Organizations are leveraging the metaverse and adopting immersive technology to add a fresh dimension to their hybrid work model. While having a virtual reality meeting can seem bizarre, it may gradually become the reality of new generation organizations.
Virtual reality meeting involves using a virtual reality headset to get transported as an avatar into a virtual meeting room where your colleagues are present in their avatar forms. Just like in physical meetings, participants can share slides or files, or their laptop screens for everyone to view.
Unlike traditional videoconferencing where only one person gets to talk per time, the immersive technology of the virtual reality platform allows every participant to interact and talk among themselves like in a physical office.
The World of Meta’s Virtual Reality Platform
Meta is one of the organizations charting the course to the virtual working world. Its Horizon Workrooms allow its employees to host meetings virtually as they would in real life. The virtual reality platform also offers participants the feel of being on their computer screens instead of staring at them.
It is worth mentioning that Meta is not the only organization offering this gateway into a virtual working universe. Other organizations adopting this technology include PixelMax, Immersed, Connec2, and Glue.
According to the Founder-Director of an Indian-based immersive platform – NextMeet, Pushpak Kypuram, the world is reaching a threshold where technology starts to replicate the real experience of converging in the physical office space.
Suffice to mention that Microsoft is also planning to launch 3D avatars to Teams through its Mesh virtual experience.
How the Metaverse is Enhancing Training and Promoting Social Interaction
A UK-based enterprise, PixelMax, designs impressive immersive virtual workplaces to promote workplace collaboration and team cohesion. The setup allows colleagues’ avatars to randomly bump into each other as they walk around the virtual office floor.
It also includes the ability to drop by your colleagues’ office spaces for a chat. In 2021, a US startup enterprise, Offbeat Media Group, also launched a Virtual Clubhouse for its remote team where team members can explore different experiences, such as social happenings and concerts.
According to Shep Ogden, the co-founder, and CEO of Offbeat Media Group, the Clubhouse is now a perfect place for employees to hang out or celebrate birthdays.
While there are many benefits associated with virtual reality in the workplace, many issues bedevil the technology. For instance, headsets still have a long way to go in development before complete adoption by organizations.
The level of bandwidth consumed by sophisticated AR and VR applications is another issue, but this is likely to get resolved after the 5G mobile connectivity rolls out.
