...IMPACT OF SECOND LIFE (A VIRTUAL WORLD) ON BUSINESS PRITAM DEY pritam.dey@gmail.com 2007 Pritam Dey pritam.dey@gmail.com ABOUT THE AUTHOR Pritam Dey has an extensive background in IT and business consultant. He has designed and developed IT solutions for customers across domains and technology platforms. Having joined Tata Consultancy Services in 1999, Pritam has handled complex project assignments for Global Insurance and Financial Services firms. With specialization in Internet technologies and objectoriented design principles, Pritam has led cross-functional teams to execute IT projects for clients such as Tata Internet (India), Prudential Financial (USA), ING Bank (Netherlands) and A.P. MollerMaersk Group (Denmark). Pritam has also played a significant role as a business consultant. To maximize his education during the MBA program, Pritam has led and mentored teams to provide data-driven business consulting and recommendation to deliver bottom-line results to his clients. He has executed a wide array of projects on business strategy, market research, business process analysis, competitive landscape study, new market entry and pricing strategies. He has consulted for Fortune 500 organizations such as 3M, UnitedHealth Group, Thomson-Reuters, and Northwest Airlines (now Delta). Post his MBA program, he has also consulted for a plethora of non-profit and startup organizations and has created marketing and business development opportunities for the respective organizations...
Words: 8323 - Pages: 34
...B Broadway Cafe | Networks, Telecommunications, and Wireless Computing/ Customer Relationship Management/ Systems Development | | The following report provides a comprehensive analysis of Networks, Telecommunications, and Wireless Computing/ Customer Relationship Management/ Systems Development regarding the Broadway Café. | | | | Contents: 1. Introduction – p3 2. E-coupons vs. Paper coupons – p4 3. Risks involved with m-coupons – p5 4. Privacy Issues – p6 5. Benefit of tracking response rates of m-coupons and forwarding by customers – p7 6. Virtual world business in the real world – p9 7. Customer relationships in a virtual world – p10 8. Virtual Customer Service Strategy – p10 9. Difference in Supporting Second Life Customers vs. Real and Web Customers – p11 10. Security and Ethical Issues Regarding Second Life – p12 11. Pros and Cons of Using an Employee to Build you a Custom System – p13 12. Pros and cons of using of purchasing a COTS – p14 13. A Smooth Transition with Older Employees and the New System – p15 14. Conclusion – p16 15. References – p17 1. Introduction: Recently I have inherited a coffee shop from my late grandfather, the Broadway Café. The café is located in downtown Charleston, WV and offers many different kinds of specialized coffees, teas, a full service bakery, and homemade sandwiches, soups, and salads. Opened in 1952, the Broadway Café has enjoyed the benefit...
Words: 4198 - Pages: 17
...Part 3: Telecommunications Considerations for M-Coupons According to NetInformer, a provider of mobile coupons: [Mobile Coupons] have higher redemption rates than paper or e-coupons because they are not forgotten, or left at home. M-coupons can drastically reduce delivery and redemption costs, and trigger impulse buys (Netformer, 2008). Additionally, the site notes that m-coupons allow a business to offer real-time discounts by region, track results by customer, and offer rewards for customer loyalty. One concern with an m-coupon marketing campaign has to do with the relative newness of the strategy. A unique id could allow a coupon to be verified; however, there is the concern of people fabricating new coupons. If the coupon is a text-message, then this is relatively easy to accomplish. If the coupon is an MMS, then we are burdening the customer with having to download it. Another issue is the potential perceptions of the customers receiving the texts. Will they consider receiving m-coupons just another form of spam, which gives customers a negative perception of the business (BizCommunity, 2008)? Tempering the number of coupons sent out, keeping them infrequent enough to avoid this perception is important to preventing the campaign from backfiring There is a problem with this particular marketing idea that is a showstopper. For the wireless network or whatever system that is being used to know that someone is within a 15 foot radius of the store, it would have...
Words: 2375 - Pages: 10
...experience in Second Life was quite overwhelming. I expected to encounter some strange personalities (which I did). And after wandering aimlessly for awhile, I located some businesses, such as Dell. Dell had its own island, which had cobblestone streets, with storefronts and cafes that had chairs outside; it was very welcoming. There were signs and displays about products and other information. I then realized most companies on Second Life have their own island. This isolation defeats some of the purpose of Second Life. The only way to end up there is to teleport, and one would only teleport there for a reason, not by coincidence. Also, when visiting the corporate islands, many times no one is present. In a 2009 study on Second Life, Tikkanen, Hietanen, Henttonen, & Rokka suggested that “a company representative could, for example, welcome visitors and help customers to familiarize themselves with the company location to increase interaction and user involvement” (p. 1368). There is little to no engagement without someone there to interact with visitors. Tikkanen et al. (2009) also found in a survey of 200 Second Life users that “72 % of respondents were disappointed with the marketing activities in Second Life and only 7% considered current virtual world marketing activities to be having a positive influence on brand image and on their buying behavior" (p. 1364). Another study of Second Life by Mackenzie, Buckby & Irvine (2009) surveyed 20 businesses on Second Life and found...
Words: 673 - Pages: 3
...http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-565207/Modern-technology-changing-way-brains-work-says-neuroscientist.html This is quite an interesting article! It brought forth an entirely new kind of issue that has existed for quite some time, yet I had never even thought about. The very valid points that the neuroscientist is talking about are pretty intimidating if you really think about them. The idea that all these new stimuli are literally changing our brains, in ways that we have no idea yet, is absolutely mind boggling. I almost don't want to believe it, because, it's well, so hard to believe. I agree that scientists most certainly need to start looking into these potential, changes in our brain, and get some answers to the outcomes of the prolonged use of these technologies to our brain, sooner rather than later, when it's too late. I also think that there should be several conversations about the speed of change and potential impact to our brains, and therefore our selves. I agree with him on a lot of the points he brought up though. The author states, "We could be raising a hedonistic generation who live only in the thrill of the computer-generated moment, and are in distinct danger of detaching themselves from what the rest of us would consider the real world." This is so close to the truth it's scary!! Too often almost everyone I know is drowned in technology, day after day, from sun up till sun down, sometime's never even coming up for air. The first thing...
Words: 770 - Pages: 4
...the real world, if it wants to draw visitors into it. Anything you can do in the real world (RW) you can do in virtual worlds (VWs), only more. Numerous separate and independent VWs exist where consumer and business-to-business marketing opportunities lie dormant and underdeveloped. But marketers can now establish a dynamic presence in VWs that can position them for the new and future internet (Web 2.0 and beyond) made up of parallel and eventually integrated social networks and virtual worlds. Marketing within social networks and VWs is becoming a viable means for reaching and influencing the attitudes and behavior of consumers in ways that was never before believed possible. 2. How will supporting Second Life customers differ from supporting traditional customers? Second Life provides a medium for simulating real world interactions online. It has the same benefits as teleconferencing or videoconferences, the ability to assemble many people from all around the world into a real-time interactions. NPR’s Science Friday makes great use of this tool, hosting a studio audience in SL that they couldn’t otherwise support. Public speakers also benefit. I once attended a talk by a favorite science fiction author who would not have attracted enough of an audience in any one local, but SL was perfect for finding enough interest from around the globe to come up with a great turn out. 3. How will...
Words: 489 - Pages: 2
...Case Study 1: Is Second Life Ready For Business? By: Raven Tyler Q1: In the Business world Second Life can be valuable by using cost effective ways to engage in meetings within their corporation. The use of the virtual world allows for companies to have meetings with staff members who may be in another state or even a country. Within a business the main goal is to generate profits, so by having Second Life it minimizes traveling costs. According to the case study IBM is currently investing $10 million into Second Life because of the possibilities. IBM believes that they can not only use Second Life for meeting but also customer service, product development, and marketing. By using the three-dimensional world for these tools, IBM is able to interact with the user almost directly and is able to generate feedback. According to nbhorizons.com there are many companies that are currently invested in Second Life. Companies such as: BMW, Coca-Cola, Circuit City, Sony, Comcast, and many more. Q2: Businesses that would benefit from second life the most are the ones who would want to boost their brand recognition and would want to target a new market place. Since second life isn’t very popular and is far behind other social networks, businesses that invest in this virtual reality should already have some following and have generated popularity in other markets. They shouldn’t use this as a main outlet to grow it should be used as a tool to help increase business activity. Businesses that...
Words: 1155 - Pages: 5
...1-what problems can Second Life help businesses solve? • Participants can interact with each other, so they are able to explore, socialize, collaborate, create, participate in activities, and purchase goods and services. • Second Life will be the beginning for new industries, transform business, commerce, marketing, and learning. • People from different places can interact with each other. In other words, Second life allows virtual meetings. This can reduce travel costs and be good way for marketing. • Companies can hold functions in its virtual space that were traditionally hosted in real world spaces. • It’s important tool for marketing since it attract viewers who have forsaken television for Internet. • It can support important business functions such as customer services, product development, training, and marketing. • Companies can test new products and get feedback from customers. 2- Considering what you have learned about Second Life, how could you, as an individual, create a modest start-up business on the Grid? What goods would you sell? Why would this be a good choice of product? What, in simple terms, would your business plan be? Why would it work? To start a new business on the second life, first I’ll need some capital for the start up cost (such as getting a small shop and some furniture). For the products, I’ll choose clothes because I think everyone is interested in purchasing this kind of products. My business might be special because customers can create...
Words: 688 - Pages: 3
...present in the real world, if it wants to draw visitors into it. 2) How will supporting Second Life customers differ from supporting traditional customers? Second Life provides a medium for simulating real world interactions online. It has the same benefits as teleconferencing or videoconferences, the ability to assemble many people from all around the world into a real time interactions. NPR’s Science Friday makes great use of this tool, hosting a studio audience in SL that they couldn’t otherwise support. Public speakers also benefit. I once attended a talk by a favorite science fiction author who would not have attracted enough of an audience in any one local, but SL was perfect for finding enough interest from around the globe to come up with a great turn out. 3) How will supporting Second Life customers differ from supporting Web site customers? Being a virtual world, Second Life is much less about providing the visitor information they can read, and all about giving them a place they can visit. If I were a homebuilder or architect, I would put model homes and buildings up to tour. If I were a game developer, I would let the visitors walk through a reconstruction of a level in my game. NASA and the Star Trek Fan Club both have “sandboxes” in SL, where visitors can design ships and lunar bases. 4) What customer security and ethical issues might you encounter in Second Life? Misrepresentations...
Words: 386 - Pages: 2
...are a delicate matter. The design of a web site is very important for presenting a favorable face to the customer. Similarly, the design of a business in SL is of chief importance. In a world where anything-goes design-wise, how do you want your customer service representatives to appear? The business must present something fantastic, that it could not present in the real world, if it wants to draw visitors into it. Second Life provides a medium for simulating real world interactions online. It has the same benefits as teleconferencing or videoconferences, the ability to assemble many people from all around the world into real-time interactions. NPR’s Science Friday makes great use of this tool, hosting a studio audience in SL that they couldn’t otherwise support. Public speakers also benefit. I once attended a talk by a favorite science fiction author who would not have attracted enough of an audience in any one local, but SL was perfect for finding enough interest from around the globe to come up with a great turn out. Being a virtual world, Second Life is much less about providing the visitor...
Words: 1783 - Pages: 8
...Information Management Systems The Second Life Strategy of American Apparel 1. This was not a failure for American Apparel because this was a learning experience. This learning experience helped them identify with their customer base. This helped them start up the MTV’s virtual Lower East Side. This was a great benfit for the company. 2. This has supported American Apparels business strategy greatly. It has allowed American Apparel to come to the market, helped sales and building customer relationships. 3. The second life store helped American Apparel’s business strategy by providing to the market. This helped American Apparel understand their consumer market and to learn from their consumers. 4. I think it’s really cool. I would play that game. I also feel like it’s a lot like Sims the game. The only difference you do not have to pay for clothes and you do not fly. I would play this game but I do not like spending my money something that is not real. 5. Yes I do think its very effective. Many companies do game advertising. When a person plays any kind of sport game there is usually advertising. This is a very effective way of advertising because it’s cheap and it still gets the word out of what that company is doing. 6. Yes I do beieave that this increases customer loyalty. People can go online and look at the clothes on their avatar then go to the store and buy the same clothes. This keeps customers to keep coming back. The avatar represents the...
Words: 396 - Pages: 2
...a word he used to describe the nature and purpose of his publication as "a cross between a dictionary (lexicon) and an encyclopaedia" (Crystal, 2004: vii). For each term in the glossary there is information one would look up in a dictionary, and the sort of knowledge one would expect to find in an encyclopaedia, such as an etymology of the entry and a hint of its sociolinguistic use. For example: newbie A newcomer to a chatgroup or virtual-world environment, especially one who has not yet learned the way to behave when participating in the dialogue. >>chatgroup; netiquette; virtual world (Crystal, 2004: 79) The coinage of the neologism Slexipedia compounds the acronym SL with lexipedia to provide a term to describe the Second Life-specific lexis in my corpus. In addition to providing a SL glossary according to Crystal's method (Appendix X), this chapter investigates the creative and innovative word-formation processes of SL English and Arabic vocabulary by its residents. Since use of vocabulary reflects identity (Crystal, 2001; Benwell and Stokoe, 2006; Boellstorff, 2008), the final concern of this chapter is the manner in which these SL terms are used in conversational interaction inworld, to reflect the social purposes and circumstances in which these words are utilized. Forming a coherent slexipedia will provide more insight for forming an account of SL identity, or Slidentity. It is argued by myself that communication in SL shares many attributes with internet...
Words: 11436 - Pages: 46
...for Tweens: 6. Toon Town Toon Town USA is a website for kids from the Walt Disney Company. It uses familiar characters from Disney to interact with users. I think this is great because it lets kids do more with Disney Characters than just watch them on TV or see them at Disneyland. 7. Wizard 101 If your kids love Harry Potter, they are going to love this. I like that this virtual world is more than just “chat and play games” it has a cool theme and interesting layout. 8. BarbieGirls.com This is Mattel’s site for girls and their online Barbies. Although I loved Barbie, I am not sure how I feel about the image it portrays to young girls about how they should look. Also, I feel like half of the fun of barbie is braiding her hair…in real life, not on the game. Cool...
Words: 896 - Pages: 4
...When is a Game No Longer a Game? Joel AJ Parker Northwood University Video games are becoming a huge part of a person’s life nowadays, especially children. It is no longer the world of board and card games. Many people would argue that video games do not allow a person to use their imagination. However, Will Wright would beg to differ. Wright believes that video games now allow a person to use their imagination to create their own scenarios and customize a “new life” within a game. However, I believe that he would agree that the video game world could be evolving to a point where they are no longer making “games”. There is a controversial online “game” that has the title of Second Life. Some might ask when a game stops being a game? What is the limit for reality in a video game or is there even a limit? There is a certain limit to the reality of a video game; it should no longer be a video game when a person can consider it their second life. Second Life is a computer game that is a virtual world. It allows the gamer to enter a world and design an avatar for the “game’s” virtual world. The game allows players to purchase land, property, cars, and clothing as well as other real life amenities. It is unlike other virtual worlds because it allows for the player to profit from the game; it seems to take over their actual life. Second Life allows the player to convert their “Linden Dollars” into cash via a PayPal account. They are allowed to sell their creations in the virtual...
Words: 939 - Pages: 4
...Worlds Virtual Worlds have become a trend and it affects the people in several ways. They become less social, they hide behind their fake characters and waste their money on virtual items. Being attached to unreal life is making people relay on being unknown and instead of living the real world, they tend to make the Internet an essential element in their life. Staying unhidden makes people unsocial; they lie, cheat and live an unrealistic life. They start to make the virtual world as their place to live, they make new characters that are called avatars, and these characters usually resemble the person who made it. Most of the people, or “users” as they are supposed to be called, since this world is a game and not an actual place, have a habit of making their avatars look how they really want to look in real life, they show how they actually want to be instead of their own looks and personality. This may reveal how most people dislike their features in the real world and this may be the most reason why people prefer virtual worlds instead of the real world. Nowadays, computer-generated worlds, which are not real, have become the most used worlds between people. They gave people the ability to be who ever they wanted to be, thus making each and every user’s life a lie. Virtual Worlds have affected the lives of many people in the most negative way; they lead to obesity and loss of concentration. “In one experiment conducted at Cornell University, for example, half of a class...
Words: 889 - Pages: 4
