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

DOT is creating a virtual space for associations ATANA (Navarre, www.atana.org) and PEBA (Aquitania, www.peba-pyrenees.com). 

On the 5 and 6 November was held in Pau (France) the 2nd meeting of ICT companies of Aquitaine and Navarre. The meeting was part of the project of collaboration between the association Atana, Association of ICT firms of Navarre and the association PEBA, Pôle E-Business sud Aquitaine, which brings together ICT companies of the French departments of Pyrenees Atlantiques and Landes. The first meeting between enterprises of both associations took place in Pamplona in early October. 

DOT will provide infrastructure and training for both associations so that they can remain in contact via a private virtual space for communication. In this way, they may continue their collaboration on joint projects. 

This initiative forms part of the project ANBTIC “Aquitaine - Navarre ICT Business: Development of cross-border business cooperation in the ICT sector, designed for companies associated with ATANA-PEBA. 

In the same meeting Dot moved in collaborative projects with EISTI (Ecole Internationale des Sciences du Traitement de l `information www.eisti.fr) and BIP INFO (www.bipinfo.com) seeking to apply the advantages of virtual reality to businesses. 

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