Use of Second Life in Business

by Salam Abdallah

Although virtual-world technology is in its developmental stage, its impact on societies and business operations is already evident. Last year, in Q4 alone, more than US $425 million had been invested in 15 virtual worlds; in Q1 2008, more than $184 million was invested in 23 companies. ¹ In addition, many children are being raised with broad access to virtual worlds. Indeed, they may spend more time watching TV, playing, socializing, and learning in a virtual world than in real life. This fact is crucial as this generation will become our next consumers and employees. The most popularized and controversial virtual world is Second Life (SL). SL is hitting mass media and raising hype among businesses, healthcare, education, entertainment, governments, and nongovernmental organizations.