The Metaverse- What is it, and are you ready to be immersive?

Will the Metaverse be your new workplace? What is it, and are you ready to be immersive?

People who didn't use the internet in their businesses when it immediately came out are the ones who lost their big break.

The newspapers that didn't duplicate their articles online got left behind.

It's no exaggeration to say the internet influences every aspect of our lives, from business to recreation. This has created an entirely new economy that exists online. And who are the ones that profited the most from the internet? The people who knew what the internet was capable of, and adopted it early.

Nowadays, it's easy to look back and criticize the business leaders who could have profited from the internet. Yet the exact same thing is happening right under our noses. There's a similar technology being rolled out, and people are dismissing it the same way they did the internet just decades ago.

Another shift is on the horizon that us business leaders need to be aware of. The BBC said last week that “When we look back in 50 years' time, it is likely that the 2D internet we now all use will seem laughably archaic. Not only will the internet likely no longer exist behind a screen, but it is probable that we will interact with it differently.” (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64173594)

If you don't want to be remembered like those big companies who passed on the internet, then we need to have a serious talk about the Metaverse. Whether you feel it may be revolutionary or not. The discussion needs to be had.

But what is the Metaverse, and and what it's capable of?!

Towards the latter half of my business career, I’ve headed up newspapers, launched The Metro, and reached more and more people exactly where they were. The Metro was a moment. We got in early, and we made a difference.

But say, for argument's sake, that I was working in the newspaper industry much earlier- think 1980s - before any of the big players went online. And say, someone told me about this new thing called the internet and how it's going to be great for growing business. I ask…

“What is it?”

…and they don't really know how to describe it to me. The best they can do is say it's

"sort of like a newspaper, but more interactive".

I might not have seen the appeal of the internet from this description, and let this amazing opportunity pass me by.

But it's that key word, ??interactive??, that I focused on.

That interactivity is what made the internet become the staple news source for people- and part of what made the current selection of newspapers and media outlets the success they are today. You could get the news directly to them. While the internet's value was in how it is interactive, the Metaverse's value will be in how immersive it is.

??Immersive??

That is the word that you should focus on this year.

The Metaverse is being tested and developed as we speak. There are already billion-dollar Metaverse companies worldwide, showing that opportunity is already here. The Metaverse is still developing, which is all the more reason we should know what it is. No one is sure what it will ultimately look like, only that they have invested their money and are betting on it becoming the internet of the future.

In essence though, for business, it's about having immersive digital spaces that make it more efficient to work, play, and create. Your brand becomes more immersive in it's online presence, and increased the chances of it rising to the top of your industry.

When laptops were launched they allowed people to work online and on a digital screen, and more recently, you only have to look back over the last few years, and see the stock of Zoom soar to know it grew a huge amount.

Meta is hopeful that VR (virtual reality) headsets will eventually replace the laptop. Letting users place computer screens wherever they want in a digital space, allowing them to join virtual spaces from wherever they want. Many employees prefer working from home since it give eliminates the commute and gives them a comfortable environment. But this can also make it more challenging to manage their work and have team synergy.

The Metaverse would provide the best of both, allowing users to come to a virtual office where they can meet their coworkers face-to-face and show others what they've been working on. All while boosting employee health and boosting company morale.

However, even if VR doesn't take off in the way Meta hopes, there will be other benefits of considering this new immersive way online. Data speeds are improved, websites are made more secure, and users have an easier time using websites. These are just a few aspects of what the Metaverse plans to do for businesses.

Much like the internet back in the day, the Metaverse is coming, in some shape or form. We should be considering what we can learn from it and apply to our own corporations now, regardless of what the internet landscape might become.

Don't wait, be the early adopter, and find out more while your competitors are still in interactive mode.