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Press release: 2011 Horizon Report Identifies Six “Key Emerging Technologies” for Higher Education. Today, the New Media Consortium (NMC) and EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) jointly released the 2011 Horizon Report. This eighth edition conveys annual findings from the NMC’s Horizon Project, an ongoing research project designed to identify and describeRead More →

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OpenSim grid developers Powersynch, LLC — the folks behind the SpotOn3D group of grids — launched a certified developer program today. The program is “somewhat comparable” to the Second Life solution providers program, Philippe Pascal, the company’s developer program manager, told Hypergrid Business. “We plan to offer a certification processRead More →

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Press release: Avaya Launches Cloud-Based, On-Demand Immersive Web Collaboration for Businesses BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Avaya Inc., a global leader in business collaboration systems, software and services, today announced the launch of new cloud-based, on-demand purchasing options and features for Avaya web.alive, the company’s innovative, immersive web collaboration platform designedRead More →

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Chris Lineberry is the principal of the Florence Virtual Academy in Florence, Arizona, about 60 miles southeast of Phoenix, serving students in grades six through 12 who live in the district – or anywhere else in the state. The school currently has 23 students, and enrollment is expected to riseRead More →

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Many grids today have hypergrid turned off, for fear that content will be taken from their grid to a less secure grid, copied, and distributed illegally. OpenSim developers are working to create a hypergrid-wide permission system for content that will help abate this fear, and open more of the OpenSimRead More →

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Press release: Utherverse Announces Interactive Virtual Karaoke to its Massive 50,000 Site Virtual World Web (VWW) Network Working with Karaoke Innovator SingSnap Allows Singers to Perform for Live Audiences and Overcome Real-World Stage Fright VANCOUVER, B.C. – Virtual world developer Utherverse Digital Inc. today announced the addition of 3DTunes.com, anRead More →

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Am I being premature? Second Life has outlived its many obituaries. This is not an obit. At the same time, only the most ardent SL-cheerleaders would deny that the virtual world has stagnated. In the case of education, I expect no more than a gradual decline in participation.  Other worldsRead More →

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In early December, I wrote about the cease & desist order sent by lawyers representing the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation to the Frank Lloyd Wright Virtual Museum in Second Life – which had recently been granted a licensing agreement by the same Foundation, and later attained official 501(c)3 non-profit statusRead More →

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OpenSim makes for a good, and free, tool for 3D animation work. I have spoken at conferences and webinars on the use of Second Life for creating video for branched scenario-based eLearning because it is a relatively easy tool to use. My focus has shifted to our current endeavor forRead More →

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There are three main ways today to have a 3D virtual business meeting using your browser – VenueGen, Altadyn’s 3DXplorer, and Avaya’s  Web.alive. Of the three, VenueGen stands out by actively marketing its platform with ubiquitous Internet advertising. But the company wants to be known for its ease of useRead More →

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It was an honor to present to the Nonprofit Commons in Second Life. A wide range of organizations were represented by their avatars in the central arena. There to discuss signage, I discussed tips and ideas for how they can improve their signage overall. Although most of the organizations, unfortunately,Read More →

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Press Release: Blue Mars now easier to access with launch of application for iOS devices Blue Mars Mobile Now Available for Free on App Store HONOLULU, HI– Avatar Reality, developers of the premium 3D virtual world and social platform, Blue Mars, today announced the release of Blue Mars Mobile, itsRead More →

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Online virtual worlds boast an expansive global fan base, and effectively communicating with and marketing to this diverse user base can present opportunities for professionals. At TinierMe, an avatar-based world focused around Japanese anime, we have gathered user analytics from international online events, virtual communities and the TinierMe game centerRead More →

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Colleges and medical institutions have been trying out immersive virtual environments for training and teaching for years, but one new service, CliniSpace, is trying to take ease-of-use a big step forward — into the browser. Los Altos Hills, CA-based Innovation in Learning, Inc. launched CliniSpace in September of 2010, andRead More →

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It seems like more and more marketers are looking into virtual and hybrid events. With tight event budgets and opportunity to scale reach online, virtual events can look attractive. Craig Rosenberg from the Focus Expert Network posted a question last week, “What are/will be the biggest impediments to the VirtualRead More →

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Press Release: EON Reality Develops Unique EON Icube Content for Education and Entertainment IRVINE, Calif. – EON Reality, the world’s leading interactive 3D software provider, has recently taken a strategic decision to invest in the Virtual Learning Program content development area in addition to their current software and hardware strategy.Read More →

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This year’s Virtual Edge Summit, held January 12 and 13 in Las Vegas and simulcast on eight different virtual conference platforms failed to take advantage of the social networking, immersive, and showroom capabilities of these vendors. Virtual attendance was up this year, with around 900 people attending virtually, up fromRead More →

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Press release: SAP expands reach with vcopious virtual platform at 2010 Influencer Summit Virtual environment software platform increases engagement among key SAP influencers with exclusive virtual platform Conshohocken, PA– vcopious, a leading virtual environment software platform, recently powered the first virtual platform for the 2010 Annual SAP Influencer Summit, heldRead More →

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The top 40 OpenSim grids gained 529 regions since mid-December, to reach a new high of 15,623 regions on January 15 of this month. The monthly growth rate, 3.5 percent, was the second-lowest since we started gathering the statistics in the summer of 2009, a possible indication of a seasonalRead More →

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Press release: MediaTec Publishing Creates Virtual Human Capital Media Convention Center Partners with Unisfair to expand beyond in-person event experience Chicago, Jan. 18 — MediaTec Publishing Inc., publisher of Chief Learning Officer, Talent Management and Diversity Executive magazines, is partnering with Unisfair, the leading provider of virtual events and virtualRead More →

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Every year I look forward to attending the Virtual Edge Summit online. Not only is it free to consume the content online and saves my travel budget (one of the keys for virtual events) but it also showcases some of the top vendors and trends in the virtual event industry.Read More →

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Press Release: UBM Asia Presented the Shanghai Finance Virtual Career Fair, Targeted to Professionals in the Finance Industry Virtual Event Leader UBM Studios Provided Virtual Platform CHICAGO — UBM Asia presented the Shanghai Finance Virtual Career Fair on December 10-12, 2010, targeted to professionals in the finance industry. The two-dayRead More →

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Press Release: Virtual Edge Institute Announces the Five Best and Worst Virtual Events Trends of 2010 Virtual Edge Institute released the organization’s inaugural “Five Best and Worst Virtual Events Trends of 2010” List Pleasanton, CA – In the spirit of end-of- year “best of” or “worst of” lists, the VirtualRead More →

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I’m a believer in hybrid events and the benefits of extending reach through that strategy. Associations that go down the hybrid road, and make it financially attractive, are putting their profession ahead of profit. AND they will reap long-term benefits. Why I Am Not There On Pure Virtual Events Yet However,Read More →

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Press release: Virtual Environment Leader UBM Studios Organizes for Growth in 2011 CHICAGO — UBM Studios, a global virtual service provider delivering turnkey interactive environments on the right platform, with superior service and world-class user engagement, today announced that it is organizing its team with new hires and promotions toRead More →

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On a recent trip to London, I found myself sitting in a Yo! Sushi. As I watched the colored plates winding their way around the room, I noticed a poster on the wall advertising “Blue Plate Mondays” (any sushi plate for £2 as opposed to the usual £3-5). Since gameRead More →

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Altus Unveils the First Hybrid Event Solution to Increase Engagement and ROI for Corporate Conferences and Events Altus Event MyStro(TM) Bridges the Gap Between In-Person, On-Line and On-Demand Events CAMPBELL, CA — Altus, a leader in enterprise on-demand rich media solutions for conferences, sales enablement, and knowledge sharing, today releasedRead More →

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Press Release: Web3D Technology Boosts User Engagement for eTraining and Corporate Events: VenueGen CEO to Discuss at Virtual Edge Summit 2011 David Gardner will explore the potential of new in-browser meeting environments to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of dispersed business teams Morrisville, NC –For business to truly recoup valueRead More →

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Companies looking to hold virtual conferences first have to decide whether to hold a Web-based conference – normally some combination of streaming video, live chats, slide shows, and social media – or one in an immersive environment. The immersive conference allows avatars to walk around inside a three-dimensional virtual environment,Read More →

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Event management is tough… really tough. In fact, if you are an experienced event planner, you are probably one of the only people in the world that knows how to ship an elephant from Dallas to Alaska, negotiate with three vendors at the same time, or find 200,000 Lego bricksRead More →

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Virtual environments are changing rapidly, and it’s sometimes hard to keep up with everything that’s going on. Here is a quick round up of the best options for the most common uses of virtual worlds for various types of enterprise needs. If you’re looking for a high-end, Fortune 500-caliber virtualRead More →

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This year was a big one for OpenSim. Lots of growth, lots of technological breakthroughs. But some Hypergrid Business articles got more attention than others — and, thanks to the miracle of Google Analytics, we know exactly which ones. Here are the top 10 most-read articles of 2010. 10. OpenSimRead More →

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In January of 2010, I made a few predictions about what I thought was going to happen with OpenSim this year. I was way off on most of them. The OpenSim developers will continue to call it “alpha software” This one, I got right. They’re still calling it “alpha software.Read More →

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Grid owners with proprietary viewers can now add high-quality voice to their worlds Not yet included in Hippo, Imprudence — users must download add-on This week, vComm Solutions of Switzerland released the source code for Whisper, a high-quality voice option for OpenSim. Whisper supports directional voice and lip synching, andRead More →

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Press Release: Second Life’s New Leader: Rod Humble Becomes CEO of Linden Lab MMO and Gaming Industry Visionary to Bring New Life to Second Life SAN FRANCISCO — Linden Lab®, creator of 3D virtual world Second Life®, today announced that Rod Humble has become the company’s Chief Executive Officer. HumbleRead More →

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Press release: Languagelab.com students spend 15 hours a week in English City Outside of Class time. Languagelab, creator of English City based in Second Life, have found that students spend on average 15 hours a week practicing in English City excluding scheduled class time. Languagelab, creator of English City basedRead More →

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Press Release: UBM Built Environment Presents ‘Sustainability Now,’ Targeted to Built Environment Professionals and Their Clients – Now Available On Demand Virtual Event Leader UBM Studios Provided 3D Platform CHICAGO — UBM Built Environment, in conjunction with BD, Building, and Property Week Magazines, presented the fifth installment of “Sustainability Now,”Read More →

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Press Release: ON24 Announces Enterprise Webcasting for Internal Communications New Capabilities Enable ‘Behind the Firewall’ Webcasts SAN FRANCISCO, CA– ON24, Inc., the global leader in webcasting and virtual event solutions, announced today that it is providing full support for webcasts used in internal communications applications. A collection of services, theRead More →

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Press Release: Leading Providers to Create Virtual Environments Around the Virtual Edge Summit 2011 Global audiences will have access to Summit content and networking via 6Connex, Digitell, Expos2, INXPO, Social27 and Unisfair virtual experiences Pleasanton, CA –Today, the Virtual Edge Summit 2011 (http://www.virtualedgesummit.com) announced that the Summit content will beRead More →

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OpenSim grids hit yet another new peak this month, with 15,094 regions on the top 40 grids, an 11  percent increase from last month’s 13,564 regions — a gain of 1,530 new regions. Meanwhile, total registered users on these grids grew 5 percent from 140,053 in mid November to 147,565Read More →

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Press Release: Novell Announces Winners of First Annual ‘Dister’ Awards Radical Breeze’s ‘Illumination Software Creation Station’ and Anderware’s ‘Hypergrid to Go’ win $10,000 prizes in showcase for creating innovative software appliances WALTHAM, Mass. — Novell today announced the winners of its First Annual ‘Dister’ Awards, handing out two $10,000 grandRead More →

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The following is an excerpt from a new book, Generate Sales Leads With Virtual Events. I can vividly recall my first experience exhibiting at a trade show.  It was the early 1990’s and I was fresh out of college.  I worked for a company that sold Internet connections to corporations. Read More →

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The numbers are in on virtual. After being immersed in all things virtual the last four months through my work with the Virtual Edge Summit, it was interesting to attend IAEE last week and be brought back into the world of association and for-profit trade show producers who still haven’tRead More →

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Press Release: Virtual Events Mean Less Time at the Airport, More Time in Pajamas ON24 survey: executives extol the personal benefits of virtual events SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.—Based on the results of the latest survey conducted by ON24, Inc., the global leader in webcasting and virtual event solutions, over 1,000 participantsRead More →

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SpotOn3D will hold a benchmark test on Wednesday, December 15 to determine the difference in performance of OpenSim version 0.7.1 and OpenSim 0.6.9 when they run in the cloud. According to SpotOn3D co-founder and COO Tessa Kinney-Johnson, the test will be conducted from 2 to 3 p.m. SLT (Pacific time)Read More →

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Press Release: ON24 to Host Virtual Conference for Virtual Events Users ‘It’s VUE Time!’ Says VUE2010 Emcee MC Hammer SAN FRANCISCO, CA– ON24, Inc. the global leader in webcasting and virtual event solutions, announced today that the company is hosting on December 14 the VUE2010 Virtual Events User Experience. ThisRead More →

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Here at Hypergrid Business we spend a lot of time touring virtual environments, and we often find them difficult to navigate, inconsistent, and hard to use. But one of the world’s biggest corporate users of virtual worlds — IBM — is hoping to change that. With a new set ofRead More →

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Sure we’re advocates of virtual meetings. But we’re not foolish enough to think a day will come — soon or ever — when face-to-face meetings go away. That’s just not going to happen. And the reasons are simple. They are absolutely the best way to build relationships and a senseRead More →