• Founded in 1999
• 800 thousand active users
• HQ in San Francisco, California with other offices in the U.S. and the U.K.
• 2009 revenue forecast at $100 million
• Privately held

Linden Research, Inc. designs and develops a 3D online/3D/virtual world called Second Life or Second Life Grid. Residents of Second Life create and build the world including homes, vehicles, nightclubs, stores, landscapes, clothing, and games. Rich social interaction within the world includes organizations, clubs, conferences, music events, cultural happenings. The world is extensively used by universities and schools as a perfect medium for education. Many companies use it for corporate interactions, meetings, discussions, training, etc.

For More Information Please Contact:

• Tel :  (415) 243-9000
• Fax : (415) 243-9045

Second Life Work

Two Words: Persistence and Presence

Second Life is the next-best-thing to a face-to-face meeting which is usually always preferred, but not always possible due to geographic or budgetary constraints. Virtual worlds offer two compelling advantages over other collaboration technologies: persistence and presence. Persistent environments enable teams to work together and then come back later, individually or as a team, and the space is always available. This is particularly useful when team members are working across different time zones and need to work asynchronously on the same project. The concept of presence is a bit trickier to understand until you've experienced it. When you're in a virtual world, it actually 'feels' like you're there. And, you also know that everyone around you feels the same thing. If you see someone in Second Life, then they are present, engaged, and sharing experiences with you-just like when you're in a physical work environment.

A True Social Networking Technology

Together, persistence and presence can create a "water cooler" phenomenon that no other collaboration technology can match. In addition to more traditional work activities, such as meetings and training, teams can also socialize and network. Although the business value is less tangible than other kinds of work activities, we all know that strengthening business relationships and exchanging information in informal hallway conversations can be incredibly valuable. At a recent IBM event, conference attendees shared "virtual beers" and went virtual hang gliding and jet skiing. Everyone had a great time and a shared experience that they are still talking about.

Another Tool in Your Collaboration Technology Toolbox

Of course, teleconferencing, web-based presentation sharing, and video conferencing technologies are all important collaboration tools that companies use every day for global and mobile teams to work together and stay connected. When compared directly to other technologies, Second Life remains a compelling addition to your collaboration technology portfolio. Each technology has its strengths and drawbacks.

• Teleconferences are useful because they are the lowest common technology denominator (everyone has a phone), but staring at a telephone isn't a very effective way to have a meeting. It's always hard to tell who's talking and difficult to follow when the speaker is describing a visual concept.
• Web-based presentation and desktop sharing tools are effective when a few people need to broadcast a presentation to a large audience, but they fall short as a brainstorming, planning, simulation, or visualization medium.
• Video conferencing enables you to see your colleagues' faces, but the quality of these meetings is often uneven and you still don't get a sense of a shared environment-particularly helpful in training, simulation, and prototyping activities.