The pandemic has forced many organizations to get creative when collaborating with employees and clients, including venturing into the virtual world known as the metaverse.

More tech-savvy companies are turning to the rapidly expanding digital universe powered by tool such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). The metaverse connects teams in a virtual meeting room meant to mimic the feeling of being in a physical meeting space.

Staff at education technology company XpertVR have been meeting regularly in the metaverse since the beginning of the pandemic using a platform called Rec Room.

“Every Monday morning, we put on our VR headsets and we have what’s called a clubhouse inside of Rec Room,” says company co-founder and chief executive officer Evan Sitler-Bates. 

In this virtual space, the team has access to boardrooms and whiteboards, much like any meeting in real life, but with a few digital extras. 

“We also have a poker table, a little coffee bar, a stage for charades. We even just put in a hot tub, just for fun,” he says.

The team also plays a weekly game of virtual paintball on the platform.

The concept of the metaverse can be traced back to the 1990s in science fiction, but interest has grown in recent months since Facebook announced last fall that it would be changing its name to Meta Platforms Inc. The high-profile announcement generated a lot of questions about what exactly is the metaverse.

Allyson Cikor, a VR and AR instructor at Lethbridge College in Alberta says metaverse is an umbrella term that includes various technologies that immerse the user in a digital 3D space. It can be used for everything from education to travel to work life. 

“The metaverse adds that layer of presence, of being in the space,” Ms. Cikor says. “Having a physical or virtual representation of your physical self, there.”

The functions available in metaverse meetings will look different depending on the platform, ranging from basic whiteboards to more advanced 3D models or leisure activities like gaming.

As more organizations look to offer an extended reality service for staff, Mr. Sitler-Bates recommends focusing on the company’s needs and its culture. For instance, using a platform with games works well for XpertVR but may not be appropriate for another company.

Source: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/careers/future-of-work/article-why-your-company-might-want-to-consider-meeting-in-the-metaverse/