"Whether they're designing eco-homes or a new mass transit system," reads the subhead to the cover story of the latest issue of Small Biz, BusinessWeek's spin-off magazine devoted to small business and start-ups, "entrepreneurs are finding virtual worlds provide them with an inexpensive, low-risk launching pad." The article highlights numerous examples of that, including the wind-up toy at right, which was prototyped in Second Life; the design of an innovative public transportation system that was simulated in SL; a video advertising display system that's demoed in SL, since its developers realized doing so in the real world would be costly and impractical. Also featured: the metaverse-based applications used by Crescendo Design, the Wisconsin-based architecture firm that Jon Brouchard (known as Keystone Bouchard in SL, much written about on this blog, as here, here, and here) runs with his wife.
I agree with Roland LeGrand that this article represents a step out of the Trough of Disillusionment-- especially considering the source. BusinessWeek's famed 2006 cover story, longtime Residents will recall, mostly attracted the wrong kind of business interest-- too many corporate executives who misread it to conclude, "If there's so much economic activity in Second Life, then the users will be excited when we market our fine products and services there." It's what led to the inflated (and misplaced expectations) that fueled SL's mini-dom boom/bust cycle in 2006-07. By contrast, this article may attract a burst of business activity focused on prototyping and idea incubation, as opposed to marketing.
Image credit: BusinessWeek.com.
It's always encouraging to see reasonable reporting on the application of virtual technology to business. I'm coming across more and more evidence that we are indeed inching out of the trough...
Posted by: Jeff Lowe | Saturday, August 30, 2008 at 11:43 AM