METAVERSE

The metaverse is a hypothetical iteration of the Internet as a single, universal, and immersive virtual world that is facilitated by the use of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) headsets.In colloquial usage, a metaverse is a network of 3D virtual worlds focused on social and economic connection. In scientific research, it is defined as 'a three-dimensional online environment in which users represented by avatars interact with each other in virtual spaces decoupled from the real physical world'.

The term metaverse originated in the 1992 science fiction novel Snow Crash as a portmanteau of "meta" and "universe". Metaverse development is often linked to advancing virtual reality technology due to the increasing demands for immersion. Recent interest in metaverse development is influenced by Web3, a concept for a decentralized iteration of the internet. The term metaverse has been used as a buzzword by companies to exaggerate the development progress of various related technologies and projects for public relations purposes. Information privacy, user addiction, and user safety are concerns within the metaverse, stemming from challenges facing the social media and video game industries as a whole

Meta Platforms, Inc., doing business as Meta,and formerly named Facebook, Inc., and The Facebook, Inc., is an American multinational technology conglomerate based in Menlo Park, California. The company owns and operates Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp, among other products and services.Meta is one of the world's most valuable companies and among the ten largest publicly traded corporations in the United States.It is considered one of the Big Five American information technology companies, alongside Google's parent company Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft.

In this world, the computer screens we use today to connect to a worldwide web of information have become portals to a 3D virtual realm that's palpable -- like real life, only bigger and better. Digital facsimiles of ourselves, or avatars, move freely from one experience to another, taking our identities and our money with us.

This is known as the metaverse and, hype notwithstanding, it does not exist today.

What are enterprise leaders to make of a fast-evolving, hyped-up concept could fundamentally change how humans live? TechTarget's in-depth guide to the metaverse breaks down where this nascent technology revolution stands today and where it is headed. Topics include the technologies and platforms that support the metaverse, its benefits and challenges, how to invest in it, its history, why the metaverse is important and its impact on the future of work.

Throughout the guide, there are hyperlinks to in-depth explorations of these and other relevant topics, as well as to definitions of important concepts in the metaverse such as interoperability, digital twins, spatial computing and Web 3.0.

#snsinstitutions

#snsdesignthinkers

#snsdesignthinking