Businesses are beginning to discover and experiment with virtual worlds. Many, particularly large, technology companies, are already realizing benefits, such as the ability to meet with employees scattered across the globe, says Parks Associates' Michael Cai.

Virtual worlds come in all shapes and sizes, says Michael Cai, director of broadband and gaming for Dallas-based research firm Parks Associates.

In this exclusive interview with ECT News Network, Cai discusses how virtual worlds are currently being implemented in the enterprise and offers his best guess as to how virtual worlds will shape up in the enterprise in the next three to five years.

We're only about three years into serious applications of virtual worlds in the enterprise, according to Cai. Business applications are still very much in the experimental stage. Tech companies such as Cisco, IBM and Intel are leading the way in adapting virtual worlds for business purposes.

For the future, Cai expects a deeper adoption of virtual worlds by corporations. He also makes an interesting note about the future of virtual worlds in the enterprise. In five to 10 years, teens who have grown up with and engaged heavily in the pure entertainment offered by virtual worlds will begin bringing their expertise to the corporate suite, Cai predicts. This will probably translate into longevity for virtual worlds in the real world of business.

From the article, "Parks Associates' Michael Cai: Business Gets Done in Virtual Worlds" by Blake Glenn

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