Metaverse for enterprise business

Have you noticed how most corporate chatbots nowadays have human names? That’s because even when we know they’re bots, giving them human-like features (as simple as a name) makes the interaction feel cozier and more natural.

Metaverse-based customer support follows the same logic by adding an extra layer of ‘presence’ to chatbots and virtual assistants. Their disembodied voices and text boxes become represented by AI-powered avatars, guiding users through troubleshooting in a spatial, interactive manner similar to how a supporting video game character would.

Virtual help desks and product tutorials also take a turn for the better, offering a more engaging and efficient support experience that fosters customer satisfaction and leaves customers with a stronger sense of connection to the brand.

The metaverse brings some welcomed fresh air to an almost outdated recruitment practice: job fairs. Metaverse-based virtual job fairs can keep the same enticing physicality of traditional ones, while removing the geographical barriers that restrain the size of the candidate pool.

Interviews and onboarding also take a turn for the better, especially in the era of remote work. New hires can be immediately immersed in their new company and engage with their new colleagues beyond the dullness of a Zoom call — which is paramount to fostering the sense of workplace connection and community that remote work so commonly lacks.

Many fields, such as healthcare, manufacturing, and complex technical environments already use VR for training to reduce costs and even life-threatening risks. Add the metaverse in, and the interactivity takes a whole new dimension — a collective one. Beyond simply learning by doing it themselves, students, interns, and new employees can observe and participate within the virtual space itself.

Instead of “lecture-style” training, the metaverse offers an experience akin to a forum, with smart applications relying on gamification to increase the familiarity of employees with the system. Naturally, those virtual collaborative learning spaces have the benefit of encouraging knowledge sharing in the real world as well.

The metaverse is at the sweet spot at the intersection of office and remote work. Beyond the limitations of video calls and emails, metaverse workspaces, employees working from home can benefit from both the comfort of remote work and the office space reproduced virtually — and enhanced with features such as shared 3D models and data visualization, virtual team buildings, and collaborative digital platforms.

Close-knit teams, especially remote ones, can co-create and test prototypes in virtual environments with unparalleled speed and cost-efficiency. Designers, engineers, and stakeholders can collaborate in the metaverse in real time but with virtual materials, expediting the iteration cycle and slashing the time-to-market down to boot.

Faster iteration cycles also allow for quicker, actionable user feedback either individually or from focus groups.

Projected to grow at a CAGR of 52.9 percent between 2024 and 2030, to $79B.

• Surgical training simulations – The metaverse offers realistic virtual environments for practicing procedures. Aspiring surgeons can hone their skills in a safe and controlled setting.

• Telemedicine and remote consultations – Healthcare professionals can leverage the metaverse for telemedicine, providing remote consultations to patients regardless of their geographical location.

• Patient education and engagement – Interactive virtual scenarios in the metaverse improve patient education by visualizing medical concepts and treatment plans.

• Mental health and therapy services – The metaverse can provide mental health services through virtual therapy sessions and interventions. This application enhances accessibility and destigmatizes mental health support.

• Rehabilitation and physical therapy – Virtual environments in the metaverse may offer personalized rehabilitation exercises and monitoring, aiding in the recovery process for patients undergoing physical therapy.

• Virtual health workshops and seminars – Healthcare organizations can tap into the metaverse to conduct virtual health workshops and seminars, fostering education and awareness on various health topics.

VR learners are 275 percent more confident in their new skills than classroom learners.

• Virtual labs for STEM education – The metaverse enhances STEM education by providing virtual labs where students can conduct hands-on experiments in realistic simulated environments.

• Teacher training and professional development – Educators can engage in virtual spaces for training and professional development, leveraging the metaverse for continuous improvement of pedagogical skills.

• Inclusive educational spaces – The metaverse promotes inclusivity and equal access in education by offering virtual spaces where diverse learners collaborate in shared classrooms.

• Virtual libraries and resource centers – Educational institutions can use the metaverse to create virtual libraries and resource centers, ensuring students have access to a wide range of materials in a digital environment.

Projected to grow a whopping fifteenfold between 2022 and 2030, to $15B.

• Virtual property tours – Real estate professionals use the metaverse to provide virtual property tours for potential buyers to explore properties remotely.

• Virtual staging for furnishing and decoration – Virtual staging in the metaverse enables clients to visualize and personalize spaces with different furnishings and decorations before making decisions.

• Interactive 3D models – The metaverse facilitates the creation of interactive 3D models, offering a dynamic understanding of architectural layouts and property designs.

• Community and neighborhood exploration – Real estate platforms in the metaverse allow users to explore communities and neighborhoods virtually, providing insights beyond individual properties.

• Global property exhibitions – Real estate events and exhibitions go global in the metaverse, with platforms to showcase properties to an international audience in immersive virtual environments.

• Building information modeling integration – The metaverse integrates building information modeling, providing a collaborative platform for architects, engineers, and clients to collectively shape projects.

• Virtual reality site inspections – Virtual reality site inspections offer a detailed walkthrough of construction sites. This enhances communication and identifies potential issues early in the project.

• 3D printing prototypes – Architects and designers leverage the metaverse for 3D printing prototypes, allowing experimentation with designs before physical implementation.

• Project visualization for clients – The metaverse aids in project visualization for clients, with immersive experiences that ensure a clear understanding and approval of designs.

• Equipment operation simulations – Metaverse-based simulations of equipment operations let construction teams refine processes and improve efficiency.

• Material selection in virtual environments – Architects can use virtual environments to explore and experiment with material selections, optimizing choices for construction projects.

• Virtual try-ons for fashion – E-commerce platforms can leverage the metaverse for virtual try-ons, enabling customers to visualize and try out fashion products before making purchase decisions.

• Global pop-up shops – Brands can host global pop-up shops in the metaverse, creating unique and interactive shopping experiences that ignore physical limitations.

• Virtual shopping events – Enterprise metaverse platforms can be designed to host virtual shopping events that double as collaborative experiences, fostering a sense of community among consumers and brands.

• In-depth product information – Metaverse-based e-commerce can provide in-depth product information for customers to make informed decisions, full of comprehensive details about the products they are interested in.

• Immersive software development environments – IT teams can collaborate in immersive software development environments in the metaverse, enhancing creativity and productivity in the development process.

• Collaborative innovation spaces – The metaverse facilitates collaborative innovation spaces where global teams can brainstorm and generate ideas in real-time.

• Virtual reality for product demos – Product demos in the metaverse are empowered by virtual reality, so potential customers can interact with products in simulated environments before making purchase decisions.

• Cybersecurity training and simulations – The metaverse becomes a secure space for cybersecurity training and simulations, preparing professionals for evolving threats in a virtual environment.

• Virtual data centers and cloud management – The management of IT infrastructure can be streamlined in the metaverse, with virtual data centers and tools for efficient cloud management.

• Virtual branches for remote areas – Financial institutions can use the metaverse to establish virtual branches, enabling accessible financial services in remote areas where physical branches may be impractical.

• AR banking apps – AR banking apps in the metaverse provide users with an immersive and personalized banking experience through gadgets and smart devices.

• VR banking consultation – The metaverse can improve traditional banking consultations by providing virtual reality experiences for in-depth financial discussions and advisory services.