Nine Reasons Why We're Excited About The Metaverse

Imagine a world where you could chill with your colleagues in Shanghai and Singapore or take meeting notes while a tiger walks around you in the background!

And now, imagine doing it all without taking a step outside your front door.

Feels amazing, right?

On top of that, consider sending your AI-enabled digital twin to relieve you of the burden.

These examples provide only a tiny glimpse into the future of work promised by "the Metaverse," a term first used in 1992 by author Neal Stephenson to refer to a world of virtual reality.

Many aspects of the Metaverse are worth investigating, and here are some predictions about how it will affect our work. This blog will walk you through all of the Metaverse's nuances.

But first, let's dive deeper into the term.

What is Metaverse?

In its most basic form, the Metaverse can be considered the next iteration of the web. It is a network of three-dimensional virtual worlds where people can interact, do business, and forge social connections through their virtual "avatars."

The core concept of Metaverse is "immersion," in which a person is not only viewing something on a screen but is present in the (immersed) environment and interacting with it firsthand as an avatar. Metaverse relies heavily on real-time, synchronous, life-like interactions.

These virtual worlds provide more immersive virtual entertainment, gaming, socializing, fitness, shopping, collaboration, and learning experiences. And it can now alter how workplaces appear. Advancements in virtual reality software development are paving the way for more immersive experiences in the metaverse, enhancing the way we interact in virtual environments. Many individuals are turning to metaverse development companies to help bring their innovative ideas to life in this burgeoning digital frontier. Imagine if we could get video games to work the same. You could traverse from one video game to another simply by opening an in-game door. One minute you’re in the world of Grand Theft Auto; the next, you’re in the world of Call of Duty through a mechanic built into these games.

The layers that make up the modern Metaverse can be divided into four groups:

Among the enablers are platforms that regulate and manage digital identity, security, data governance, privacy, content moderation, and the Metaverse economy.

Infrastructure and hardware are concerned with creating the hardware, parts, peripherals, and OS layers that make up the human interface layer. Then, the underlying infrastructure spans the cloud, semiconductors, and networks that power the Metaverse.

Platforms enable the distribution and discovery of content, experiences, and apps and include browsers, search/visual search, app stores, in-app storefronts, and the core set of tools and platforms for developing 3-D experiences – such as design, game engines, AI services, and creator tools.

Content and experiences include developer content, first-party content, creator content, and UGC tied to specific Metaverse use cases — from learning and collaboration to events, industry-specific applications, and virtual environments.

A glimpse into the Metaverse's background

Image Source: Freepik

When Facebook rebranded itself as Meta in 2021, the term "metaverse" became popular. Tech behemoths like Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, and Google have also focused heavily on investing in senior leaders with extensive gaming, mixed, augmented, virtual reality, and multi-cloud environment experiences, and they will continue to do so.

The metaverse platform development services has also made it possible for HR leaders to hire talent regardless of their location or preferences.

Technology companies may have many opportunities to develop integrated metaverses. For example, users will be able to build avatars, engage in interpersonal communication, and businesses will be able to create digital assets and market them in the Metaverse.

Similar to how many social media platforms are currently connected, it may also be possible for different metaverses to be connected. Meta opens up a world of possibilities, so let's examine why we should be excited about it.

Reasons why we should be excited about the Metaverse

It might be the next Internet

Companies like Deloitte already have a framework for the spatial web and Web 3.0, concepts closely linked to the Metaverse. Further, Mark Zuckerberg referred to the Metaverse as an "embodied internet" in his Founder's Letter announcing Facebook's rebrand.

All of this points to the Metaverse becoming the next major online destination for global users to gather, engage, buy, sell, play, and work. It will begin as an alternative to social media and will eventually encompass the entire Internet as we know it.

Immersive encounters

One of the most exciting features is the potential for immersive experiences in the Metaverse. Virtual and augmented reality have the power to make you feel as though you're there, even from the comfort of your home – whether you're attending a virtual concert, touring a foreign country, or watching a sporting event.

The Metaverse will also make it simpler for employers, and remote workers to work from home, thanks to Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR). The Metaverse also presents exciting opportunities for game developers, who can leverage this immersive platform to create engaging gaming experiences and test new concepts through strategies like how to softlaunch a game, allowing them to gather valuable feedback and make improvements before a full release. Workers at businesses can be placed in artificially created environments specifically designed for the company. In addition, the metaverse setup can be tailored to meet the needs of workers who want to work remotely and on the go.

Work's more game now than ever

Our days will take on a more artistic flair if we can teleport to vastly different real and imagined worlds for meetings.

While immersed in the surroundings, we'll see places we've never seen before. We will be living it and having an authentic experience. We can all use the pure creative power available to broaden our imaginations.

So goodbye, dull conference rooms. And hello, fun collaboration destinations!

Image Source: Freepik

Long lastingness of the platform

The Metaverse is a permanent platform, unlike web 2.0 and social media.

This means that whatever you create in the Metaverse will still exist a month from now. You have the option to grow your footprint over time. It offers better chances to forge bonds with your audience and foster a sense of community, which is essential for enhancing brand equity, boosting customer interactions, and reducing acquisition costs.

The Metaverse is also a great place to create a permanent resource hub that is interesting and accessible and has broad appeal. Organizations can combine their existing resources with new audiences in an "always-on digital space" that users can explore at their own pace.

Developing and honing soft skills

Learners could use Metaverse to practice and hone essential job-related soft skills. For example, consider a manager conducting feedback sessions with various employees to identify their shortcomings and areas for improvement in how to improve these conversations.

Customer service agents could practice dealing with demanding customers without inhibition. By configuring practice scenarios in these virtual environments with various variables, workers can precisely pinpoint their weaknesses and replay them using improvement techniques.

Ultimate productivity

As more individuals work remotely, it can be challenging to stay productive. The Metaverse might make it possible to switch up your workspace, have more productive meetings, and stay engaged at work.

For example, if you are tired of your workspace, you could take a virtual trip to Europe and enjoy the scenic beauty there while you work sitting in New York City. This may most likely reduce the need for in-person meetings while avoiding the struggles that come with video calls.

Virtual Assistance in the Metaverse

A virtual assistant is an individual who assists you with general administrative tasks. For example, virtual assistants in the Metaverse could be AI-powered human assistants, such as people with specialized skills (sales support, data entry, and bookkeeping).

Micro-communities are full of virtual assistants. To use a particular community's virtual assistant, you must register for an account and join.

Image Source: Freepik

Gen Z is likely to embrace Metaverse as a workplace

This generation is the most eager to work in the Metaverse, expressing curiosity, excitement, and optimism. According to research, Gen Z people are also the most likely to believe that the Metaverse will improve work performance and productivity. Additionally, they won't be too concerned about cyber security, employer surveillance, or privacy online.

Better employee onboarding experience

Metaverse could substantially be leveraged to create compelling and immersive onboarding experiences for new employees, especially in this hybrid work culture.

They can be made to observe or participate in situations that enable them to inculcate core organizational values. Furthermore, welcome parties in the Metaverse could help new employees interact with their workmates informally.

The Meta world has numerous excellent features that you should pay attention to. However, every coin has two sides, and so does this.

Anticipated drawbacks of the Metaverse

Although screen sharing on Google Meet could be improved by beaming employees into virtual spaces, there is currently very little oversight in the Metaverse, especially when collecting biometric information.

Additionally, real-world workplace issues like micromanagement won't be automatically solved when employees work in digital environments. Besides newer and possibly more intrusive employee monitoring techniques, worker surveillance could be easily replicated in virtual reality.

Furthermore, workplace conflicts between coworkers or outright harassment are unlikely to disappear when people work in the Metaverse.

More Metaverse, more issues, perhaps?

According to the ExpressVPN metaverse survey, 73% of employers admit to spying on their employees, which should raise a red flag for employees. In addition, employees are greatly concerned with real-time location tracking and screen monitoring.

Employers are most likely to be interested in recording workplace meetings in the Metaverse, tracking time, and tracking real-time location, screen monitoring, and downloadable meeting recordings in response to employee concerns.

The Metaverse is not going away!

As the Metaverse grows in popularity, billions of concerns arise. Although employees were intrigued by the Metaverse and its potential benefits for remote work, the perceived disadvantages now outweigh the benefits.

Nonetheless, employees still have much to learn about the potential benefits and how they compare to their concerns.

With the vast opportunities provided by the Metaverse, workplaces can be transformed from mundane physical spaces to virtually exciting worlds where employees feel more included and less judged.

For businesses, the Metaverse provides a new opportunity to measure how your audience interacts with you in the new online world. Data such as clicks and online dwell time will be elevated to account for metrics such as how people move through a virtual space and usage trends in interactive activities. And participation will give you a better understanding of how your audience is acting - what they like and find helpful.

Metaverse is the now and forever. This is a novel and exciting chapter in the history of technology, and staying informed is the best way to get ready for it.