By: Joseph Callahan, CEO — Ciright
Business success is all about finding a way to connect with the customer. However, this is seemingly becoming harder in an era of virtual technology. An increasing reliance on e-commerce has led to less interest in brick-and-mortar storefronts, meaning that businesses no longer have as many opportunities to connect with their customers face-to-face. Yet, while technology has caused many of these separations, another technology — the metaverse — could also provide the solution.
How the Metaverse Will Change Businesses
Our understanding of the metaverse is constantly changing as the technology that defines it continues to evolve. In the most basic sense, the metaverse is a catch-all term for cyberspace — the virtual world where people can play, work, and complete any number of tasks. The type of metaverse technology that most consumers are likely familiar with is virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), which were primarily designed for entertainment purposes. However, as innovators have begun to work in the metaverse, they have found powerful ways to leverage this technology to help their businesses form better, more meaningful connections with their customers.
Part of why the metaverse has become so popular — especially for business use cases — is that the underlying hardware required to access the virtual world has become cheaper, easier to use, and all-around more accessible. VR and AR technology used to exist on the fringes of the tech ecosystem, requiring specialized systems and hardware that cost thousands of dollars to purchase. Now, VR and AR technologies can be accessed from a multitude of devices, from affordable headsets to desktop computers and even mobile phones. This makes the metaverse a more useful tool to businesses than ever because most consumers now have access to this virtual world.
VR and AR Technology for Business Use Cases
One tool in the metaverse that has proven particularly exciting for business use cases is the digital twin. As the name suggests, a digital twin is a virtual replica of a physical machine. This technology has been used for years now for purposes like troubleshooting, but business leaders have found ways to apply this tool to help with the sales process. Using digital twins, businesses can allow their customers to see and interact with their products from the comfort of their homes.
Digital twins are a fundamental part of the availability of “digital showrooms”—virtual storefronts where businesses can show off their products to potential customers in the metaverse. Digital showrooms are such an exciting concept because they allow businesses to reach their customers in the comfort of their homes or offices. Digital showrooms can often be accessed using specialized technology like VR headsets or simple desktop interfaces, ensuring that anyone with access to a computer can have an immersive virtual experience.
The interactivity of digital twins and digital showrooms is particularly useful for large-scale products. With large machines, it’s often more practical to show a customer a virtual replica than a physical product. These digital twins allow customers to inspect individual components in ways they couldn’t with a physical product. Augmented reality technology can also allow customers to see how a product would fit and look in their actual space by imposing a digital twin onto an image of the real world.
Virtual Events in the Metaverse
Metaverse technology is also allowing businesses to put on more immersive virtual events. Although much of the talk around metaverse events has been about things like virtual concerts put on by A-list artists, businesses can use the same technology to power their own events like trade shows or keynote speeches. Putting attendees in a (virtual) audience alongside their peers gives them a much more engaging experience than simply watching a live stream, especially when virtual events are followed up by virtual networking sessions in the metaverse.
One of the key advantages of metaverse events is that they break down most barriers to attendance. All people need to attend a virtual event is the technology they need to access the platform. There is no need to travel to a different city or country to attend the event, saving attendees hundreds or even thousands of dollars in costs. Event organizers also benefit from a lack of space restrictions. Physical venues have capacity limits, but in the metaverse, a virtually limitless number of people could attend an event if the organizer chooses.
The metaverse is the future of how businesses will connect with their customers. From digital twins and digital showrooms to immersive virtual events, metaverse technology gives businesses a way to reach and interact with their customers in a way that rivals or even exceeds the abilities of a physical, in-person experience. Businesses that hope to reach new heights with their customer base should invest in this technology now while it can give them a competitive edge rather than waiting to fall behind the rest of the pack.
— Joseph Callahan is the CEO of Ciright and Director of Portals Organization. Callahan is a seasoned technologist with an insatiable curiosity for the intersection of technology and humanity. His passion lies in exploring the transformative power of spatial computing, AI, and digital twin technology within the business landscape.
Published by Anne C.
