Written by Mads Troelsgaard, CEO at SynergyXR
It is funny, how we have been prone to rule someone or something out prematurely, throughout our history. One of the latest to suffer the verdict of being ruled obsolete is the Metaverse.
Initially, a lot of the 2021-hype around the Metaverse relied on Zuckerberg renaming the Facebook Group to ‘Meta’ – and admittedly, the public hype faded into obscurity, as the novelty wore off.
This was not least egged on by the explosion of AI-technology, which even ‘Meta’ now has embraced, as its iteration of the Metaverse turned into what some now call: the ‘meh-taverse’.
Facts beat punditry
Hence, a lot of so-called “experts” and commentators have put the Metaverse into an early grave. In their opinion, AI is effectively society’s saviour – and have made Metaverse software (i.e., Virtual Reality [VR]) and devices redundant. But let’s get something straight…
As someone in the actual know, and as someone who works with companies, market leaders and with some of the world’s biggest employers daily, I can assure you with facts in hand that ‘the rumours of its death have been vastly exaggerated’ – to paraphrase an American treasure, Mark Twain.
Apple and Microsoft have reinvigorated the device side of things, with the concept and idea of the Metaverse (or ‘spatial computing’, if you ‘speak Apple’), while its usefulness has morphed into something far more industrious and much more accessible for multiple corporations, than Zuckerberg, most likely, intended.
Just to name a couple of examples, the Wall Street Journal recently published an article highlighting, why industry leaders have remained excited about the concepts of ‘digital twins’, VR-training applications, and mixed reality (i.e. augmented reality) for factory workers. In another recent article in Industry Magazine, the Metaverse was also shown to have a proven positive impact on production and manufacturing processes for BMW and Nvidia.
For fact’s sake, I will add three more examples to underline what the Wall Street Journal found. Namely, that the Corporate Metaverse is already creating immense value – and that it is very much alive and well:
1) Grundfos pump the breaks on bad habits
In the first iteration of the Global, Danish pump manufacturer’s XR-classroom program in their own Corporate Metaverse-realm, they quickly realized that their new approach to training offers a lot of other stellar advantages, including being available all over the globe and independent of individual experts. Not only has it ensured a standardised training process, but it has also eliminated any ‘bad habits’, which is invaluable for any company that works on the margins to improve their services.
2) Saint Gobain digitally transforming into Industry 4.0
When French mega-conglomerate, Saint Gobain Isover, evaluated to modernize their training programs as part of their overall transformation towards the so-called ‘Industry 4.0’. Among these options, VR-technical training stood out as a perfect way to teach employees in a hands-on capacity, while simultaneously ensuring a safe learning environment. With the help of a digital twin, trainees were allowed to step into a 1:1 replica of their production facility and perform the reality training exactly, as they would in person. A win-win-win for the company in their digital transformation.
3) MAKEEN is makin’ sales more sustainable
Part of what enables MAKEEN Energy to be at the forefront of innovation is meeting stakeholders worldwide and attending trade fair exhibitions. That can quickly accrue significant costs, unnecessary CO2-emissions and demand a lot of floor space for the larger facility equipment. So, instead of having to ship heavy machinery from country to country for every exhibition, the team at MAKEEN Energy now show their industrial equipment in a fully rendered, 3D virtual showroom.
Corporate value in the Metaverse
So, the metaverse is neither dead nor dying. It has evolved. And the fact of the matter is that in less than two years since its mainstreaming, we are now already at ‘Metaverse 2.0’. And just like ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ – the sequel surpasses the original.
Essentially, the Metaverse is now much more than just a platform, term, or phrase for public entertainment, and has matured into a must-have tool for companies looking to become more sustainable; to recruit, re- or upskill employees across the Globe; and to optimize manufacturing, construction, and energy generation. A so-called Corporate Metaverse, where companies are able to become more sustainable, generate better processes, re- or upskill employees as well as digitally transform their business.
Ultimately, a lot has been said about the value and the shelf-life of the metaverse, and those who did more than just talk about it, and started doing something with it, have already benefitted.
So, to quote another famous American, Walt Disney: “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing”.
In short, let’s not rule it out just yet, and begin doing some more… in Metaverse 2.0 – the Corporate Metaverse.
