Remote work (or hybrid work) is no longer new or surprising and has become an integral part of the “new normal”. Unfortunately, many employees miss the inspiration, exchange and also the banter with their co-workers; communication that isn’t just limited to short emails or meetings on Microsoft Teams, Zoom etc. It seems that the solution to this problem is closer than one might think, and it’s called Metaverse. This technology has great potential for restoring the original experience of networking and collaboration. Even if face-to-face contact is not possible, Metaverse office can bring us much closer to it, and may even turn out to be a much better solution. In this article, we take a closer look at what the Metaverse office space of the future will look like!
What is Metaverse?
Before discovering the advantages of setting up virtual offices in Metaverse, it is important to understand what Metaverse actually is. In a nutshell, it is a number of virtual worlds in which we can function thanks to expanded VR and AR technologies. Avatars can live in these worlds, hang out with each other, play with each other, make purchases or.... work! However, it is worth remembering that the concept of Metaverse is still evolving, and with it the definition itself.
What will the Metaverse virtual office space look like?
A Metaverse office can certainly serve as a company’s sole virtual headquarters (for example, in the case of decentralized businesses) or be an add-on component for centralized companies. Businesses can choose to select one of the existing platforms (e.g. Horizon Workrooms), which is tailored to the office work structure, or create their own Metaverse office space from scratch.
A Metaverse virtual office will enable a significant increase in productivity and collaboration through the ability to brainstorm, connect and communicate organically. This is all thanks to the expanded possibilities offered by VR and AR technologies, as well as the creation of avatars. However, work is not enough – personal contact with co-workers is just as important, and it’s the lack of it that so many people felt during the lockdowns. Metaverse will make it possible to create personalized avatars and conduct casual social interactions with other users. This will make virtual coffee conversations more natural (but before it happens, it’s worth thinking about the various virtual team building activities that can take place on Teams).
Why do we need the Metaverse office?
Remote work has taken hold in many organizations. However, it comes with some limitations, which is why many businesses are opting for a hybrid solution after the pandemic, allowing employees to return to the office for a certain amount of days or time. Metaverse appears to be a technology that will almost completely remove these limitations. One of the biggest and most obvious advantages of this technology is the creation of a space that largely resembles an office with all its upsides such as personal contact with co-workers. At the same time, however, all of this can be done without leaving home, so the employee will still be able to work from anywhere in the world, and the employer will not have to spend a huge amount of money on maintaining a physical office space.
Another major advantage of the Metaverse office is the ability to hold business meetings in a virtual reality that simulates a physical conference room. Employees can simply “walk up” to their colleagues and start a conversation. Avatars will even be able to mimic human body language, thanks to additional advances in VR hardware development. This will be especially helpful during trainings, meetings with customers and partners, and new product launches.
Is Metaverse office the inevitable future?
There are many articles on the Internet challenging the claim that the offices of the future will be in the Metaverse. Although what exactly working in the Metaverse will look like is not yet entirely clear – one thing is certain though: the technology is already making a lot of noise and the world’s largest IT-related companies have already started investing in it. It is worth adding that just a few years ago remote work seemed impossible to many businesses, and today, while the world is still fighting the global COVID-19 pandemic, in the United States alone as many as 4.7 million people are working remotely or in a hybrid manner.
