METAVERSE
The Metaverse : What It Is Now , The Future And How Businesses Can Become Part Of It
By Enock Wandera
World ’ s leading tech big wigs are already clear about the world and the metaverse . Satya Nadella , CEO of Microsoft , tweeted , “ the metaverse is here , and it ’ s not only transforming how we see the world but how we participate in it - from the factory floor to the meeting room .” Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook even changed the name of his entire company to be about this thing called the metaverse .
But what is this phenomenal technology , what does the future hold and how can businesses become part of it ?
According to Google Trends , interest in the idea of the metaverse leaped in 2021-2022 , prompted in part by Facebook ’ s decision to rebrand itself as “ Meta .” The word was coined by sci-fi author Neal Stephenson in 1992 in his novel “ Snow Crash .” In today ’ s terms , the metaverse is the realm of computer-generated , networked extended reality , or XR , an acronym that embraces all aspects of augmented reality , mixed reality , and virtual reality ( AR , MR and VR ).
Recent studies show people are becoming more aware of the metaverse ; roughly half of adults ( 52 %) in 29 countries , particularly younger generations , say they are acquainted with the metaverse , and many believe that these experience will have a significant effect on our entertainment , learning , and work lives over the next couple of years .
As we have seen , the metaverse will be tomorrow ’ s internet ; it is not a distinct technology or merely virtual worlds , but a
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As we have seen , the metaverse will be tomorrow ’ s internet ; it is not a distinct technology or merely virtual worlds , but a technological ecosystem that offers seamless and permanent , connected experiences between real and virtual worlds - in every aspect of our life . technological ecosystem that offers seamless and permanent , connected experiences between real and virtual worlds - in every aspect of our life .
The idea of the metaverse has been around since the 1980s , imagined by science fiction writers and invented by academics and R & D departments . However , the main technologies involved - virtual reality ( VR ) and augmented reality ( AR ) - have only recently advanced to the point where they are more than just lab prototypes , available for mass market use and organizations to consider integrating into their product experiences .
We already live in a world that is digitally connected . As Web3.0 and the metaverse develop , this will emerge into a “ hyper-reality ” in which real and virtual perceptions are deeply intertwined and remote interactions with others feel almost as real as being together in person . This is often referred to as the spatial web . This envisions a more decentralized model for how our data is collected and used . In contrast to today ’ s cloud-based platforms like Meta and Google , which can accumulate and distribute our information when we use their services , technologies like blockchain will allow us to take ownership of this data and possibly profit from it .
Today we can play fitness games on a VR headset , try out virtual furniture via AR on our tablets , find geo-located Pokemon around the city using our mobile phones , or go to a virtual fashion show with actual catwalk models . But these virtually augmented experiences are only the beginning of the larger technological transformation that is occurring .
Considering today ’ s metaverse is like thinking about Netscape or AOL internet browsers of the early 90s : just the beginning of a massive technological change that will create social , work , and everyday living paradigm-shifts that we cannot fully imagine yet .
If the first version of the internet - Web1.0 - enabled exchanging information computer to computer , and Web2.0 created centralized platforms to share content between each other , often over mobile phones , the latest version of the internet emerging today - something often called the ‘ spatial web ’ 6 - will combine the decentralized interactions of Web3.0 with the virtual worlds of the metaverse to create a more immersive experience that seamlessly connects our physical and digital worlds while giving us more ownership of our own data .
For starters , let me help you imagine the metaverse world in
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