Comments on: Can friendly avatars save Nortel?

By: Catherine Thorn

Catherine Thorn — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:35:33 +0000

This technology does have exciting possibilities. The major advantage of virtual space over real life stores is the ability to visually display and explore concepts that are difficult to communicate verbally. For this reason, I agree with Daryl Kulak’s comment that having a virtual tour of the insides of a Lenovo laptop would excite and attract new customers. I think this idea could even be brought a step further. There are customer engagement possibilities that would be beneficial to explore. Instead of simply using the technology to sell more computers that have already been developed, the technology can be employed to develop new product concepts. This technology has the ability to transform the traditional idea of focus groups into something much more. Lenovo could invite a group of “techies” to participate in an interactive product concept discussion, in which the participants could actually move and change virtual components of the new product as they explain their ideas.

This type of advanced, visual form of communication could also be beneficial for international companies that require complicated engineering, such as automotive companies. These companies could employ the technology to create effective, international engineering teams, allowing the company to benefit from accessing a larger talent pool and the different perspectives that diversity creates.

By: GD Manning

GD Manning — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 23:59:37 +0000

“What can we do in a virtual world that we could never do in a real lift store??”

Like the man sez.

By: Et on reparle des espaces collaboratifs virtuels | Entreprise 2.0

Et on reparle des espaces collaboratifs virtuels | Entreprise 2.0 — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 11:48:24 +0000

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By: Nic Sauriol

Nic Sauriol — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 18:11:37 +0000

Daryl,

Interestingly enough, this is something we are working on with Lenovo… Stay tuned…

By: Rmanning

Rmanning — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 21:17:55 +0000

I dont really see the point in using Avatars to communicate when the input devices are a keyboard, mouse, microphone.

But if the people communicating were wearing a sensor suit similar to what is used in motion-capture systems, then you would have a complete and natural communications system. The avatars would actually have a purpose.

There would have to be serious applications for this like martial arts or dance instruction, sports/ fitness, rehab training – basically any group movement activities by geographically separated people.

But for a meeting, group discussion, white-boarding session, presentation – do we need avatars in virtual space?

By: Alex Marshall

Alex Marshall — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 04:19:34 +0000

Daryl – I think you’ve hit the nail on the head with that last question.

When I wrote about a need for additional features, that’s the type of angle I’m talking about – providing visitors with some sort of experience (whether than be entertainment or education) to draw traffic to the site.

Excellent comment, thank you for posting.

By: Daryl Kulak

Daryl Kulak — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 01:45:04 +0000

Okay, here’s my thought. I would not go to this virtual Lenovo store to talk to people about the laptops, I don’t think.

However, if I could go there and someone could take me (I’m serious here) on a flying tour through the innerds of a Lenovo computer to show me the features inside, see everything working and how Lenovo’s stuff is better/different, I would definitely go to see that.

I’m not joking. I think a computer demo could become hugely different and interesting. The question to me is not “How do we duplicate a store in a virtual world?” the question is “What can we do in a virtual world that we could never do in a real lift store??”

Maybe it’s just me.

By: Alex Marshall

Alex Marshall — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 20:07:40 +0000

Arn – thank you for weighing in, the possible uses you cite show some very intriguing potential for the future of web.alive. I’d be interested to hear more comments from our readers on those possibilities.

Dennis – That’s an excellent review, and gives a much more in-depth analysis than my post did.

To all other readers – I encourage you to read Dennis’s review to get a clearer picture of web.alive and the Lenovo eLounge.

By: Dennis Shiao

Dennis Shiao — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 18:34:56 +0000

Yes, I’d use this service if I was interested in Lenovo laptops. That being said, I’m atypical, as I work in virtual worlds and virtual tradeshows.

I spent some time in eLounge last week and posted the following review of it:

http://allvirtual.wordpress.com/2009/01/08/review-lenovos-elounge-virtual-world/

By: Arn Hyndman

Arn Hyndman — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 17:52:10 +0000

Despite the natural comparisons, web.alive is really nothing like Second Life. Yes it has 3D environments and avatars, but it doesn’t try to be a “second life” – it is focused on being a communication tool for your real life.

web.alive is designed to bring state of the art spatial voice communications (with a slick visual representation of participants) to an enterprise’s existing web infrastructure. In the Lenovo eLounge, web.alive is mashed up with Lenovo’s rich web content such that users can discuss the ins and outs of Lenovo products with each other and with Lenovo.

Other organizations are mashing up web.alive with Learning Management Systems, shared document editing suites, social and business networking applications, and so on. The possibilities are endless.