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Press Release: SAIC Showcases On-Line Interactive Virtual Environment Software Platform at ITEC 2011 Company to demonstrate virtual world technology for collaboration, simulation and training Cologne, Germany — Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) [NYSE: SAI] will demonstrate how its On-Line Interactive Virtual Environment (OLIVE) three-dimensional (3-D) software platform can be usedRead More →

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Blue Mars has an iPhone client that allows users to change their clothes. There’s an app for Second Life and OpenSim that allows users to chat with other users. VenueGen is working on an iPad-enabled version of their virtual world client, which runs fully in the browser. But it’s aRead More →

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A researcher at the University of California in San Diego is seeking participants for a large-scale study of avatar movement in Second Life and OpenSim. The study involves both online questionnaires and in-world movement tracking. The researcher, Jean-François Lucas, is a graduate student at the Department of Anthropology and SociologyRead More →

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One thing that might keep Teleplace customers from scampering away to its newly open-sourced, free OpenQwaq alternative is the promise of Teleplace Connect — a new version of the Teleplace software with better Sharepoint integration, better in-world application sharing, and a fully-featured Web-based viewer. The new goodies will be availableRead More →

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Press release: ProtonMedia and Sify Sign Technology and Services Agreement Partnership to deliver next-gen virtual learning and training solutions to global life sciences companies LANSDALE, Pa.-ProtonMedia and Sify Software Limited today announced a new technology and services agreement that will bring collaborative learning and training solutions to global life sciencesRead More →

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Press Release: Teleplace Announces the OpenQwaq Open Source Project for Virtual Workspaces REDWOOD CITY, Calif.– Teleplace, the leading provider of virtual workspaces, today announced a new open source project called OpenQwaq. The OpenQwaq project will enable organizations — large and small, profit and not-for-profit — to implement virtual workspaces for theirRead More →

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Press Release: Annual Unisfair Survey Shows Virtual and Hybrid Events are the New Normal in Marketing, Training and Collaboration 550 Marketers Weigh in on Why and How They Use Virtual Environments Key findings: 60% will increase spending on virtual events and environments in 2011, while 42% will decrease spending onRead More →

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Press Release: Lockbox and VastPark Announce Strategic Alliance SAN JOSE, CA – Lockbox and VastPark today announced the formation of a strategic partnership that would use each company’s complementary strengths and expertise to create the defining platform in the emerging private, 3D virtual world arena. Using healthcare as an example: TheRead More →

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Press Release: Utherverse Hosts and Provides a Once-in-a-Lifetime Chance to Virtually Participate in and Attend the Royal Wedding Over its 50,000 Site Virtual World Web (VWW) Network Open Event Provides PC and Mac Users the Opportunity to Become Royal Family Members or Attend Nuptials, Wedding Reception and After Party asRead More →

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Magne Metaverse Research LLC, the parent company behind the Meta7 grid, announced on Thursday that it will be shutting down by the end of the month as a result of trandmark-related legal issues. Today, the grid reports 7144 registered users and 300 total regions. Current users will be able toRead More →

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Ten Kitely users lost 13 regions this week because of a bug in the company’s software. The bug has been fixed, users compensated for their losses, and a new automated backup system is in the works. Kitely is a new company with software that they’re still testing — and aRead More →

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Press Release: IU shares $297,929 NSF grant to study use of 3D virtual worlds by business and education enterprises BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — The National Science Foundation has awarded $297,929 to a multi-disciplinary team from Indiana University and Arizona State University. The award supports on-going research concerned with the use ofRead More →

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A new U.K.-based grid, Tescos, is marketing itself as a gambling destination, with an added bonus of low-cost regions. It’s not the first grid to have gambling in-world — Avination has a number of sims dedicated to gambling — but it is the first to promote itself in this way.Read More →

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Press Release: UtherAcademy Now Recruiting Instructors & Students for 3D Web Classes Revolutionary Virtual Learning Center Lets World Be Your Classroom Vancouver, BC –  Imagine being in your kitchen with your laptop, learning how to cook tonight’s dinner from an acclaimed chef via live video feed. Your instructor is inRead More →

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Press Release: Henk Rogers named CEO of Avatar Reality, Inc. Entrepreneur and Interactive Entertainment Visionary Expands Role at 3D Virtual World Company HONOLULU, HI — Avatar Reality, developers of the Blue Mars 3D virtual world and iOS app, today announced the appointment of company Co-Founder Henk Rogers as CEO, effective immediately. Rogers isRead More →

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The top 40 public OpenSim grids gained more than a 1,000 new regions since this time last month, propelled partly by low-cost cloud-based regions from a new hosting provider, Kitely. There are now a total of 14,566 regions on these grids alone, an increase of 8 percent since this timeRead More →

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Press Release: HP and Avaya Address Banks’ Need to Place Customers at the Center of Service Innovation Virtual Branch and Contact Centers Increase Effectiveness with Enhanced Channel and New Assisted Self-Service Technology NEW YORK — Building on HP’s Unified Communications and Collaboration Services portfolio for the enterprise, HP and AvayaRead More →

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Press Release: Digitell Releases New Hybrid Meeting Tool Kit Jamestown, NY — Virtual conference vendor Digitell has just released a free hybrid meeting tool kit to assist those organizations in deciding whether to turn their live event into a hybrid event or not and capitalize on the growing success of thisRead More →

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Press Release: The University of Central Florida Deploys Virtual Training for Accountancy Tools Birmingham, UK – The University of Central Florida (UCF), commissioned Daden Limited (Daden) to develop several accountancy orientation exercises in Second Life on UCF’s campus “ReallyEngagingAccounting.” Dr Hornik, an early adopter of virtual worlds for education has been using SecondRead More →

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UBM Studios Offers Mobile Support on iOS and Android-Based Tablets for Virtual Events Chicago, IL – Today, UBM Studios announced it now offers support on iOS and Android-based tablet devices including: Video delivery through Ustream, Silverlight, YouTube, MP4 videos and InXpo’s proprietary on-demand media player; and Text chat supported throughRead More →

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Press Release: Designing Digitally, Inc. Partners with the United States Air Force Academy to Develop a Browser Based 3D Virtual Campus Tour Based on Unity Virtual world developer Designing Digitally, Inc. used the Unity development platform to design a browser based interactive 3D virtual campus tour for prospective cadets toRead More →

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Press release: VX Platform Combines Industry Leading Scalability, Reliability and Security with new User Interface, Making Virtual Event Production Easier than Ever CHICAGO — INXPO announces the General Availability of INXPO VX Platform. The most scalable, reliable, secure and flexible virtual business platform is now the easiest to use. AfterRead More →

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Press Release: ProtonMedia and PPD to Introduce New Virtual Clinical Trial Training Solution LANSDALE, Pa., and WILMINGTON, N.C.—ProtonMedia and PPD, Inc. today announced they have entered into an agreement to jointly develop a new virtual clinical trial training solution that will improve the cost effectiveness, speed and quality of clinicalRead More →

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Kitely may be turning the OpenSim hosting model upside down with its metered pricing, but other OpenSim hosting providers have already embraced the cloud. “We already utilise cloud based resources to allow for dynamic commission and decommission of region servers, both in our private cloud and [Amazon] EC2,” PioneerX ownerRead More →

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Update: AvWorlds abandons high-price strategy At a time when most OpenSim hosting providers are attempting to attract users with low prices, or, at least, moderate prices, one  OpenSim grid — AvWorlds — plans to buck the trend by pricing its regions at $145 per month. “I am looking to give ourRead More →

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San Francisco-based Tipodean Technologies launched a public beta today of its BuiltBuy.me Web-based viewer for OpenSim and Second Life. The viewer, formerly known as Canvas, is free, and can be embedded inside a Website, YouTube-style. The latest update includes several improvements over the private beta release in December, including speedRead More →

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CliniSpace took first place yesterday in the AI-assisted training category of the Federal Virtual Worlds Challenge with its virtual medical training simulation. Los Altos Hills, CA-based Innovation in Learning, Inc. launched CliniSpace in September of 2010, based on the Unity 3D platform. (We’ve written about the company before, see full story here.)Read More →

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Press Release: UBM Studios Introduces New Evolution of Virtual Environments’ Chat Tool Chicago – UBM Studios continues to follow on its mission of transforming the way show organizers and event attendees interact through world-class engagement.  Today, UBM Studios adds a new chat tool to its virtual environments.  Key features include:Read More →

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Avination grid owner Melanie Thiekler rolled out Vivox voice to her grid today — at no extra cost to residents or land renters. Residents immediately began trying it out, and it sounded great. Those who had good microphones came through crystal-clear, without any of the cutting in and out andRead More →

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InWorldz has taken a further step way from mainline OpenSim Tuesday with the announcement of a proprietary scripting engine, called Phlox, which is expected to enter beta testing this week. The new scripting engine promises to support 99 percent of existing Second Life scripts, with increased speed and stability. ScriptsRead More →

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Press release: SAIC Demonstrates OLIVE Virtual World Solutions at the 2011 Defense GameTech User Conference ORLANDO — Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) will feature advanced virtual defense, medical simulation, and collaboration solutions at the 2011 Defense GameTech User Conference, Mar. 22-25 at the Caribe Royale Hotel and Convention Center inRead More →

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The world’s top 40 public OpenSim grids gained 424 regions and 12,746 registered users since the middle of February, a slightly slower than usual growth rate. However, we’re continuing to see growth in private and mini-grids. For example, 466 new copies of the Diva Distro were downloaded last month.This doesRead More →

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Open Wonderland — an open source, Java-based virtual world platform — marks the first anniversary of the project’s founding on March 11. Open Wonderland was originally Sun’s Project Wonderland, but support was discontinued and project staffers laid off in early 2010 after Sun was acquired by Oracle. Since then, theRead More →

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Press Release: Avatar Reality’s Blue Mars Mobile becomes first 3D iOS app with thousands of user generated items available for purchase App Now Available to Download for Free on App Store HONOLULU, HI — Avatar Reality, developers of the premium 3D virtual world and social platform, Blue Mars, today announcedRead More →

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Press Release: eTraining Experts Tony O’Driscoll and Karl Kapp To Host an Intimate Talk in VenueGen on Immersive Online Learning and Collaboration Co-authors of the new book “Learning in 3D” will virtually join 40 attendees to explore the impact of the immersive Internet on the future of enterprise learning ResearchRead More →

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Press Release: Daden releases white paper on virtual worlds and the built environment Birmingham, UK – Planners, developers, builders and architects should be looking to virtual worlds to provide a whole-life model of their project, according to a white paper released today by virtual worlds solutions provider Daden Limited. The whiteRead More →

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Press Release: UBM Studios Unicruit’s Diversity Virtual Career Fair Assists College Students in Finding Employment in a Challenging Economy Nearly 25 Employers Came Together with 3,500+ Students from Over 30 Schools across the Country Chicago, IL – UBM Studios Unicruit’s inaugural Diversity Virtual Career Fair was held on March 3,Read More →

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Press Release: InterCall Expands Its Streaming Services Portfolio with Acquisition of Unisfair OMAHA, Neb. – InterCall, a subsidiary of West Corporation and the world’s largest conferencing and collaboration services provider, today announced the acquisition of Unisfair, a leading global provider of virtual events and business environments. Unisfair enables companies to createRead More →

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Virtual Edge Institute Announces First Certification Program for Digital Events Strategist Comprehensive training program to accelerate adoption of virtual meetings, events, and conferences Pleasanton, CA –The Virtual Edge Institute today announced the first educational program to formally train and certify event marketers, meeting and learning professionals, trade show and conference managers asRead More →

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OpenSim grid owners now have another option for their grid server software — Aurora-Sim. This branch of OpenSim, still in “pre-alpha” stage of development, promises more security features and better vehicle physics than mainline OpenSim, but it is still too early to tell whether it will be able to deliver.Read More →

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The non-profit NewWorldGrid will stop allowing self-hosted regions to connect as soon as the grid completes its upgrade to the latest version of OpenSim. “We are currently starting tests on the current OpenSim development releases,” grid manager Olivier Battini told Hypergrid Business. There is no firm date yet for theRead More →

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Press release: Fashion Research Institute Oversees Another Round of the Science Sim Land Grant Program with Intel Labs New York, NY  – Fashion Research Institute has been collaborating with Intel Labs since 2009, helping to push the limits of content development, and overseeing the Science Sim Land Grant Program. The programRead More →

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Austria-based VirWoX began trading Avination’s C$ virtual currency today. VirWoX is best known as a leading exchange for Lindens in Europe, and for its hypergrid-enabled OMC currency. “Given the strong growth of Avination and its clear focus on becoming a commercial grid, this looks like an interesting market to beRead More →

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The non-profit, research-focused ScienceSim grid is now accessible via hypergrid teleports again, after more than a year of no hypergrid connectivity. ScienceSim turned off the hypergrid last January, due to security concerns. But new upgrades in the hypergrid technology — in particular, the ability to keep content from being takenRead More →

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Press release: ARRS Introduces a 3D Option for CME Education The American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS) is taking a leadership role within their industry by offering their attendees the ability to attend their educational course not only in 2D, but in a 3D, immersive environment as well.  Their upcoming course:  ImagingRead More →

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Press release: Vivox Doubles Online Voice Chat User Base in 2010, Now Serves Over 45 Million Significant Online Audience Firmly Establishes Company as the Leader in Voice Services for the Social Web NATICK, Mass.–Vivox, Inc. (www.vivox.com), the number one integrated voice platform for the Social Web, today announced its worldwideRead More →

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The number of regions of the 40 largest OpenSim grids went down this month for the first time since July, from 15,623 to 13,069, a loss of over 2,300 regions, a result of a long-overdue housekeeping on OSGrid. But the big story was from Avination, which rocked to second place thisRead More →

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Press release: ProtonMedia’s ProtoSphere Now Integrated with Kaplan EduNeering’s ComplianceWire LANSDALE, Pa.—ProtonMedia and Kaplan EduNeering have integrated their technologies to create a new way for life sciences organizations to meet regulatory and compliance regulations. The companies have combined ProtonMedia’s ProtoSphere virtual immersive environment with Kaplan EduNeering’s ComplianceWire learning management system. With this integration, companiesRead More →

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In the past year, the OMC virtual currency has gained both popularity and usefulness, with both the total currency in circulation and the number of grids it’s available for use on growing. The OMC, or Open Metaverse Currency, is a virtual currency from Austria-based VirWoX  that can be used to buyRead More →

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Press release: Microsoft Certifies ProtonMedia with Silver Unified Communications Competency LANSDALE, Pa.–ProtonMedia has achieved Microsoft’s Silver Unified Communications competency, making it the first and only virtual immersive environment software provider to achieve this certification from Microsoft. This certification affirms ProtonMedia has met Microsoft’s silver competency credentials and customer evidence requirements.Read More →