We have just published a new catalog of virtual worlds for business. This new catalog is complementary to that already published previously: Using Second Life in learning activities of the company. 

The new catalog contains an extensive explanation of the benefits of Second Life and OpenSim for cost savings and improved communication. 

This catalog also contains a detailed description on each of the application areas of virtual worlds: corporate productivity, training, language learning, simulations, training sales teams, technical assistance and consultancy.

Compártelo

From 3 to February 5, the LERANTEC-2009 fair took place in Karlsruhe (Germany).  LERANTEC is an international venue for experts in  e-learning and knowledge management. Among more than 200 vendors who gathered there, we (Eduardo Valencia and Javier Selva, joined Volker Gässler of VCOMM.

At the booth for the presentation of the DOT CLASSROOM. 

LERANTEC-2009 is a major appointment for the experts in e-learning and knowledge management, as well as the most important of this kind in Germany. Learntec is the right place for the presentation of the latest products, applications and services in this sector, accompanied by conferences and other special events and forums. 

DOT did not want to miss the meeting to present DOT Classroom and accompanied VCOMM at the F6.1 booth of the fair. 

The benefits of DOT CLASSROOM

DOT Classroom  focuses on several key factors: virtual reality, feeling of immersion, cooperation and cost saving.

DOT classroom is a virtual environment that allows companies to facilitate communication between individuals and groups located in different places. Avatars and environments are similar to the real ones, which allows to hold training sessions in an immersive way, while helping them overcome the obstacle distance. 

The effect of virtual reality is that the user receives the impression of actually being emotionally close to others in the same environment. Furthermore, the virtual learning becomes more relaxed and the participants end up feeling a lot less tired than when using a web conference or videoconference. 

Compártelo

The economic newspaper Nueva Gestión echoes in its latest issue the advantages that the use of Second Life and other virtual worlds can bring to our companies in terms of cost savings. Given the importance of the issue, especially in these times of crisis, the report occupies a sizeable part of its issue of November 25. 

New Management has contacted Dot in order to help them summarize the benefits and to give practical advice on how to start working with this platform. 

Throughout the lengthy article it discusses the following points: 

-Brief history of Second Life 

-Data on the savings that could involve the use of Second Life 

Direct benefits for your firm. 

    1. Immediate savings in terms of accommodation and travelling. 

    2. Time saving 

    3. Help to reconcile work and family life 

-Guidelines for use starting a business in Second Life 

    1. Free download of the program. 

    2. Companies that can assist in the implementation of the program 

    3. Creating virtual spaces for meetings, workshops … 

-Key features of Second Life 

    1. Advantages of video versus (feeling of immersion, much cheaper and easier to use …) 

    2. Voice. We can talk in real time with the attendees. 

    3. You can submit videos, Power Point documents … q 

About Nueva Gestión 

New Management is a newspaper aimed at business and professional world, that offers exclusive information about companies, investment, market trends, training, environment, etc.. It also informs on subsidies, public procurement, start-ups, collective agreements, future investments, etc.. 

Nueva Gestion has two different editions: Basque Country and Navarre. The newspaper has a circulation of 15,000 copies.

Compártelo

Dot has made a very successful virtual presentation for students in  the Pau engineering faculty of EISTI (www.eisti.fr). The purpose of the event was hiring trainee engineers to develop a project in OPEN SIM.

Thanks to this Second Life presentation DOT saved as much as 30,000 km in travelling, 300 hours of work and 9000 euros. Each of the 5 speakers from DOT was in their own city (Madrid (2), Pamplona, Zürich (Switzerland) , Mendoza (Argentina).

Eisti Auditorium, presentation of DOT

EISTI is a prestigious engineering school located in Pau (Pyrenees Atlantiques) and Paris. EISTI also belongs to PEBA (E-Business Pôle sud Aquitaine, which brings together ICT companies of the French departments of Pyrenees Atlantiques and Landes (see the post about Navarre-Aquitania meetings in Second Life). 

The event took place on November 20 at noon in the auditorium of the Engineering School in Pau and like other companies in new technologies, DOT sought to convince EISTI engineers to join our own Open Sim project.

Screen in EISTI Auditorium

But unlike other companies that shared the EISTI auditorium with us, the DOT speakers used Second Life. Our presentation in real time was seen and heard by students in the auditorium of EISTI. We also interacted with them in an event that mixed the real (the auditorium with its 50 students) with the 5 DOT speakers.  

DOT speakers that day: Eduardo (who was in Madrid that day), Estíbaliz (Madrid), Diego (Pamplona), Volker (Zurich, Switzerland, was in the airport) and Rodolfo (Mendoza, Argentina). All in all almost 30,000 km. saved, 300 hours of travel and 9000 euros. Mikel should make the calculation of CO2 savings (see the post Mikel: Second Life to combat climate change)

And in addition to the speakers, there were other people from the DOT as Yolanda Amatriaín, Javier Selva , Mikel Meoki, Germán Pérez,  Enrique Bauluz, or Juankar Sanz or Mikel Belasko Mikel. 

Eduardo Valencia speaks before students at EISTI. Behind, Estíbaliz, Diego and Rodolfo

The presentation (about thirty-five minutes), was a success, judging by the applause of the audience at the end and the words of the director of Campus EISTI of Pau, Laurence LaMoulie: “La présentation a été très appréciée de nos élèves et des professeurs de l’EISTI, tant pour sa technicité que pour son originalité. Ceux qui n’y ont pas assisté le regrettent déjà: elle a été la plus remarquée de la journée “(The presentation was highly appreciated both by our students and by the teachers, for its technique and for its originality. Those who do not have been able to attend, are already regretting it).

Compártelo

Most people who learn English around the world have very few opportunities to practice with native speakers. 

Most times, learning English is about language immersion: a longer or shorter stay in London, San Francisco or Dublin. 

It is very significant that in order to save time and money, a number of English students in Spain travel to the “British Towns” of Aldeaduero (Salamanca), Valdelavilla (Soria), etc. (see http://www.morethanenglish.com/puebloingles/index.asp). The formula is to bring together Spanish and English speaking people for 8 days. A department of the company managing those British Towns on Spanish soil, is responsible for identifying speakers abroad who have the motivation to come to Spain to participate in this kind of language immersion programs. 

However, it is not necessary to go to London or some of the charming mountain villages to enjoy a language immersion.

 Language Lab offers an immersive learning environment through Second Life. They have created a “VIRTUAL VILLAGE” inhabited by native English residents, who are also specialists in language teaching. 

Language Lab offers “conventional” English classes within Second Life and events within the “virtual village”:  four sims (islands) that make up  an entire city where students meet English speaking residents. 

The Language Lab system has significant advantages: 

     * The prices are very reasonable: from 29.90 U.S. dollars per month (3 hours classroom and 20 hours of events), $ 44.95 (6 classes, 30 hours of events) to $ 77.95 (8 classes, 40 h . events). 

     * One can make a sizeable time of English practice every day in a safe and pleasant environment. 

     * You can talk with native speakers who represent the actual varieties of English. 

     * It is easy to build a social network of English-speaking friends: teachers and students.

El sistema de Language Lab tiene ventajas significativas:

• Los precios son muy razonables: de 29.90 dólares por mes (3 horas de clase y 20 h. de eventos), 44,95 $ (6 clases, 30 h. de eventos) a 77,95 $ (8 clases, 40 h. de eventos).
• Es posible realizar la cantidad de práctica que uno pueda dedicar al aprendizaje del inglés, todos los días en un lugar seguro y un ambiente agradable.
• Es posible hablar con nativos reales que representan a los diferentes variedades del inglés.
• Es fácil construir una red social de amigos de habla inglesa: profesores y alumnos.

Compártelo

Gartner, the oracle of reference on the assessment and the forecasting of the development of new technologies, has launched a bittersweet message about virtual worlds (Second Life and the like).

The most important findings of Gartner in 2008 are:

-There was a high degree of failed business ventures in Second Life. In a period of 18 months, 9 out of 10 projects have been abandoned.

-Projects that fail do so largely because the technology forgets the real needs of users.

-Second Life and other virtual worlds offer significant advantages for companies. Improve distance collaboration, reducing travel costs and save time. It avoids the costs of further implementation of videoconferencing systems.

-A strategy for success must combine virtual worlds (3D) with the web (2D)

In 2012 70% of companies in 2012 will have a private virtual world, which will have a greater level of success because they will have to fight less inflated expectations. They will have clearer objectives.

In Dot, we agree with the Gartner view: we must focus our efforts on areas of corporate cooperation, go for virtual training (coordinated with the Web) and aim to save time and costs of travelling.

Compártelo

According to the International Congress and Convention, companies in the world spend spend 107 billions of dollars a year just in sending employees to conventions and conferences. 1,243,600 events of this kind are held in the world last year. These data reflect only a small part of the overall costs of business travel.

Second Life will allow us to save much of our travel costs without sacrificing the frequency and quality of our meetings.

Thanks to the 3D technology of Second Life we can hold public or private spaces for communication, collaboration and learning. This allows us to briefly hold meetings at a distance and therefore helps us save time and money on travel, accommodation and the like.

The experience of meeting in Second Life is an acceptable substitute for the meeting in the real world. It is equivalent in many ways to video-conferencing, which is is much more expensive and complex.

• 1243600 conventions and conferences annually

• 107 billion dollars spent annually

Within a virtual classroom or a virtual meeting room, we meet other people who come to the reunion. Or rather, we meet with avatars (our alter egos in Second Life). We listen and talk, we sit and get up, gesturing a little, we see a video or use a whiteboard or PowerPoint documents.

Once you have a suitable space for meetings (that’s our job), participants need only an Internet connection and headphones with microphone (from approx 12 euros). Renting a space in Second Life ranges from 50 € to 200 €.

Compártelo

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Imagine you get to reduce your CO2 emissions by half because you can prepare your meetings in SL. In addition to saving time and money, one can be proud of collaborating in keeping the environment.

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Of course, we are not talking about the recreational use of SL, but about virtual meetings and training.

How many car and plane miles you do per month during your meetings outside the office? Those who drive are arguablye the most “dangerous” for the environment: they travel alone. But, watch out, do not trust the plane because, although shared, it contributes to the emission of CO2 (between 7 and 10 liters of fuel per 100 km. Per passenger). Imagine, so, that you might cut by half the CO2 emissions because you can prepare those meetings in SL.

Indeed, this may not be the most compelling reason to encourage someone to use SL in their work, but obviously the virtual meetings of Second Life are contributing too.

Compártelo