.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that every brilliant idea from Silicon Valley will inevitably be successful. Nor does it mean that a full-fledged Metaverse will emerge overnight; it will be an evolving process. In any case, it should be kept in mind that a “metaversal” reality is a serious idea and not far off at all.
Metaverse
Risks of Metaverse
Metaverse is a concept still in its early stages of development with many uncertainties such as, for example, the management of user data, the limits regarding information spreading, avoiding or handling hate speech and harassment, the use of the Metaverse environment, not for targeted advertising, but for the manipulation of buying criteria or even things as relevant as voting intentions in a democracy.
Metaverse will be a space where the physical and the digital worlds converge. The problems and opportunities it may entail are the same that we unfortunately find in the physical world (addictions, discrimination, harassment and violence…). However, this will not be due to Metaverse itself or the technology that supports it, but to the way we use it as a society.
Although we are still quite a long time and billions of investments away from a total Metaverse, we have to think about and anticipate such important factors as the ethical use of data, the privacy of the users or the psychological and emotional preparation of people to live in an immersive and interconnected virtual universe.
It is the responsibility of all of us to be aware of the risks of the Metaverse and to appreciate the creative opportunities it offers us by avoiding repeating the mistakes we have already made in physical reality and from which we are obliged to learn.
Metaverse, like the physical world, will be a world we must care for and protect from inequality. We need to educate ourselves to make good use of it and demand that its creators accept responsibility for achieving an ethical phygital space that provides opportunities for people, generates a healthy digital economy, protects privacy and is a safe, equitable and inclusive space for all. The Metaverse must be a place where we can be the best possible version of society and not just a profit target for companies, investors and big tech titans.
Metaverse will be a space where the physical and the digital worlds converge. The problems and opportunities it may entail are the same that we unfortunately find in the physical world (addictions, discrimination, harassment and violence…). However, this will not be due to Metaverse itself or the technology that supports it, but to the way we use it as a society.
Although we are still quite a long time and billions of investments away from a total Metaverse, we have to think about and anticipate such important factors as the ethical use of data, the privacy of the users or the psychological and emotional preparation of people to live in an immersive and interconnected virtual universe.
It is the responsibility of all of us to be aware of the risks of the Metaverse and to appreciate the creative opportunities it offers us by avoiding repeating the mistakes we have already made in physical reality and from which we are obliged to learn.
Metaverse, like the physical world, will be a world we must care for and protect from inequality. We need to educate ourselves to make good use of it and demand that its creators accept responsibility for achieving an ethical phygital space that provides opportunities for people, generates a healthy digital economy, protects privacy and is a safe, equitable and inclusive space for all. The Metaverse must be a place where we can be the best possible version of society and not just a profit target for companies, investors and big tech titans.
Is it a safe project?
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Metaverse provides opportunities
A selection of a few out of hundreds of opportunities of the Metaverse.
Metaverse is a new world, which does not exist right now and which offers us options not available, yet. It is not an enemy of the physical world, it is an amplifier of its opportunities in a space that we have never had until now.
For example, during the pandemic when being together was a hazard, virtuality has been our great hope. We learned to socialize from home, and online interactions were beneficial because they allowed us to stay connected. Metaverse opens up opportunities for us where there are limits due to distance, cost or availability. And it certainly opens up a whole new (digital) world of possibilities. If we zoom out, we can clearly see some big areas where these opportunities are developing;
Metaverse will change the way people shop, access media, play, get thrilled and interact, and it will provide a great opportunity for companies to generate new business, provided they are aware of the new behaviors of their consumers and the new needs that will be created by this new immersive reality combining physical and digital life.
Among the scopes that will open up new opportunities for companies, there are many that will help deliver incredible, high-impact experiences to consumers. For example:
Metaverse is a new world, which does not exist right now and which offers us options not available, yet. It is not an enemy of the physical world, it is an amplifier of its opportunities in a space that we have never had until now.
For example, during the pandemic when being together was a hazard, virtuality has been our great hope. We learned to socialize from home, and online interactions were beneficial because they allowed us to stay connected. Metaverse opens up opportunities for us where there are limits due to distance, cost or availability. And it certainly opens up a whole new (digital) world of possibilities. If we zoom out, we can clearly see some big areas where these opportunities are developing;
Metaverse will change the way people shop, access media, play, get thrilled and interact, and it will provide a great opportunity for companies to generate new business, provided they are aware of the new behaviors of their consumers and the new needs that will be created by this new immersive reality combining physical and digital life.
Among the scopes that will open up new opportunities for companies, there are many that will help deliver incredible, high-impact experiences to consumers. For example:
Digital products:
Almost everything that is sold today in the real world could be sold on Metaverse (clothes, houses, cars…). Consumers will no longer need to go to physical stores to try new products on or feel their quality. Virtual reality and augmented reality will allow us to browse products from home, buy them and have them delivered to enjoy them at the push of a button.
On the other hand, the personalization of the digital avatars that will be assigned to each of us on Metaverse will also open up opportunities for the development of numerous individualized products that we cannot even imagine today. Companies like Vans, Nike or Gucci are already setting up spaces for us to buy digital clothing for the avatars, creating an unprecedented sense of exclusivity.
Sports:
Health and fitness are going to take a prominent place on the Metaverse. Apps like Supernatural and FitXR, which will be similar to Peloton, but instead of having a bike or a treadmill, the device will be virtual reality goggles being your gym to box, dance or do a fitness class with people from all over the world. It’s not only going to be a lot of fun, but as we think it´s going to be a real revolution.
Remote work and education:
Work will increasingly move into the Metaverse through online sessions, simulations, and trainings. Firms that are able to foster a strong hybrid culture by connecting people working remotely in virtual reality spaces will be in high demand, as will any projects that allow people to learn through didactic platforms, as Roblox is already providing by offering projects for secondary school students, high school students, and college students. Can you imagine that depending on students’ reactions, such as tilting their heads to their chests or apparent boredom, the content they are provided with can be adjusted to optimize learning? This is already real and implemented by NetDragon.
Culture and entertainment:
If anything will trigger Metaverse, it will be the proliferation of online events and mixed reality experiences. The idea of joining an experience in person or virtually can open up many possibilities, for example, events and concerts in all respects (tickets, sponsorships, merchandising…). Justin Bieber, through the Wave or Ariana Grande and Travis Scott through Fornite have already transformed themselves into avatars for the enjoyment of their followers, although it´s still a long way to go to a fully immersive experience.
Games and gamification:
Gaming has long been key to the Metaverse plans and is arguably one of the most advanced sectors. Projects already under development will revolutionize the way we play games and earn money. The “play-to-earn” gaming model will bring the idea of an economy that financially rewards each user, who adds value by playing and spending time in the game. This is the case, for example, with Axie Infinity or Sandbox.
Manufacturing process:
Companies will be able to optimize operations and delivery times by using the Metaverse applications to adjust their manufacturing process, perform quality controls, eliminate inefficiencies, etc…
Data security:
There will also be space for businesses dedicated to cybersecurity, specializing in threat control and protection of private data. We are not only talking about the ordinary user information (authentification, geolocation, browsing history…) but also about all the biometric data that will be exposed like body movement, brainwaves, physiological responses, etc. … We will need to ensure an ethical, responsible, and transparent use as so to enhance the value of the companies dedicated to this purpose.
Cryptocurrencies:
Given that the Metaverse will have resp. already has an independent and comprehensive economy, cryptocurrency and digital currency will probably become the key transactional method with effective scope both in the real world as well as in the digital world (Blockchain) where we will find many investment opportunities such as the Polkadot, Cardano, Litecoin or Binance Coin cryptocurrencies, among others.
Can it be applied to all types of companies or only to a specific sector?
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Key technologies and developments for Metaverse
As we see it, Metaverse will be a reality in a few years if we are able to develop everything that allows the interaction and total immersion of people on the Metaverse. What will distinguish Metaverse from all the previous virtual world initiatives we have known so far, is exactly to achieve total immersion. Therefore, the big demand in the market will be the development of the key technology to achieve that full immersion. For example:
1.
Real-time language translation and natural language processing
These technologies will be essential for the simultaneous translation of conversations and for human interaction with digital machines. As soon as we achieve simultaneous translation of different languages on the Metaverse, we will be talking about a world in which localization will no longer be important because in a workroom there will be people from anywhere in the world creating, collaborating, disagreeing. Place and language will not matter anymore.
2.
Virtual rooms with
immersive reality
Walking through virtual exhibitions, attending conferences, traveling the world…. all this will be the key to making a world beyond reality come true. There are already important developments such as Mytaverse, which specializes in creating realistic virtual spaces for companies, helping them to offer more efficient services at a lower cost, or Microsoft’s Mesh, available for Microsoft Teams from 2022, enabling virtual meetings to make people from anywhere in the world collaborate and be highly productive in a shared 3D space.
3.
Development of devices to address the sense of touch
Nothing feels real until you can touch it. Therefore, reproducing sensations such as pressure, texture and vibration will be another major market demand. With regard to touch, work is already underway on body-tracking kits that allow machines to respond to all our movements. Microsoft Research and Ultraleap both have major breakthroughs in this direction to bring the tactile sense to the Metaverse through haptic gloves.
4.
Motion recognition and physical interaction in the virtual world
Convincing the senses that they are in a new and different but real world is the big bet. The startup Nomadic is already working on combining the most advanced elements of virtual reality to achieve an unprecedented level of psychological “buy-in”, blurring the line between reality and fantasy through immersive and tactile virtual reality experiences that are absolutely comprehensuve.
5.
Perception of smells
and microsensations
Smelling gunpowder in a movie, lavender in a yoga exercise, chocolate in a winter snack …. “Generating scents” that complete the immersion is the challenge of companies like Hypnos Virtual, with its Scentscape already capable of reproducing millions of different scents with great impact for the immersion of our olfactory sense. FeelReal even goes a step further and bets on the need we will have for small but great sensations to feel, for example the breeze through the misting of water, the feeling of heat with micro-heaters, the wind with micro-coolers or small vibrations thanks to mini haptic motors.
6.
Interaction through
Augmented Reality
We do not believe that in the Metaverse world everything will revolve only around virtual reality. Augmented reality will also become very prominent, even if it is not yet fully open. Part of the reason may be that virtual reality is already a technology that has been available for some time. There are, for example, the Quest glasses at a really affordable price as well as a good experience, and socially accepted, because it is very common to use this type of glasses at home. But, in about two years time, we will also use the first augmented reality glasses, which will eventually have a “normal” design aspect, as Nazare Glasses aim at. They will enable the user to see his real environment and interact with virtual elements superimposed on reality. For example, we will be able to see the names of people when they approach us or restaurant reviews as we walk down the street.
Of course, there is still a lot of technical work ahead to reach this point. We have to combine technology that ten years ago we would have thought was only available in a supercomputer (computer chips, network chips, holograms, projectors, batteries, custom silicon chips, sensors for mapping the world, speakers, cameras, etc.) with a pair of glasses about five millimeters thick. But once this is achieved, and it eventually will happen, our world will be filled with people, places and objects that, although they do not exist, will be authentic. Simply by using our pupils as a mouse, we will be able to access the various hyperlinks of an infinite world.
Finally, the great demand for the short term is the development of a technology that guarantees a fully immersive experience to satisfy the needs and preferences of consumers and their avatars. An experience so complete that perhaps we will like it better than reality.
Of course, there is still a lot of technical work ahead to reach this point. We have to combine technology that ten years ago we would have thought was only available in a supercomputer (computer chips, network chips, holograms, projectors, batteries, custom silicon chips, sensors for mapping the world, speakers, cameras, etc.) with a pair of glasses about five millimeters thick. But once this is achieved, and it eventually will happen, our world will be filled with people, places and objects that, although they do not exist, will be authentic. Simply by using our pupils as a mouse, we will be able to access the various hyperlinks of an infinite world.
Finally, the great demand for the short term is the development of a technology that guarantees a fully immersive experience to satisfy the needs and preferences of consumers and their avatars. An experience so complete that perhaps we will like it better than reality.
The future of work means a better future for all
In a world where companies are the new governments, we believe that human talent is the most important force for transforming the world. And at ActioGlobal, we are on a mission to achieve this transformation for the good of us all.
We are convinced of the opportunities that the Metaverse offers us to leave no one behind. To create a future of inclusive, diverse and genuine work where no one is excluded because of their race, gender, origin or economic possibilities.
A reality where everyone, from all corners of the world, has the opportunity to turn their talent and passion into a positive impact on the planet.
We are convinced of the opportunities that the Metaverse offers us to leave no one behind. To create a future of inclusive, diverse and genuine work where no one is excluded because of their race, gender, origin or economic possibilities.
A reality where everyone, from all corners of the world, has the opportunity to turn their talent and passion into a positive impact on the planet.
Metaverse
