It promises a realistic, virtual world in which the experiences from our current life are not only possible but customizable: working, learning, interacting with people, playing, shopping, going out, travelling...
That also includes an economy of its own: creating, distributing, trading and consuming goods and services.
The metaverse is a set of shared, interconnected, persistent and scaled immersive digital worlds, accessed and experienced synchronously and continuously by an unlimited number of users.
The metaverse at its full scale and potential, able to deliver virtual experiences almost as rich as the real-world ones, is years away. You can expect steady progress of the technologies making up the metaverse in the decades to come, rather than a major, scheduled global launch. The metaverse is not here yet not only because technology still needs to evolve.
In other words, you still have time! You can explore the applications of immersive technologies in your organizations, build a use case and experiment.
Immersive virtual spaces, already called 'metaverses', where people meet, interact, play games and even attend concerts exist already, created by gaming companies. Think of the recent metaverse concert experiences in the Fortnite or Roblox platforms.
The metaverse is not a single platform or technology, nor is it being built by a unique entity or organization. Just like the internet, it's not meant to be owned by anyone - organizations or individuals. There are hundreds of companies, including organizations such as Meta, Microsoft or Apple, that are building the components of what will make it possible.
The metaverse will be based on current emerging technology that will need to be perfected for a fully-scaled, functional metaverse. That includes, but is not limited to: increased computing power, better and lighter VR headsets, enhanced network capacity, advanced sensorial and haptic technology (technology that can replicate the experience of touch), blockchain for transparent and secure transactions or NFTs (non-fungible tokens) for indisputable ownership proof of digital assets, etc.
There are also fundamental questions that companies building it, as well as governments and society at large, must find an answer to. Who will regulate and govern the metaverse? What are the rules and laws regarding data, privacy and safety? Who will enforce them and how?
The ideal metaverse should be one open, shared, virtual space where everyone is welcome.
But as competing entities such as Meta, Microsoft or Apple are building it, there is a possibility, at least at the beginning, of having different metaverses. To keep them separate, complementary devices (think Virtual Reality headsets) will be neither connectable nor interchangeable.
While the outcome remains to be seen, multiple existing metaverses are expected to converge into one single space.
Overall, the metaverse will make workplace experiences more:
Global. Bring together talents worldwide and deliver programs that transcend physical borders. People will be able to see each other (via avatars), collaborate in-depth and create real connections in a shared space.
Flexible. Just put your headset on, click a few times and join your virtual workspace from anywhere in the world connected to the internet.
Customizable. A digital space like the metaverse will allow users to personalize the environment and features of their working experience.
Experiential. There will be more room (literally and metaphorically!) to acquire skills by doing, practicing and refining.
Risk-free. The space you join will be a realistic, 3D environment of a shared physical space. It will provide a safe place to try and fail with no risk to the business and less stress.
For some industries, virtual environments are directly around the corner or even readily available. Others will need to wait years until they can tap into something ‘metaverse-y’. It all depends on how elaborate the virtual world needs to be.
Take education or corporate work for example. You only need to virtualize a classroom or meeting room to get started. Attendees can virtually join as avatars. This is something that is already possible today! Even entire manufacturing sites are available in a virtualized version; so-called digital twins.
But one thing’s for sure: the metaverse will change the way we live and work completely.
How will the metaverse change your professional life?
5 key things L&D professionals must know
It promises a realistic, virtual world in which the experiences from our current life are not only possible but customizable: working, learning, interacting with people, playing, shopping, going out, travelling...
That also includes an economy of its own: creating, distributing, trading and consuming goods and services.
The metaverse is a set of shared, interconnected, persistent and scaled immersive digital worlds, accessed and experienced synchronously and continuously by an unlimited number of users.
The metaverse at its full scale and potential, able to deliver virtual experiences almost as rich as the real-world ones, is years away. You can expect steady progress of the technologies making up the metaverse in the decades to come, rather than a major, scheduled global launch. The metaverse is not here yet not only because technology still needs to evolve.
In other words, you still have time! You can explore the applications of immersive technologies in your organizations, build a use case and experiment.
Immersive virtual spaces, already called 'metaverses', where people meet, interact, play games and even attend concerts exist already, created by gaming companies. Think of the recent metaverse concert experiences in the Fortnite or Roblox platforms.
The metaverse is not a single platform or technology, nor is it being built by a unique entity or organization. Just like the internet, it's not meant to be owned by anyone - organizations or individuals. There are hundreds of companies, including organizations such as Meta, Microsoft or Apple, that are building the components of what will make it possible.
The metaverse will be based on current emerging technology that will need to be perfected for a fully-scaled, functional metaverse. That includes, but is not limited to: increased computing power, better and lighter VR headsets, enhanced network capacity, advanced sensorial and haptic technology (technology that can replicate the experience of touch), blockchain for transparent and secure transactions or NFTs (non-fungible tokens) for indisputable ownership proof of digital assets, etc.
There are also fundamental questions that companies building it, as well as governments and society at large, must find an answer to. Who will regulate and govern the metaverse? What are the rules and laws regarding data, privacy and safety? Who will enforce them and how?
The ideal metaverse should be one open, shared, virtual space where everyone is welcome.
But as competing entities such as Meta, Microsoft or Apple are building it, there is a possibility, at least at the beginning, of having different metaverses. To keep them separate, complementary devices (think Virtual Reality headsets) will be neither connectable nor interchangeable.
While the outcome remains to be seen, multiple existing metaverses are expected to converge into one single space.
Overall, the metaverse will make workplace experiences more:
Global. Bring together talents worldwide and deliver programs that transcend physical borders. People will be able to see each other (via avatars), collaborate in-depth and create real connections in a shared space.
Flexible. Just put your headset on, click a few times and join your virtual workspace from anywhere in the world connected to the internet.
Customizable. A digital space like the metaverse will allow users to personalize the environment and features of their working experience.
Experiential. There will be more room (literally and metaphorically!) to acquire skills by doing, practicing and refining.
Risk-free. The space you join will be a realistic, 3D environment of a shared physical space. It will provide a safe place to try and fail with no risk to the business and less stress.
For some industries, virtual environments are directly around the corner or even readily available. Others will need to wait years until they can tap into something ‘metaverse-y’. It all depends on how elaborate the virtual world needs to be.
Take education or corporate work for example. You only need to virtualize a classroom or meeting room to get started. Attendees can virtually join as avatars. This is something that is already possible today! Even entire manufacturing sites are available in a virtualized version; so-called digital twins.
But one thing’s for sure: the metaverse will change the way we live and work completely.
How will the metaverse change your professional life?
5 key things L&D professionals must know
