The metaverse has progressed from technology to (lucrative) toy on its way to enterprise tool.
Over the next few years, virtual interfaces will most likely progress from technology to toy to tool as businesses build business models around the capabilities afforded by an unlimited reality. Innovative businesses are more likely to cut costs, increase customer engagement, and create entirely new offerings for a segment of the emerging market. Investing in technologies like edge computing and AR/VR devices may become standard practise, so deliberate, strategic adoption will be critical.
Start with strategy to transform the metaverse from a toy to an enterprise tool.
While some may focus on optimising processes through enterprise simulations and augmented workforce experiences, some others will seek to grow new sources of revenue through mixed-reality experiences and customer engagement.
Irrespectively of how businesses incorporate the immersive internet into their business strategies over the next two years, these technologies are still in their infancy. The parallel advancement of computing, connectivity, and context (location-based data and more) in the future should open up a plethora of exciting possibilities for the metaverse and immersive technologies. Potential directions for progress over the next decade include:
Technology interaction is positioned to progress from separate digital realities to ambient computing, where users can look up from their devices and see a world that seamlessly synchronises with technology. The common denominator in each of the preceding paths is simplicity, the ultimate goal of technology interaction.
However, as we prepare for this future, we should be aware of the risks, which include cybersecurity, privacy, safety, regulation, and ethics. Given the potential economic impact of immersive technologies, enterprises should devote time to shape the technology in a way that protects trust and creates value.
