IBM Sametime 3D Takes Virtual Worlds Mainstream

Ever since Second Life was launched there’s been great interest in the possibility of using Virtual Worlds for business purposes and “virtual meetings”. Yet it’s never really become mainstream, perhaps because of management doubts about using a public virtual world where the inhabitants include furries, aliens and leather clad amazons. IBM’s new Sametime 3D system aims to make virtual worlds more business friendly.

Sametime 3D (also known as Virtual Collaboration for Lotus Sametime, VCS) is a 3D virtual conferencing add-on to the existing Lotus Sametime system. Sametime 3D allows users to set up meetings with virtual boardrooms, auditoriums or other spaces and use tools such as virtual flipcharts. Audio is also supported along with other meeting tools for activities such as brainstorming and surveys.

Perhaps most importantly for the security of business critical discussions, Sametime is designed to run behind the corporate firewall.

IBM’s Wayne H. Smith Karen Keeter says on the promo video:

IBM’s Virtual Collaboration for Lotus Sametime offering gives employees a new but yet familiar way to collaborate with their peers in a cost effective manner to help convince enterprise sceptics that virtual environments are more than just a game.