But what, exactly, is the Metaverse? And why should you care?
The truth is, at Advanced Online Insights, we get super excited about developments like this. In fact, we love to get our hands on the next big thing in technology. So when the world started chattering about the Metaverse, so did we. And we’re here to help you understand what it is and how it might impact you.
What is the Metaverse?
In the simplest terms, the Metaverse is the collection of technologies that are using the internet in new and innovative ways to augment the current cyberspace experience. By this, we mean virtual reality, augmented reality, digital economies, and the creation of virtual worlds in which people can interact in multiple ways, including via avatar, hologram, etc. There are many, many different ways to describe the Metaverse, and the definition will change based on who you talk to about it. But in general, what most people are talking about is the existence of a virtual world that encompasses real experiences, transactions, social interactions, and more.
How does the Metaverse impact me?
Well, it depends (we know–it’s the worst answer). The development of the Metaverse will mirror the development of the Internet in many ways. Depending on the amount of interest you have in exploring it at the early stage, you may or may not be impacted. If we had to guess, most people will ultimately become familiar with the Metaverse as it matures and becomes more ingrained in our society.
Currently, the people most experienced with the Metaverse may be young people and gamers. Through current online games like Roblox and Fortnite, many people are getting a taste of elements of the Metaverse. Or, if you’ve read the book or seen the film based on Ready Player One, you might get a sense of this virtual reality in which people live, shop, socialize, and–to put it plainly–primarily exist.
These glimpses of what could be through the Metaverse may help you understand what role you, your business, or your community might play in the next wave of the internet experience.
Individuals
Individual experiences with the Metaverse will be as varied and different as individual experiences with the early internet. Some of us will be early and fast adopters to the experiences, and others will be slower to get involved. At this point in time, you don’t need to rush out and buy any new equipment or virtual headsets. We have a ways to go before the average person will be diving into the Metaverse for daily experiences. That being said, if you’re like us, you may or may not already have some of these virtual reality headsets and you’re trying them out every chance you get. If that’s you, let us know!
Businesses
Now here’s where our team at Advanced Online Insights starts to really get excited. Businesses will start to explore the Metaverse because of its vast potential to connect businesses and brands with individuals across the world with little to no physical boundaries.
The biggest and first players are those tech companies creating the actual spaces in which people are interacting–and developing the tools individuals will need to get there, like these virtual reality headsets.
Harvard Business Review does a great exploration of the Metaverse with businesses in mind, stating that “Brands should always be in a test-and-learn mode, and the digital landscape in particular requires intellectual curiosity. The metaverse is potentially the next iteration of how humans use the internet to connect, communicate and transact — sitting on the sidelines too long is not likely to be an option.”
Advanced Online Insights has been at the forefront of these experiences because of the interactivity between Google Street View and Google Virtual Tours and virtual reality. We’re taking it to the next level today by supporting small businesses who actually want to place their products in a virtual setting. Take, for instance, our initial work with partner Source, Inc, which specializes in wireless technology and integration.
Source, Inc. wanted to create an experience in which its customers can interact with its products and look for similar products to go with it. We are helping them build a virtual experience with 360° views of its products so interested customers can look at the product as if they were holding it in their physical hands.
Then, if they’re interested, they will be able to move from booth to booth to see other related products from other vendors–creating a unique virtual trade show and shopping experience fully related to their wireless product and service needs.
This is just the beginning of the experience!
Follow along as Advanced Online Insights takes our knowledge of creating virtual tours and creating exceptional online experiences to the Metaverse.