Latest XR/Metaverse News

Visit the Metaverse Resource Center to read more than 200 live Metaverse case studies. Nike Inc., headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, is the world’s leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment, and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. In fiscal year 2023, which ending on May 31st, Nike…

By Barton Goldenberg November 16, 2023 Bethesda, Maryland VR Training Is Replacing Traditional Training: Are You on Board? Do you want to reduce employee training time, increase training effectiveness, and help employees gain experience and confidence? While many companies still provide traditional classroom training, increasingly trainers and trainees have turned to Virtual Reality (VR) training…

Why Apple Will Sell Out Of Vision Pros In 2024 By Tim Bajarin When Apple introduced the Vision Pro headset in June 2023, those who got to test it raved about its capabilities and features. However, its $3,500 price tag shifted it from a consumer product to something that only enterprises and business users could…

Visit the Metaverse Resource Center to read more than 200 live Metaverse case studies. Verizon Communications Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications conglomerate. The company was formed in 1984 as ‘Bell Atlantic’, which resulted from breakup of the Bell System into seven Regional Bell Operating Companies. In 2000, after the FCC approved a US$64.7 billion merger between Bell Atlantic and…

By Ben Lang One of the most interesting things about Vision Pro is the way Apple is positioning its fully immersive capabilities. While many have interpreted the company’s actions as relegating VR to an afterthought, the reality is much more considered. Vision Pro is somewhat ironic. It is an incredibly powerful and capable VR headset,…

By Bernard Marr The Metaverse has undoubtedly been one of the most talked-about concepts of the year. Major players in all business sectors are heavily investing in platforms and presence in newly emerging immersive digital spaces. The fact is that it is unlikely that the Metaverse hype is going to end any time soon! This…

By Bernard Marr From the early days of online shopping to the rise of influencer marketing, there’s no doubt the Internet has revolutionized how people shop and make purchasing decisions. Now that we are entering the next phase of the Internet-driven by the Metaverse, Blockchain and NFTs – there will be new opportunities for fashion…

By Bernard Marr In the metaverse era, education as we know it will change. And I’m not just talking about formal education in schools, colleges, and universities – but also workplace learning and lifelong learning. Here are three examples that highlight how education will evolve. Extended reality (XR) Technologies Will Make Learning More Immersive The…

The Metaverse’s immersive Mixed Reality technology is challenging the notion that any technology could have a greater impact than networked computers, the Internet, or even mobile computing, which was virtually unthinkable just a few short years ago. Couple this with Apple’s recent entry into the virtual headset market, and companies in every industry have the…

IDC researchers predicted that by 2025, 20% of Global 2000 manufacturers will include the industrial Metaverse in their digital transformation roadmap to address advanced simulation, cross-domain collaboration, and safety. While the initial Metaverse hype in the marketplace has settled down, industrial manufacturers are scouting around to see how immersive experiences from AR and VR could…

The global Metaverse market size surpassed $68 billion in 2022 and is estimated to be worth around $3.1 billion by 2032, expanding at a CAGR of 44.5% from 2023 to 2032 according to a new report by Precedence Research. The Metaverse has the ability to integrate effectively with the actual world, with applications such as…

The Meta company has a new strategy to sell the public on its vision. It is not surprising that Mark Zuckerberg and Meta used much of Connect Conference –  once known solely as a VR conference – to talk about the company’s new generative AI tools. AI will even play a prominent role in the…

In this video, there is a discussion of the five ways Metaverse Virtual Workspaces will improve staff collaboration. The Virtual Office in the Metaverse is a safe place for people to work together without the hazards of an actual office environment. A Virtual Office still allows someone to feel like having their own space. Virtual…

By now, you’ve probably heard of the “Metaverse.” But despite all the hype, the Metaverse might still be a little confusing. So, what is the Metaverse? And what type of impact could it have on our everyday lives? In this video, there are interviews with Journey founder Cathy Hackl and Lego Group CMO Julia Goldin…

In this video, there will be an in-depth look at the Apple Vision Pro. This video will cover its features, functionality, and how it fits into the Apple ecosystem. The Apple Vision Pro is Apple’s giant leap into the Mixed Reality universe which is to be launched in March 2024. The headset will seamlessly integrate…

Visit the Metaverse Resource Center to read more than 200 live Metaverse case studies. Pfizer Inc. is an American multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation headquartered in New York City. The company was established in 1849 in Brooklyn, New York by two German entrepreneurs, Charles Pfizer, and his cousin Charles F. Erhart. Pfizer’s 2022 revenues were…

Apple Vision Pro is a cutting-edge device that combines advanced camera technology with powerful image processing capabilities. With a sleek design, it offers high-resolution imaging and augmented reality features for a seamless user experience. The device is equipped with state-of-the-art sensors and lenses, enabling precise image capture and enhanced visual recognition. Apple Vision Pro is…

New technology has been implemented at Alaska Airlines’ Flight Operations Training Center. A pilot’s basic training typically goes from learning in a classroom to half simulations, then graduating to a full simulation before getting into a real plane. Now, VR is being introduced in the first part of textbook training. “It’s helping give them exposure…

This video explores Augmented Reality in 2030 and its Top 5 Future Technology Enhancements. AR Glasses AR Generated Text AR Enhanced Shopping AR Enhanced Education AR Enhanced Outdoor & Indoor Navigation Watch this video to learn more about AR’s Top 5 Future Technological enhancements that will affect society and the entire world.  

Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) have evolved from niche technologies to transformative tools with a wide range of applications from immersive experiences to practical solutions. The innovations in VR and AR are reshaping industries and enhancing our daily lives. In this video, we will explore the Top 10 innovations in VR and AR…

Recent research by the management consultancy Arthur D Little suggests that business would be ill-advised to dismiss the Metaverse out of hand in favor of a focus on AI. The Arthur D Little report provides a compelling description of how “a convergence of key technologies” is leading to a step-change in simulation capabilities, primarily via…

The Metaverse is a new way to interact with friends, family and strangers. It is a new way to work, study and play. We can shop, explore, travel, do business, attend concerts, go to social gatherings and engage in virtual sports-all without geolocational constraints. The Metaverse will eventually replace the Internet as we know it.…

Macy’s is launching its own effort into the Metaverse with the launch of its digital fashion platform, Mstylelab. The department store is teaming up with Metaverse technology platform Journee to roll out the immersive experience, which is inspired by Macy’s newest brand, On 34th. The immersive experience will feature a surrealist recreation of New York…

Social interaction with the Metaverse refers primarily to people using computer hardware and software to engage with digital platforms powered by the Internet, which serve as virtual spaces where users congregate, exchange information and play games. This interaction can take various forms, including direct communication, exploring the digital spaces and forums, playing games, attending events…

Processes are those natural business activities that produce value, serve customers and generate income.  All organizations have business processes. Related: Sales Process Excellence – Thought Leadership Paper How are you performing against “gold standard” industry benchmarks? What follows is ISM’s 10-step methodology for reviewing and enhancing business processes. These steps will help ensure process excellence…

In the rapidly evolving landscape of technology, it is often wise for businesses to be “fast followers” rather than early adopters. By allowing others to navigate the initial challenges and uncertainties, management can make more informed decisions about where to invest their resources. Regarding the Metaverse, five key trends must be considered in determining the…

You might think about the Metaverse and virtual reality as something for gamers, but classrooms and companies across Georgia are now using it as a learning tool. Meta created the Virtual Reality Metaversity for institutions such as Morehouse College that enroll in the program. Students are building 3D molecules in one advanced organic chemistry class.…

Bank of America is using a new way to train employees that involves very little face-to-face interaction with a human being. More than 50,000 employees are now using virtual reality (VR) headsets for training on computer systems and face-to-face customer interactions. The VR technology was first tested with a small group of employees and right…

By Bernard Marr There is no doubt about it: the next evolution of the Internet – characterized by immersive virtual experiences – is already underway. This future Internet brings many opportunities for organizations to enhance their internal processes. Here are four examples of how organizations can harness this more immersive future Internet in their business…

In this video, you will learn how the Amazon’s Global Ops Robotics FAST/UP pilot program uses Virtual Reality to make safety training immersive and fun. There is a visit to the Amazon BDL4 (a site that is being used to train the safety procedures that the Amazon staff have not previously been trained on). You…

Popularly used to recreate job-skill simulations such as pilot or surgeon training, VR is also used for training in the oil and gas industry. In dangerous situations where workers are required to work at height or carry out complex operations and where even the smallest mistake can cost lives or generate unpredictable expenses, VR comes…

As schools gingerly embrace virtual reality, Meta announced that it is supplying VR equipment and resources to 15 U.S. universities as part of a broader goal to make classroom education more “immersive.” Nick Clegg, Meta’s President of Global Affairs stated “We’re now moving from talking about the potential of these immersive technologies in the classroom…

Visit the Metaverse Resource Center to read more than 200 live Metaverse case studies. Based in my hometown of Bethesda, Marriott International is the largest hotel chain in the world. It currently has 31 brands, 8,194 hotels, and over one and a half million rooms in 138 countries. Marriott employs 377,000 employees and in 2022…

Virtual Reality is creating exciting possibilities in a wide range of areas. One is training. Volvo is using virtual reality in trainings, where retail personnel are trained to manage electromobility and Liquified Natural Gas. In this video, there is a virtual reality demonstration of a Oculus virtual reality headset wearer taking the screws off the…

By Bernard Marr What is the industrial Metaverse, you ask? Well, we’re not talking about a separate Metaverse exclusively for manufacturers. Rather, the concept of an industrial Metaverse provides a vision of how manufacturers can implement the metaverse – specifically, by simulating real-world scenarios in the virtual world. The ability of the Metaverse to mirror…

In this video, a Baltimore Gas & Electric (BG&E) spokeswoman discusses how Virtual Reality (VR) training is a game changer in the way BG&E prepares its workforce for crucial work. VR training allows BG&E employees to experience ultra-realistic simulations of job procedures and job performance tasks without exposing them to safety hazards. VR is an…

Walmart, the world’s largest retailer by revenue, announced that it is experimenting with new ways to connect its customers’ physical and virtual shopping experiences in the Metaverse. The company says that it is aggressively pursuing opportunities in Virtual Worlds that connect to commerce at its stores and vice versa. Walmart sees the growth and expansion…

In a groundbreaking move, Major League Baseball (MLB) will treat its fans to an extraordinary experience as they will watch a real-world MLB game unfold in 3D within the Metaverse. This technological marvel will be unveiled by Improbable, a Metaverse technology company, during a regular season Major League Baseball game between the Tampa Bay Rays…

In this video, George Levy shows how it is possible to simulate physical world activity using Virtual Reality. In the process, it is possible to conduct training with someone on the Metaverse, regardless of where that person may be. Watch this video

In this video, there will be a discussion of how Apple is using Artificial Intelligence (AI) for technological enhancements of their Vision Pro product. With the prevalent AI technological trend in the current marketplace, a relevant topic is how much AI plays a role in Vision Pro. However, Apple does not talk much about AI…

In the summer of 2023, New York City-based HandSport Surgery Institute launched a virtual practice in the Decentraland Metaverse. “As far as I know, it’s the first medical practice of any kind in the Metaverse,” said Mark Pruzansky, Hand Surgeon and Director of the Institute, “Our practice in Decentraland is the first phase of our…

The word Metaverse is a mash-up—Meta comes from Greek and means “next” or “beyond.” So Metaverse means the next universe or beyond the universe. Another way to understand the Metaverse is to think of it as the Internet we know today but in 3D. It’s a digital universe we will be able to enter as…

Augmented Reality (AR) is an interactive technology that superimposes computer-generated content such as images videos or 3D models onto the real-world environment. AR enhances a user’s perception of the physical world by overlaying digital elements allowing users to interact with both the real and virtual world simultaneously unlike virtual reality (VR) which immerses users entirely…

In this video, we will discuss some of the most important questions about privacy, security, and ethics in the Metaverse, shedding light on the problems that need to be solved as this digital frontier grows. Join us as we explore the latest changes in the Metaverse, like the creation of Metahuman avatars and immersive environments…

Surgeons are performing successful eye surgeries, students are making academic advancements, welders are upskilling their careers, mechanical experts are practicing crucial engine maintenance and athletes are sharpening their skills while recovering from injury. Behind it all is hours of virtual reality training that’s making it happen…today. Want to learn more about the impact of virtual…

When Facebook rebranded to Meta in 2021, there was a surge in hype surrounding the Metaverse. Fast forward to 2023 and we see Meta repositioning focus to AI. So we ask, is the Metaverse dead? The simple answer is No! The Metaverse has just gotten started and is in a stage of evolution. The landscape…

There is an increasing opportunity for people to travel around the world via virtual reality. One can just pop on a VR headset and afterward visit any place in the world. At present, VR tourism may be a niche product, but the opportunities to take virtual vacations are now on the rise. The VR travel…

How Long Has Apple Been Working On Its Vision Pro Headset? By Tim Bajarin If you have followed Apple for some time, you know that Apple has a very long development cycle for its products. During the past years, Apple often previewed for me products in development that were concepts or prototypes. A patent that…

Apple’s Vision Pro labs are Drawing Audible Gasps from Developers, Says CompanyBy June Wan August 24, 2023 While the official launch of the Vision Pro is not until 2024, a recent Apple press release shed light on how developers have been taking advantage of these hands-on labs, including first reactions to seeing their experiences through…

Four Ways Governments May Adopt (Or Respond To) The Metaverse   By Bernard Marr Aug 17, 2023 Governments aren’t always quick on the draw when it comes to adopting new technologies. But I am seeing some interesting examples of governments showing up in the Metaverse and adopting Metaverse-related technologies, such as virtual reality and digital…

Visit the Metaverse Resource Center to read more than 200 live Metaverse case studies. Farmers Insurance Group: Leading the Way in Applying VR/AR Technology Founded in 1928 in Los Angeles, California, the Farmers Insurance Group (informally called “Farmers”) is an American insurer of vehicles, homes, small businesses, and related products. Farmers has approximately 21,000 employees.…

Embracing A Future In The Metaverse Today the Metaverse is a series of interconnecting virtual worlds that we can use as meeting spaces to do business, connect with others socially or spend time gaming. The developing Metaverse offers businesses a whole host of opportunities. Buying virtual items such as clothing, real estate or digital art…

Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality in Rehabilitation In this video, we will explore the transformative power of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in the realm of rehabilitation and therapy. New immersive experiences are revolutionizing the way individuals recover from injuries and regain their independence. From stroke rehabilitation to physical therapy, we will delve…

Four Ways The Metaverse And Web3 Will Transform Music Thanks to Metaverse technologies, online experiences are fast becoming much more immersive and realistic. In this future Internet, Web3, and Metaverse technologies will transform how we engage with our favorite artists, musicians and sports stars. It will give us more immersive gaming and entertainment experiences and…

Exploring the Revolutionary Apple Vision Pro Features Exploring the revolutionary Apple Vision Pro features is a captivating journey into the cutting-edge world of technology. With its sleek design and innovative capabilities, the Vision Pro redefines the way we interact with our digital lives. The Vision Pro’s augmented reality experiences are truly game-changing, merging the virtual…

Apple’s INSANE Attention to Detail – Vision Pro This video discusses the planned Apple Vision Pro visuals and the principles of Spatial Design. Apple Vision Pro will seamlessly blend digital with reality as its windows will appear to be made of frosted glass. Apple’s Vision Pro will use light, depth, and shadows subtly (but skillfully)…

Apple Vision Pro: The Future of Technology The spatial computing era is here, where digital content blends seamlessly with your physical space. So you can do the things you love in ways never before possible. This is Apple Vision Pro. This video discusses the reasons why the Apple Vision Pro may one day replace our…

Visit the Metaverse Resource Center to read more than 200 live Metaverse case studies. Extended reality (XR), virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR) are revolutionizing healthcare, particularly in the areas of medical training and patient care. Medical training is an essential aspect of producing competent and skilled healthcare professionals. XR/VR/AR technologies have opened novel…

What Will Fashion Retail Look Like In The Future? The Metaverse is emerging as a new platform for fashion and retail, allowing brands to reach consumers through innovative online experiences and immersive digital spaces. The possibilities are enormous for companies that want to raise brand awareness, improve customer experience, and deepen engagement with their followers.…

IMA Financial Group Rolls Out Mixed Reality Technology to Better Identify Risks Insurance brokerage firm rolling out “groundbreaking” technology to better identify risks IMA Financial Group (an US-based insurance brokerage firm) is revolutionizing the insurance industry by introducing Microsoft HoloLens technology to its clients and employees. In this video – On a construction site, instead…

With the introduction of the Apple Vision Pro headset and ecosystem, the world has moved into Spatial Computing. Apple CEO Tim Cook called Apple Vision Pro the ‘next human machine interface’ for personal computing, a technology that seamlessly blends digital content with the physical world. Leveraging always-on 3D technology, spatial computing is already revolutionizing the way we…

Five Reasons To Still Care About The Metaverse By Bernard Marr August 3, 2023 The Metaverse is the next generation of the Internet, forever altering how we experience life online. Don’t believe me? Allow me to convince you of the importance of the Metaverse. In the future, companies, institutions, and employers will operate their own…

A Third App Could Drive Early Success For The Apple Vision Pro – Concerts By Tim Bajarin July 25, 2023 When I got the demo of the Vision Pro in June at WWDC, Apple did show Jim Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water movie in immersive 3D, and Apple saw movies to be viewed on…

How Hilton Uses Virtual Reality for Training In this video, see how Hilton uses Virtual Reality training scenarios and Oculus for Business to help corporate teams understand the complexities of working in a hotel so they can build empathy for hotel team members and guests alike. Hilton Team Members will put on Oculus headsets and…

I Spent 24 Hours Trapped in the Metaverse Everyone is talking about the metaverse. But what does this future digital world look like? WSJ’s Joanna Stern checked into a hotel and strapped on the Meta Quest 2 virtual-reality headset for the day. She went to work meetings with Spatial and Horizon Worlds, hung out with…

Virtual Reality Contact Lenses Are REAL While the entire industry is trying to shrink down VR and AR Headsets more and more, and increasing the resolution as much as possible, one company called Mojo Vision took another direction, and decided to make the smallest display on earth and fit it into a pair of Contact…

Exploring the Metaverse: The Next Evolution of Virtual Reality and Social Interaction In this video, we will explore what the Metaverse is and how it works. The Metaverse can be described as a virtual world that exists parallel to the physical world. It is a fully immersive and interactive environment where users can engage with…

Apple Vision Pro’s Enterprise Impact: Profound but Slow After years of rumors and anticipation, Apple has finally unveiled a headset that initially targets a specific group of enthusiasts and innovators. This follows Apple’s typical approach to new products, which has proven successful in the past. Just like the Apple Watch, Apple released it into the…

What’s Apple’s Long-Term AR Vision? Apple, true to form, is playing a long game with the Apple Vision Pro (AVP). Do not dwell on AVP’s specs or price tag, but its alignment with a signature Apple product lifecycle. AVP fits into another key factor: wearables. Apple’s game plan these days is all about revenue diversification.…

By Tim Bajarin July 18, 2023 At Apple’s WWDC in early June 2023, I got to test and use their new Vision Pro headset. During the demo, I saw multiple applications, including a couple for travel, zoom calls, collaboration, entertainment and games. However, two other demos stood out for me about how someone could use…

Siemens to Invest €1 Billion in Germany and Create Blueprint for Industrial Metaverse Siemens is rigorously executing its previously announced €2 billion investment strategy. The company plans to invest around €1 billion in Germany, thereby boosting the country’s innovative strength. The technology company announced the establishment of its new Technology Campus in Erlangen, Germany, with…

Sony Investing $2B Into XR (Metaverse) Research and Development Sony dives into ‘Extended Reality’ with $2 billion Research and Development (R&D) war chest.Sony Group will ramp up R&D spending in its game business, as it seeks to hone technology in live service games and the emerging field of “extended reality” that blends physical and digital…

Apple Vision Pro’s Enterprise Impact: Profound but Slow Apple has firmly positioned Vision Pro as a personal device with a focus on three main areas: productivity, communication, and entertainment. However, there is a longer underlying strategy for Apple: Apple has strategically concentrated on the concept of spatial computing, emphasizing its applications in communication, video consumption,…

Apple Vision Pro Everything Now This video provides a detailed technical description of the Apple Vision Pro Headset. There is a discussion of how to utilize the Apple Vision Pro Headset and each of its features along with its benefits. Navigation instructions for the Headset are also provided. A description of the photo app is…

VR: The Key Enabler of the Metaverse While the metaverse as conceived is on a very grand scale and is multifunctional, Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) have a crucial role to play in delivering what is being described as the next generation of the Internet and a growing number of companies and businesses…

By Tim Bajarin July 11, 2023 Apple’s Vision Pro launch made AR a significant part of their vision, emphasized the concept of spatial computing, and never even mentioned the term “metaverse.” In 2017, Apple introduced AR Kit during their software developer conference, a software tool to make AR apps for use on the iPhone and…

Apple Vision Pro is Worth Every Penny… In this video, GregsGadgets reviews the Apple Vision Pro Headset. He reviews the price, technology and ease of use. Afterward, he discusses the negative feedback that some have provided for the Apple Vision Pro Headset and afterward rebuts this negative feedback with a positive review of the Apple…

Understanding Apple Vision Pro & Its Strategy for the Enterprise Briefing Presented by Apple analyst Tim Bajarin and Barton Goldenberg June 5, 2023,–the date Apple introduced its new Vision Pro headset–will be remembered as a milestone in personal computing. The new Vision Pro ‘spatial computing’ headset sports a new operating system called Vision OS, easy-to-use…

Who Needs the Metaverse? Meet the People Still Living on Second Life Second Life – and its more modest vision of an Internet World – persists. This month it celebrates its 20th anniversary. Its developer, Linden Lab, estimates the virtual world’s GDP to be $650m. According to the company, around 185m items are sold each…

By Tim Bajarin Jul 5, 2023 As a professional market researcher, I have always pondered a significant question that arises whenever new technologies or products emerge: “Who will be the initial purchasers of these products?” This inquiry resurfaces once again with the introduction of Apple’s Vision Pro, priced at $3500. Similar to previous occasions, the…

Ever since Apple announced the new Apple Vision pro and their new vision OS operating system, the question has become prevalent: Can the Apple Vision Pro replace the iPhone? View the video here   Related Video: Why Apple’s Vision Pro is the Next iPhone

In this video, we take a deeper look into what Apple’s Vision Pro could mean for the industry.  It is not the same class of product as an iPhone, people aren’t going to walk around with these on their head, but the headset is the IPhone’s 3D successor.   View the video here   Related…

Driving the Metaverse: All the Ways Automotive Companies Are Using XR   Automotive companies have been on the cutting edge of XR adoption for nearly a decade now. As an industry, automotive is a perfect example of how AR/VR/MR (XR) can transform an entire sector. Want to learn how many ways car brands like Fiat,…

The Future Of Touch And Smell In Virtual Worlds In this video, Carnegie Mellon’s Future Interfaces Research Lab shows NBC News’ Gadi Schwartz how new technology tricks your brain into thinking you are touching, feeling and interacting with things that are not physically present. Watch this video

How Apple Vision Pro Will Change the World? Apple unveiled their new product, the Apple Vision Pro Virtual Reality headset, which is causing many heads to swivel. Many are concerned about the future of the world with the introduction of this new technology, and they have every right to be. How will Apple’s Vision Pro…

LAPD Introduces Virtual Reality Training For Police Officers The LAPD is now using 3D animation, measurements of an officer’s heartbeat, stress level, and more in an interactive virtual space to prepare for real-life scenarios. LAPD Chief of Police Michel Moore sees Virtual Reality as a game changer for officers, especially in de-escalation training. This comes…

Visit the Metaverse Resource Center to read more than 200 live Metaverse case studies. In this case study, I would like to talk about BMW’s impressive use of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), increasingly referred to as extended reality (XR). But before I share the BMW story, I want to give you a…

How Will the Metaverse Change Our Lives? The metaverse has gained increasing attention, but its real potential isn’t obvious. In this video, Stanford University’s Jeremy Bailenson helps us understand the fast-evolving technology of the Metaverse. Jeremy Bailenson states the Metaverse is still a work in progress whose development will be “driven by use cases that…

By Tim Bajarin Jun 27, 2023 When I tested the new Apple Vision Pro, the experience was transformational for me. This headset is based on an AR concept, so you can see your surroundings clearly when it is on your face. Yet, what truly amazed me was how it transported me beyond my immediate reality,…

By Tim Bajarin June 20, 2023 I have had the privilege of getting to know major executives and forces in Hollywood over the years. In the 1990s, I was asked to come and address AFI (American Film Institute) to speak about the impact of multimedia computing on Hollywood. There I shared my thoughts on how…

By Tim Bajarin Jun 12, 2023 On June 5, 2023, Apple introduced its new Vision Pro headset, marking their entry into the realm of spatial computing. If you follow tech, you have undoubtedly read multiple stories about Apple’s Vision Pro. The stories about this product run the gamut from being a fantastic product with great…

By Tim Bajarin June 5, 2023 Monday, June 5, 2023, will be remembered as a milestone in personal computing, as Apple introduced its Vision Pro headset. This headset sports a new OS called visionOS and an easy-to-use eye tracking, gestures and AI-based voice commands interface. For Apple, it represents the continuation of historical firsts in…

Visit the Metaverse Resource Center to read more than 200 live Metaverse case studies. In this B2B case study, I would like to focus on how Northrop Grumman leverages Virtual Reality in the design and testing of its products. Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American multinational aerospace and defense technology company headquartered in Los Angeles,…

My First Immersion in Apple Vision Pro: Heavy, Man! By David Pogue June 7, 2023 This morning, I spent half an hour trying the Apple Vision Pro headset. Here’s the punch line: This is one freaking mind-blowing piece of tech. The result is so advanced and polished, it makes Meta’s VR headsets look like Blackberries.…

Introducing Apple Vision Pro   The era of spatial computing is here, where digital content blends seamlessly with your physical space. So, you can do the things you love in ways never before possible. This is Apple’s official video introducing the Apple Vision Pro. View the video here  

Apple May Have Already Won the Headset Platform Wars By Harry McCracken As part of my visit to Apple headquarters for its WWDC event, I got to try its Vision Pro “spatial computing” headset. I hoped to be wowed—and given the immersive, high-end experience the company has created, I was! The result calls on a…

Why I Can’t Bet Against Apple’s Mixed-Reality Prowess By Kevin Roose There are plenty of reasons the Vision Pro could flop. But we shouldn’t forget that Apple has a knack for entering a product category at just the right time. I’ll confess that when Apple introduced its mixed-reality Vision Pro headsets on Monday, one of…

Opinion: How Apple’s Vision Pro Could Change the World By Rizwan Virk It’s not surprising that Apple’s debut of its $3,499 Vision Pro headset integrating virtual and augmented reality was greeted with mixed reactions, including skepticism, criticism and even lampooning. But in this case the negativity is premature. Apple’s new device could very well break…

The Vision Pro’s biggest advantage isn’t Apple’s hardware By Emma Roth Apple used the Vision Pro’s $3,499 price tag to give the headset every advantage over the competition. It has dual 4K displays, runs one of the best laptop chips in the business, and comes with sophisticated eye- and hand-tracking technologies. But it also has…

By Tim Bajarin May 23, 2023 In two weeks, Apple will reportedly unveil its first Mixed Reality (MR)/AR headset at its World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC) from June 5-9, 2023. When I talked with Apple CEO Tim Cook after he announced the AR Kit at WWDC in 2018, he told me he believed AR “may…

Visit the Metaverse Resource Center to read more than 200 live Metaverse case studies. JPMorgan Chase & Co. is an American multinational financial services company headquartered in New York City with $3.67 trillion in total assets and operations worldwide. Their history, which traces its roots to New York City, dates back more than 200 years…

Metaverse Could Contribute Up to 2.4% of US GDP By 2035, Study Shows The metaverse could contribute as much as $760 billion or about 2.4% to U.S. annual gross domestic product by 2035, according to a Deloitte study commissioned by Facebook owner Meta Platforms. The concept of the metaverse includes augmented and virtual reality technologies…

The Metaverse And AI: A Powerful Combination For Business Growth And Innovation By Rodolfo Salazar Apr 14, 2023 I’ve had the privilege of speaking with industry experts and entrepreneurs that all agree that the powerful combination of AI and the metaverse represents a significant shift in how we interact with the world and can potentially…

Immersive Experiences in the Metaverse The metaverse offers a range of exciting experiences. Virtual concerts provide immersive and interactive shows, like Travis Scott’s Fortnite concert with stunning visuals and Marshmello’s concert attracting over 10 million attendees. Virtual scavenger hunts allow users to solve clues and collect items, with Deadmau5 organizing an augmented reality (AR) NFT…

Digital Twins, Unprecedented Collaboration: What the Metaverse Means for Developers The key to collaboration in the metaverse is the term “digital twins”. The popular phrase “digital twin” is used to describe a collection of properties, identifiers and activity which can digitally represent the physical industrial asset in a realistic way. These industrial digital twins are…

What’s Going On In The Metaverse Right Now? Is The Hype Dead? You know, the metaverse has been around for years and has seen its share of ups and downs. So what’s going on in the metaverse right now? Is the hype dead or is it just the beginning? In this video, we are going…

Travelzoo Invites a Million People Into Its Travel Metaverse The internet media company Travelzoo is launching Travelzoo Meta, a way for travelers to experience travel in the metaverse. After months of preparation, Travelzoo Meta is the company’s effort to create the future of travel. Travelzoo Meta is a members-only service offering groundbreaking metaverse travel experiences,…

In October of 2021, Mark Zuckerberg laid out a vision for his metaverse strategy. In his comments, he made it sound like the metaverse was just around the corner. He had already had success with Meta’s Quest headset and was ready to introduce VR and its potential to the global marketplace. Nearly two years later, Mr. Zuckerberg…

Yes, The Metaverse Is Still Happening By Deborah Perry Piscione and Josh Drean While artificial intelligence continues to dominate headlines and the metaverse has seemingly been sidelined by Mark Zuckerberg’s decision to shift focus from the metaverse to AI, it is important to note that the metaverse is still as relevant as ever. Among early…

4 Ways Mobile AR is Making Waves Today Mobile AR — displayed through your smartphone screen – is not AR’s endgame nor its fully-mature self. But it scales today on the backs of more than 3 billion global smartphones. In that way it’s a stepping stone to AR glasses, warming the world up to that…

The Metaverse Is DEAD, Long LIVE the Metaverse! In this video, we explore the cutting-edge advancements in virtual world-building and the social implications they hold. This video furthermore discusses the benefits of the metaverse, the companies that are racing to build the metaverse and how it could change society as we know it. Learn about…

Campfire Launches Holographic Collaboration System For Enterprise XR Campfire has launched its holographic collaboration system for enterprise extended reality (XR) applications. At the core of the system is a new multi-platform app for PC, Mac, and iPad — as well as a specialized XR headset for the PC. Now teams can collaborate across those platforms…

Inside the ‘Metaverse School’ Teaching Pupils in VR When you can shrink yourself down to explore the inner workings of the human heart in vivid virtual reality; biology class might never be the same again. Pupils at Reddam House School in Berkshire, England, are using VR headsets to enter the metaverse for a variety of…

Visit the Metaverse Resource Center to read more than 200 live Metaverse case studies. In 2022, the high-tech and venture capital industries’ focus on the Metaverse reached a feverish pitch, with VC funding for the Metaverse surpassing $120 billion. While the new focus in 2023 is on generative AI (think ChatGPT), make no mistake about…

Why Brands Should Enter the Metaverse as Part of Their Long-Term Strategy According to McKinsey & Company, investment in the metaverse more than doubled in 2022, backed by private equity and venture capital ($12-$14bn). The metaverse is not going to be a flash in the pan. It is here to stay and it is not…

Rumors of the Metaverse’s Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated Contrary to popular belief, the decline of Meta did not stem from its investment in Zuckerberg’s vision for the future. Meta’s plummeting stock was tied to its legacy investment in social media platforms whose lifeblood — the ability to track users and their data — was…

Would Metaverse Change the World? This video provides a detailed description of the Metaverse and its impact on the world. It discusses the possibility of the Metaverse changing the way people live their lives. One potential benefit of the Metaverse is its potential for creating new forms of social interaction. In the digital world, people…

AI vs. Metaverse: Friends or Foes? With all the hype and the vibe around Artificial Intelligence, what is really left about the Metaverse? A recent survey mentioned in the Wall Street Journal found that most brands state that they will continue to make long-term investments in the immersive three-dimensional experience that define the Metaverse. Artificial…

Metaverse Mania Cools for Many, but Not for Marketers Marketing executives still say they will spend more on the metaverse this year even as some consumers and tech companies lose interest in the concept Even while some of the metaverse’s biggest proponents are scaling back or shutting down spending on their visions for virtual worlds,…

Apple’s Metaverse Revival: A Deep Dive into the Future of VR & AR In this video, we will explore the upcoming Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2023 and the much-anticipated debut of the Apple VR headset. We discuss the potential of VR and AR technologies to reshape our daily lives, and how Apple’s entry into…

Visit the Metaverse Resource Center to read more than 200 live Metaverse case studies. Today I would like to share with our listeners the incredible story of how Walmart is leveraging the Metaverse to support and expand its digital innovation leadership. Let me start by introducing Walmart. Founded in 1962 by the American entrepreneur Sam…

Ultimate Guide to the Metaverse for Businesses The metaverse is imminent — and businesses need to know how to prepare for it. Regardless of the anticipated benefits — from improved remote work to fun virtual experiences — or anticipated challenges — like magnifying social media ills or addictive behavior — there are big implications for…

What Does The Future Of Virtual Reality Feel Like? This video will take us inside the Future Interfaces Research Lab at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh. In the lab, the leading minds behind VR innovation will demonstrate tricking your brain into thinking you are touching, feeling, and interacting with things that are not really there. They…

Virtual Reality in 2050: The Future of Work, Play, and Everything In Between! Get ready to experience a whole new world with virtual reality in 2050! In this video, we explore the amazing potential of VR technology and its impact on our work, play, and daily lives. From immersive gaming experiences to collaborative virtual workspaces,…

Visit the Metaverse Resource Center to read more than 200 live Metaverse case studies. Today I have a great case study from the manufacturer of Pepto-Bismol, Tide, Tampax, Old Spice and Gillette. If you’re thinking Proctor and Gamble, often shortened to P&G, you are correct! Before I do a deep dive into P&G’s virtual environment…

12 Augmented Reality Trends of 2023: New Milestones in Immersive Technology Innovative technologies transform science fiction into reality, and AR is undoubtedly one of them. Today, augmented reality is an effective business tool. Across a number of different industries like retail, business, gaming, healthcare, and even the military, augmented reality is used for solving various…

Companies in the Metaverse – A Growing Phenomenon in Different Industries According to Fortune Business Insights, the size of the global metaverse market was $63.83 billion in 2021. Experts agree that the metaverse is in for huge growth in the coming years. They estimate its value will rise to an impressive $1,527 billion in 2029.…

What is the Metaverse Real Estate The potential of the metaverse and the rapid growth it has registered so far has attracted both investors and developers. Metaverse real estate lots are now saleable and appreciate in value, just like physical real estate in the real world. The metaverse real estate consists of virtual lots and…

The Metaverse Refuses to Die – Epic Games and NVIDIA Give It Hope in 2023 In this video, we will see how the Metaverse still has some hope to come back into life, despite recent cutbacks by Meta and Disney. We will see the reasons behind Meta’s initial failures at the Metaverse market. Thanks to…

Exploring the Metaverse: The Transformative Impact of Virtual Reality on Our World In this video, we will be exploring the metaverse – a virtual space where people can interact, socialize, and even conduct business. We will be discussing how virtual reality is transforming the way we interact with each other and how it has the…

Exploring the Metaverse: The Future of Social Interaction In this video, we will take a deep dive into the future of social interaction, discovering the endless possibilities and groundbreaking technologies that are shaping our world. We will also discuss the impact that the Metaverse could have on society as we know it, exploring the ways…

Why Metaverse is the Future of the Digital World? Have you ever imagined living in a virtual world where you can interact with others just like in the real world? That is the Metaverse! In this video, we will explain why the Metaverse is the future of the digital world and how it will revolutionize…

Snapchat’s AR Technology Comes to the Real World With ‘AR Mirrors’ By Sarah Perez April 19, 2023 Snap recently offered an update on its AR Enterprise Services – its initiative focused on providing AR tools and expertise to businesses that want to leverage Snapchat’s technology in their own websites and apps. At its Partner Summit,…

How the Neuroscience of VR Can Help Tech Teams Break Critical Barriers Virtual Reality (VR) might be the tool that helps tech companies respond and adapt to today’s uniquely disruptive moment for a sector accustomed to prolific, seemingly-unbridled growth and innovation. To help support increasingly-distributed teams, augment employees’ skills and capabilities or implement new standards…

Investing in the Metaverse Cannot Wait, Industry Leaders Share Advice The metaverse is, as many now call it, “the future of the internet.” In that future, mixed reality is expected to transform the way all industries do business. However, some companies are already attempting to create that future. One example is Atlas Earth — a…

Four Ways Product and Industrial Companies Can Harness the Promise of the Metaverse What attracts companies to the metaverse? It is the immersive environment it provides, where multiple users can interact, and easily accessible information can be layered in for objects, avatars and actions. The big opportunity for industrial and product companies lies in coupling…

How Will We Pay for Things in the Metaverse? Although it is still largely undefined, many envision that the metaverse will be an immersive, virtual world where people will be able to shop or attend meetings or entertainment events in the metaverse, and it will all seem lifelike. There is, however, one thing we can…

This App Lets You Relive Your Memories in VR, ‘Black Mirror’-Style Wist CEO, Andrew R McHugh, hopes he can close in on the gap of experiencing real moment memories against simply rewatching home videos with a new app called Wist. Wist promises to let users capture videos on their phones and transform them into 3D…

The Metaverse Will Revolutionize Music Industry Today’s music industry will look as old-fashioned as a cassette tape once the metaverse is able to take full advantage of 5G technology, says Aarash Darroodi, executive vice president of Fender Musical Instruments. Darroodi states it is too early to tell what the future holds for music in the…

I Toured Celebrity Cruises Newest Ship from My Couch: How You Can Check It Out Before Booking By Nathan Diller On a recent tour of Celebrity Cruises newest ship, I went swimming, took in ocean views and met famous interior designer Nate Berkus, all without leaving my couch. Celebrity Cruises launched a new virtual experience…

How Could the Metaverse Impact Education? The buzz around the metaverse has reached a fever pitch. This is a unique opportunity for the emerging world to leapfrog stale eLearning programs into an “always on” universe of new experiential learning opportunities. Flat static pages on the PC and phone will be replaced by a metaverse of…

Will the Metaverse Be Your New Workplace? When we look back in 50 years’ time, it is likely that the 2D internet we now all use will seem laughably archaic. Not only will the internet likely no longer exist behind a screen, but it is probable that we will interact with it differently. We will…

The Usability of Augmented Reality The Nielsen Norman Group conducted a mobile usability-testing study with 4 remote and 7 in-person participants to get insights into the user experience of mobile AR apps. For this study, the staff tested variety of AR applications from various domains such as fitness, entertainment, ecommerce, tourism, art and history, education,…

Why the Industrial Metaverse Will Eclipse the Consumer One The consumer metaverse, exemplified by immersive games, new shopping experiences and the explosion of VR goggles, is the more visible, hyped side of the metaverse. But there may be far more money to be made in the industrial metaverse. That is the prediction of Michael Inouye,…

Celebrity Cruises Launches Digital Metaverse Cruise Ship Celebrity Cruises is getting into the digital cruise business with the launch of the world’s first digital cruise ship in an experience dubbed the “Wonderverse.” Travelers will be able to “see before they sail,” exploring a digital recreation of parts of the line’s newest ship Celebrity Beyond, complete…

Why It Pays to Invest in Animated Videos for the Metaverse In October 2022, Mark Zuckerberg did a keynote speech at Connect 2021, promising to spend billions of dollars on research to build the Metaverse. To prove he was serious, he then renamed his company Meta. A lot of big companies like Disney, Robolux, and…

Shaping Your Brand Identity in the Metaverse How does a brand have identity in a “metaverse” that does not yet exist? As we forge ahead with shaping a collective concept of the metaverse, identity will become a main focus. In our physical world, identity is connected to everything. We have seen large fashion and beauty…

Metaverse Basics Mark Zuckerberg describes the metaverse as an “embodied internet,” offering the connectivity, utility, and entertainment of the web, but fleshed out in 3D. This common metaverse definition is often discussed in VR terms, but we also have non-VR 3D worlds like Fortnite, Roblox, and even Second Life. This is just one example of…

Web3 Is the Future of the Internet—Here’s Why You Need to Know About It Web3 is the newest version of the internet. Web3 will eventually shape what the metaverse is, how we shop and will keep our data more secure. The first version of the Internet was called Web 1.0. Its intent was to share…

What’s Hot in the Metaverse For Consumers Consumers engaging with metaverse-style virtual environments are interested in a number of industries and activities. Topping the list of interests is music, according to a new study by Reach 3 Insights. The findings explain some of the live events and tie-ins that brands are launching in the metaverse…

Metahood Raises $3M to Build the Zillow of the Metaverse Metaverse hype peaked early last year, but if the future internet does turn out to be a place where the masses are going to own digital property and establish businesses, then they will need a property sales platform: a Zillow or Redfin for the burgeoning…

Is a Metaverse for Education the Next Logical Innovation in Teaching and Learning? An avatar-filled metaverse may seem like a potentially disruptive expansion to a classroom environment. But Kevin Chu, the Director of ViewSonic, sees a 3D metaverse immersive environment as fostering healthy social interactions while reducing learning barriers. Online learning has been growing over…

Why We Need to Regulate Digital Identity in the Metaverse? On the internet, most people do not have a digital identity that they own. Instead, they deposit information about themselves with a website or app, which then can use that data in several ways, one way being the ability to monetize it. If users are…

Where Was The Metaverse In 2022? At year-end, the metaverse may still seem distant to many, but its backers continue to bet high on its potential future. The metaverse is theoretically the future of the Internet, a 3D virtual world where people will be able to interact with each other as avatars. The term doesn’t…

It’s Not Too Early To Become Metaverse-Ready Businesses can get a head start on VR life if they transition to 3D-centric content now. By now, you have certainly heard enough hype about the metaverse to conclude that it’s on the horizon. But don’t expect many true metaverse experiences to gain mass adoption in 2023. Instead,…

Grasping the Metaverse From what I can find, metaverse still means very different things to different people. Matthew Ball, a metaverse theorist, has an excellent metaverse definition: “The metaverse is a massively scaled and interoperable network of real-time rendered 3D virtual worlds, which can be experienced synchronously and persistently by an effectively unlimited number of…

Learn Why This Top Retail Business is Joining the Metaverse The UPS Store has opened “The Helping You Be Unstoppable Store,” an immersive experience for small business owners. As businesses look for their next big growth opportunities, a burgeoning new market is being built in the digital realm. The metaverse—a virtual reality world where people…

Forget the Metaverse. Fictional Reality is Where We’re Headed AI is letting us live out alternative realities on the digital platforms where we already spend our time online. Much has been said of, written about, and invested in the “metaverse.” In the future, the internet, mixed with recent breakthroughs in Artificial Intelligence (AI), will enable…

How Could the Metaverse Impact Education? The buzz around the metaverse has reached a fever pitch. This is a unique opportunity for the emerging world to leapfrog stale eLearning programs into an “always on” universe of new experiential learning opportunities. Industry watchers are now suggesting that the third era of computing is upon us. Flat…

What’s the Sales Outlook for AR Glasses? Here is the latest headworn AR forecast from ARtillery Intelligence: Revenue is projected to grow from $2 billion in 2021 to $35 billion in 2026, an 81% CAGR with Apple’s market entrance. AR headsets are projected to grow in unit sales from 390,000 in 2021 to 10 million…

Banking In The Metaverse – The Next Frontier For Financial Services Banks have long known that if they can capture the attention of customers when they are young, they are likely to get hold of them for life. For this reason, they have always been quick to jump on new and emerging trends, and the…

Gucci Ventures Into the Metaverse Gucci, a major Italian fashion brand, is the first luxury brand to host its own metaverse experience in The Sandbox. This metaverse experience features a space called ‘Gucci Vault Land’ for its customers to witness the brand’s history through games and NFTs. This comes at a time when fashion brands…

How Big Data Will Redefine Our Identity in the Metaverse Many questions are emerging about identity in the age of Web3. Such critical questions include how individuals and organizations can represent themselves online, and what digital identity will actually mean in the future. As people engage fully online, these people will generate large amounts of…

Five Principles Needed to Humanize Metaverse Experiences Historically, people are great at building venues — spaces that enhance the quality of our communal experiences — in the physical world. And it is just as possible to build them in a virtual one. With virtual reality steadily entering the mainstream — just this month, news broke…

The Future of Fashion will be Digital: Roblox x Parsons School The 2022 Metaverse Fashion Trends Study was created in late 2022 as a result of Roblox‘s collaboration with Parsons School of Design, which involved intensive research and a survey of Gen Z users who regularly play Roblox and are familiar with digital fashion. Before…

The Trillion-dollar Opportunity in Building the Metaverse The metaverse has the potential to become a trillion dollar industry because it solves the problem of scarce online space. It is a decentralized platform that is not controlled by any one company or organization. There are no barriers to entry and anyone can build anything they want.…

The Metaverse Could Be Tech’s Next Trillion-dollar Opportunity These are the Companies Making It a Reality The business world is obsessed with “the metaverse”: the concept of shared worlds driven by virtual products and digital experiences that are highly immersive and interactive. According to CB Insights’ Industry Analyst Consensus, the metaverse could represent a $1…

Neal Stephenson, Metaverse Visionary, Takes Aim at Mark Zuckerberg In 1992, Neal Stephenson first coined the term Metaverse in his sci-fi book Snow Crash. He was the first person to envision a persistent three-dimensional digital world in which humans could exist and interact as real entities, to the point where people could decide to live…

Red Wing Shoes Found a Way to Make the Metaverse Matter IRL This year, the metaverse became the hottest marketing trend in the fashion and footwear industries, with everyone from Adidas and Nike to Gucci exploring ways to create buzz in the virtual world. So there is a sense of irony that it took Red…

How Do We Adapt to Designing for the Metaverse? As a designer, you hear it wherever you go: the metaverse is a disruption. It poses a radical challenge for the design industry. It requires a completely different set of tools, methodologies, and conventions. In the metaverse, the design challenges we face are plenty. First, it’s…

Out With the Metaverse, In With the Multiverse By Joseph Djenandji, the CEO of Mint Blockchain We are constantly fed innumerable articles on how the metaverse will fundamentally change how we live our lives and spend our time. The truth is that these metaverse open worlds still garner very few users, and the closed systems…

Why Visual Computing Is The Future Of Personal Computing By Tim Bajarin I have had the privilege of tracking the personal computer market from its inception to the present day: the first PC – the Altair 8800 was introduced in 1975. By 1983 the PC industry was in full swing and on its way to…

Big money Is Riding on the Metaverse. Here’s Why It Will Eventually Succeed Even Though It’s Derided By Haters. While analysts and shareholders have never been thrilled with Facebook’s rebranding, their disdain reached a fever pitch when Meta Quest Pro, a mixed-reality headset developed by Meta’s Reality Labs division, was introduced. Since then, outlets have…

The Metaverse Is Inevitable but Not How Mark Zuckerberg and Meta Expect Nearly a year after its much ballyhooed rebrand, Meta’s stock plummeted 57%. CEO Mark Zuckerberg lost roughly $70 billion of his net worth. The financial strain also forced the company to slash budgets and freeze new hiring. It is easy to take delight…

Metaverse – The Reality Beyond The Fantasy A lot has been said and written about the metaverse over the past year or so. In fact, everyone seems to have a different idea about what it is and what it will mean for our lives. Gaming is probably the most successful metaverse model so far. Videogame-oriented…

Can Walmart Popularize AR Shopping? As tech giants continue to invest in AR, could greater consumer traction be stimulated by non-tech players? This thought came up as Walmart continues to raise its AR game. For example, its ‘View in Your Home’ feature lets shoppers visualize furniture and decor through AR. AR has proven effective to…

The Development In Ethics Across VR And AR In The Media At present, many analysts are construing that virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) will be staples across the entertainment space as new ways to tell stories unfold. Through this, numerous ethics questions come into play as data and security have been trigger points…

With the Metaverse Opportunity Topping $1 Trillion, It’s Time For Brands To Make the Leap JP Morgan is betting on the metaverse, calling it a $1 trillion yearly opportunity in a recent report — and it’s putting its money where its mouth is, opening the first bank ever in the virtual world. It is a…

Why Marketers Must Start Talking “Multiverse” Instead Of “Metaverse”? In the marketing and advertising industry, we need to stop obsessing over the metaverse and start focusing on the broader picture. Soon, we will all be living in a multiverse. We will not escape to a metaverse; we will live across realities in a multiverse. Eventually,…

How the Metaverse is Democratizing the Fashion World Fashion is being democratized — and its future is virtual and moving to the metaverse. Fashion and technology are converging in both physical and virtual spaces and this is not only changing who is a fashion designer, but who can say they are one. Cathy Hackl, chief…

By Tim Bajarin During the late 1990s, the world of technology launched what has been called the Internet DotCom era. The internet itself was very new, but developing web sites was relatively easy to do, so people with all types of ideas created a plethora of web apps to reflect their interests and business concepts.…

Designing the Metaverse: Challenges and Questions While the possibilities of what we can do in the metaverse are endless, the way the metaverse is designed from a UX perspective needs to be a key focus on making the metaverse a place for all to feel comfortable and accessible. The metaverse carries some unique challenges from…

Meta’s VR Vs Apple’s AR Strategy-Who Will Ultimately Win? By Tim Bajarin You may not know it, but the tech battle of this century so far is about to begin. Late last year, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg laid out his vision for what he deemed the Metaverse, with a significant emphasis on VR. In his world,…

What’s the Sales Outlook for AR Glasses? Market sizing is one of the ongoing practices of AR Insider’s research arm, ARtillery Intelligence. One such exercise recently zeroed in on headworn AR revenues. So, what did the latest headworn AR forecast uncover? At a high level, revenue is projected to grow from $1.85 billion in 2021…

Lenovo Unveils ThinkReality VRX Headset for Enterprise Lenovo recently unveiled its next standalone VR headset for enterprise, the ThinkReality VRX standalone. While the company may be pitching its latest headset for businesses, it seems VR hardware is starting to reach a pretty solid consensus on what is next. The near future of VR is slimmer,…

Who is Using VR and How Often? VR traction over the past few years has been slower than many had anticipated. But it is still finding small wins and is growing at a fairly healthy pace. So, the question is how well it is landing with consumers today, and are those sentiments trending in the…

Walt Disney CEO Discusses Plans to Adopt Metaverse in Enhancing Story Bob Chapek, Disney’s CEO, recently spoke about the Disney’s plans for a digital future, specifically for the metaverse to enhance storytelling for the next 100 years at the company’s biennial D23 Expo fan convention in September 2022. Walt Disney is looking to utilize data…

Apple Just Quietly Gave Us The Golden Key to Unlock The Metaverse Apple has a history of adding technology to its products that only makes sense much later. Developers, and hardcore geeks, know of it, but the general public does not. When a new product is later released to the public, the effect is that…

What is Hot in the Metaverse For Consumers Consumers engaging with metaverse-style virtual environments are interested in a number of industries and activities. Topping the list of interests is Music and Travel, according to a new study by Reach 3 Insights. For marketers still in the wait-and-see or planning phases of their metaverse debut, this…

Walmart Is Making Its First Move Into the Metaverse With Virtual Worlds on Roblox Walmart Inc. is making its first move into the metaverse. On September 26, the retailer unveiled two immersive experiences on Roblox Corp.’s virtual platform. Walmart Land features fashion, beauty and entertainment items, while Walmart’s Universe of Play will showcase toys. Walmart…

Identity Protection is Key to Metaverse Innovation Identity protection will be a critical part of successful business operations in the metaverse—and it is an especially important consideration for any organization getting into the metaverse. Jeff Schilling, the Global Chief Information Security Officer at Teleperformance states “The threat of social engineering will potentially be even more…

How AR and VR Could Usher in a New Era of Experience Now, more than ever, our physical and digital worlds are merging. People can go to a festival in a field or visit an art gallery in a foreign city or watch their favorite band perform live. But they can also experience the very…

74 Virtual Reality Statistics You Must Know in 2021/2022: Adoption, Usage & Market Share Virtual Reality (VR) has donned a reputation of being an unfulfilled promise for years now. While it has not lived up to its profound potential, VR statistics now show that the technology is making massive leaps and bounds, and its near…

Healthcare Turns to the Gaming Industry to Build its Metaverse As more companies and industries dip their toes in the metaverse, a major healthcare company, Penumbra is currently utilizing gaming platforms to develop physical and mental therapies. The pace at which the healthcare industry is building its metaverse is overwhelming. New scientific studies, clinical trials…

What Will the Metaverse Actually Look Like? Given the inevitability of an ultimately interconnected digital future, brands and creators would be wise to develop a “metaverse strategy” for how to onboard their users into their unique “verse” and keep them engaged in the battle for user attention. The term “metaverse” will come to represent a…

Puma Launches Its First Metaverse Experience With NFT Shoes On September 7, 2022, Puma, one of the world’s leading sports brands, announced the launch of “Black Station,” its first interactive metaverse experience, during the New York Fashion Week. According to the company’s press release, Black Station will become “a dynamic destination to visit,” where Puma…

Marketing Strategies To Break Into The Metaverse Promoted as the next big thing in modern tech, the metaverse is a continually evolving and changing space that will truly change marketing in years to come. If you would like to succeed in this new digital and virtual world, your business will have to deploy an effective…

Ford Prepares to Enter the Metaverse with Virtual Automobiles and NFTs American car manufacturer Ford Motor Company is the latest car brand prepping its entry into the world of nonfungible tokens (NFTs) and the Metaverse by filing 19 trademark applications across its major car brands. United States Patent and Trade Office (USPTO) revealed that the…

Starbucks Finally Enters the Metaverse Starbucks is finally, officially entering the metaverse. The Seattle-based coffee giant has announced the creation of Starbucks Odyssey: a Web 3.0 experience launching in late 2022 where Starbucks Rewards members can buy and trade collectible limited-edition NFTs to unlock new rewards benefits and complete interactive activities to earn the NFT…

What will the Metaverse be in 2040? What will the Metaverse bring? Some parts of it are already here with for instance gaming where you can be present in the Metaverse by your avatar. But what will it look like in 2040? A majority of experts say that by then, the Metaverse will for a…

The Potential Evolution Of Apple’s AR Glasses By Tim Bajarin Right after Apple introduced AR Kit in June 2017, I had the opportunity to talk to Apple CEO Tim Cook. I asked him how AR fit into his and Apple’s future. He told me that he saw AR as one of Apple’s most significant opportunities…

‘Metaverse’ Is In, ‘Mixed Reality’ Out: Reading the Tech Tea Leaves in Microsoft’s New Words The metaverse, hybrid work, flexibility, trust, and technology’s role in the global economy are some of the new additions in the latest version of a key piece of text that Microsoft publishes each year. Presented under the heading, “Embracing Our…

How Do You Build a Digital City? Many companies are currently following Zuckerberg’s Metaverse investment strategy, even as some industry experts predict it may take decades for the metaverse to be fully realized. Beyond companies, some cities are already trying to make those worlds a reality by actively developing virtual environments for citizens. Seoul has…

Understanding the Evolution of the Metaverse for Business There’s been so much discussion about the metaverse recently, as companies try to understand what it means for their engagements with customers and employees, and how their brand can be extended into it. Because the metaverse is a complex technological concept, the first step in understanding the…

The Metaverse is Inspiring Experiential Retail With the digital world and technology shaping the way customers shop, the same can be said for experiential retail. Digital fashion label Cult & Rain is moving this concept forward with its version of the metaverse, Cultr World. Launched on July 27, the world combines Cult & Rain’s digital…

How Phygital Events Will Change the Event Industry Online events have become the norm, and despite the easing of Covid-19, many events still take place online. However, we can expect events to undergo another transformation in the coming years as virtual events appear. With the upcoming metaverse, virtual events are poised to become the dominant…

Brands Are Already Making Millions in the Metaverse. Here’s What Business Owners Need to Know Entrepreneurs who follow Gen-Z into the metaverse could gain a competitive advantage According to a recent survey, 55 percent of adults with yearly incomes over $100,000 said they were not interested about the concept, while 37 percent said they were…

A New Milestone in Augmented Reality: Functional Contact Lenses In early July 2022, a new milestone in AR technology was achieved and it highlights how far the field has come over the last few decades. The first authentic test of an augmented reality contact lens took place. It happened in a research lab at Mojo…

Zuckerberg Details His Plan to Move Your Digital Items Across the Metaverse Mark Zuckerberg announced in June 2022 that Facebook Pay has officially become Meta Pay. His aim is mainly focused on what the company hopes to build in the future — “a wallet for the metaverse.” Zuckerberg says the company is working on something…

Designing the Metaverse: Challenges and Questions While the possibilities of what we can do in the metaverse are endless, the way the metaverse is designed from a UX perspective needs to be a key focus on making the metaverse a place for all to feel comfortable and accessible. The metaverse carries some unique challenges from…

Microsoft Shifts to a Software-Led Metaverse Strategy Microsoft boss Satya Nadella has confirmed that the company is pivoting from hardware to a software-led metaverse strategy. This shift may not bode well for the company’s hardware projects such as the HoloLens. In a keynote at the Microsoft Inspire developer conference, Nadella stressed that while Microsoft still…

The U.S. Army, Not Meta, is Building the Metaverse Despite their rhetoric, big tech has presented a rather narrow view of the metaverse. There should be an envisioning of an open virtual world that supports thousands of simultaneous players and offers valuable, immersive use cases. The scope of this vision requires an open cloud architecture…

Metaverse Shopping: Retailers’ New Reality For many consumers, the metaverse is a vaguely futuristic concept, perhaps just now catching their attention. Retailers, however, cannot afford to be that relaxed about the metaverse. It is speeding our way and by the time the holiday shopping season rolls around, this new world will actually be here. Retailers…

Can Metaverse Technology Enhance Human-AI Efficiency? A metaverse is a 3D virtual world initially approachable through a VR headset, but now available on browsers as well, which makes it practically accessible on any device. Users can navigate this world through their eye movements, voice commands and feedback controllers. With the headset, the user can feel…

New AI Tools Let You Chat With Your Dead Relatives New products that let people keep relatives “alive” via AI are proliferating — offering, say, an interactive conversation with a recently departed dad who took the time to record a video interview before he passed. Why it matters: As interest in genealogy and ancestry proliferates,…

What Is the Metaverse? An Explanation for People Who Don’t Get It Is it just a buzzword, the next internet, a video game, or an idea? We asked experts to break it down for us. Talking about the metaverse feels a lot like talking about the internet back in the 70s and the 80s. Everyone…

Why Walmart is Doubling Down on Augmented Reality Generally, it is still much more effective to stroll through a store than it is to scroll through a website. AR is changing that, and as a result retailers and other commerce-focused platforms are rolling out new AR tools left and right Walmart stands out because Walmart…

Khronos Group Launches Standards Effort for An Open and Interoperable Metaverse The Khronos Group, which sets standards for 3D technologies, has come together with other groups to oversee the process of creating the standards for the metaverse. The Metaverse Standards Forum is announcing that it will attempt to create standards for industries to create an…

Exit the Internet, Enter the Metaverse – Your Online Future is In 3D Renown venture capitalist Matthew Ball’s new book will explore the three-dimensional virtual world that is set to supersede the Internet. Venture capitalist Matthew Ball first wrote about the metaverse in 2018 and his essays have become essential reading for entrepreneurs and tech…

Three Ways Augmented Reality Affects Consumer Psychology Augmented reality (AR) superimposes the digital world into our physical reality. When implemented in the retail shopping experience, this technology reduces the friction and bridges the digital and physical experience gap by providing consumers the contextual overlay they need to make more informed buying decisions that benefit both…

As KPMG enters the Metaverse, the Big 4 firm calls multitrillion-dollar estimates ‘conservative’ KPMG U.S. and Canada are opening a Metaverse “collaboration hub” to connect employees, clients, and others with Web3, a so-called decentralized version of the internet built on blockchain. It is collectively making a $30 million investment in Web3 experiences, with the Metaverse…

The Mainstreaming of Augmented Reality There is little doubt that augmented reality, specifically computing products that blend the physical world with the digital world, is going to be the next frontier of computing. Most of the conversations we are having with the broader tech industry have circled around the core technologies themselves that will be…

What is XR and How Will It Underpin the Metaverse? XR is an abbreviation of Extended Reality. It’s an umbrella term that covers the combination of Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality. Devices that claim to be capable of XR can deliver experiences relating to all three components. Since XR is an umbrella term…

The Metaverse is Trending. Should You Care? We say yes—because the Metaverse is the next evolution of the digital age In the last few months, the topic of the Metaverse has been discussed in a flurry of news articles and podcast episodes. Big companies such as Meta (Facebook), Microsoft, Nvidia, Disney, and VMWare—are making big…

Tour the Metaverse From a niche term limited to hard-core believers, the Metaverse, loosely referring to a variety of virtual world platforms, has now become part of the business world’s vernacular. Companies including Samsung, Miller Lite, and J.P. Morgan have created their own spaces on Metaverse platforms, with others like McDonald’s and Nike making plans…

How the Metaverse Will Change E-Commerce Forever The Metaverse is a cryptocurrency and blockchain platform that is designed to facilitate digital asset transactions and activities. Unlike other platforms, the Metaverse system provides an identity protocol that allows users to register their own aliases and manage their digital identities. This feature will be important for E-commerce,…

The Metaverse Could Add $3 Trillion to the Global Economy Within a Decade, New Study Suggests The metaverse is poised to contribute $3 trillion to the global GDP within a decade. The study, published by Analysis Group, concluded that in Europe an expansion of the virtual world could mean a contribution of 1.7 per cent…

Mark Zuckerberg’s Augmented Reality Mark Zuckerberg has a grandiose vision for the metaverse, and he hopes that you will one day see the same thing, too through a pair of Augmented Reality (AR) glasses. Zuckerberg calls AR goggles a “holy grail” device that will “redefine our relationship with technology,”. During the special effect-laden video announcing…

In a Decentralized Web3, DAOs Will Be the Driving Force of Decisions Many people are aware that Big Tech monopolies, like Facebook, monopolize our data for their own monetary gain. The trade-off is that Big Tech provides digital services that allow users to connect and interact with the world. This trade-off is no longer appropriate.…

The Future of Animation The future of animation is up for grabs. Speaking with Vancouver Film School’s (VFS) Colin Giles, who is head of the Animation department, it is clear the idea of animators being siloed into film or TV work and to focus on traditional animation, is coming to an end. Animators need to…

Which Executive Role Should Guide the Path to the Metaverse? Crate & Barrel Holdings has appointed Sebastian Brauer as SVP for product design, development and Metaverse. Sebastian will take on additional responsibility for the company’s strategic vision of the future Metaverse and Web3. Disney recently promoted Mike White to SVP, next generation storytelling & consumer…

Major XR Players Join New Metaverse Forum to Cooperate on Foundational Standards Khronos Group, the consortium behind the OpenXR standard, is helping to assemble other XR industry players in service of cooperatively building interoperability standards for what it hopes will be an “open and inclusive metaverse.” The so-called Metaverse Standards Forum was founded by platform…

Global Esports Federation Launches Metaverse Council The Global Esports Federation (GEF), whose goal is to become officially recognized as the governing body for the esports ecosystem, has formed a Metaverse council to “focus on shaping tangible Metaverse development initiatives for our global community.” The council is to be made up of blockchain experts, NFT developers,…

A Whole New World? Exploring the Metaverse and What It Could Mean for You When a new technology comes along that could change how we interact with the digital world, the implications can be staggering—not just for tech companies, but potentially for every company. That’s one reason why people are talking so much about the…

Marketing in the metaverse: An opportunity for innovation and experimentation Talk of the Metaverse has been ubiquitous over the past several months. In 2021, internet searches for the term increased by 7,200 percent. In December, Facebook rebranded itself as Meta, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg declared his ambition to “help bring the metaverse to life.” A…

Why 5G and the Edge Could Be the Keys to the Metaverse Since Facebook’s rebrand to Meta last year, the hype around the ‘metaverse’ has been full steam ahead. Countless articles about what it is, what it isn’t, might be, or could be, have touched all corners of the internet. The term may be new…

Are Your Teens Blowing Real Cash on Imaginary Gucci Handbags That Exist Only in the Online World of the Metaverse? My clothes and the Gucci bag are digital, only ever to be ‘worn’ by my personal avatar online, even though I paid for them with real money on my credit card. The rented Bentley is…

The Australian Open is Happening in the Metaverse The Australian Open will be launching a virtual event on the metaverse platform Decentraland. It will be the one of the first major sporting events in the world to enter the virtual space. The Australian Open’s Decentraland party will run throughout the tournament. Fans able to get…

Alexa Will Soon be Able to Read Stories as Your Dead Grandma At its annual re:Mars conference on June 22 in Las Vegas, Amazon’s Senior Vice President and Head Scientist for Alexa, Rohit Prasad, announced a spate of new and upcoming features for the company’s smart assistant. The most head turning of the bunch was…

University of Pennsylvania’s First NFT Commemorates mRNA Research The historic scientific breakthrough at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania that helped lead the world’s fight against COVID-19 through mRNA-based vaccines is being commemorated through a non-fungible token (NFT) —a digital asset to be auctioned by Christie’s—that will support ongoing research at…

The 10 Most Innovative Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Companies of 2022 The year 2021 might also be remembered as the one when we all started talking about the metaverse, and mixed reality technology is expected to be our main way of accessing that all-purpose virtual space. We might also look back at 2021 and…

Waiting For the Metaverse? The Revolution is Already Here For those who celebrate Super Bowl ads more than the actual game, the last one could forever be known as the Metaverse Bowl. Facebook (now ‘Meta’) and Miller both ran ads featuring and praising the metaverse, while Matthew McConaughey starred in a Salesforce ad taking a…

What Metaverse Projects to Watch in 2022 The metaverse, broadly speaking, is the next phase of the internet, where online technologies combine to form an immersive virtual experience. The metaverse creates enticing customer experiences by combining virtual reality, augmented reality, gaming, and other Web 3 digital components into a virtual 3D environment where 3D digital…

Revealed: Interest in Metaverse jobs up 900% In a mere 6 months, the metaverse has rocketed from a barely-known concept to the subject of endless opinion, explanations and debates. Ipsos Mori defines the Metaverse as “a virtual, computer-generated world where people can socialize, work and play.” While only 16% of Americans could accurately define the…

Coca-Cola to Offer First-Ever NFT Collectibles in International Friendship Day Charity Auction Coca-Cola is boosting its presence in the fast-growing metaverse with its first-ever NFT (Non-Fungible Token) collectibles. On International Friendship Day, July 30, four unique Coca-Cola NFTs will be up for auction through the OpenSea online marketplace. Each NFT was created to celebrate elements…

The Sandbox Blockchain-based World Will Feature Virtual Atari Theme Park Animoca Brands and its subsidiary TSB Gaming stated they intend to create a virtual theme park that users can spend a SAND token or an Atari token in. Atari is an early adopter of the project and has already sold land worth $4.3 million. The Sandbox platform team will…

The Metaverse is a Transformational Opportunity for the Business World I first wrote the word metaverse on a whiteboard in October 2017. Wrapping up a multi-hour design session, we were searching for a word to describe a new mindset and approach to enterprise software that answered the question, “How should one build a modern customer…

The Corporate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Metaverse It has taken 30 years since the term was coined in 1992, but big money has now moved into the metaverse—accompanied by big hype. Facebook, which changed its name to Meta Platforms, has promised to invest $10 billion in its Reality Labs operation this year. Microsoft is making…

Augmented Reality Is Ready and Open for Business Today, an increasing number of companies seek to implement digital transformation programs to drive higher growth, productivity, profitability, and customer satisfaction. The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has accelerated the need for investments that will enable companies to become efficient and resilient. One technology that these programs should consider…

In Silicon Valley the search is on for the next big tech platform. Learn more

Tech firms are betting that “extended reality” glasses could be the next big product – and perhaps the next big platform. Learn more

How Brands Are Using the Metaverse to Reinvent the Holiday Seasons How are brands re-inventing their approach to fit with our expectations of a NFT, VR and AR meta-holiday? What are they doing to stand out? From AR to VR to the metaverse to NFTs, brands are doing all they can to be the go-to…

Our forward-thinking clients are leveraging private digital customer communities to foster engagement with their customers. These collaboration communities are integrated tightly with your CRM system and data management platform leveraging VR, AR, and other emerging technologies to support and engage customers. Read the rest of the article.

VR/AR has established itself as the most disruptive technology for the next decade.  Best-in-class companies are embracing these technologies to provide unforgettable customer experiences, convenience, and support in our digital world.  Among thought leaders in multiple industries, applying VR/AR to sales and marketing is the norm today. Read this article.

We all know that the tech buzzword of the day is the Metaverse. Of course, there are many views about what the Metaverse is and should be in concept. However, it is really about a virtual world where people can play immersive games, create their own “personal” virtual worlds and eventually even shop and do…

When people hear about virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR), they often think of entertainment. But the real momentum for VR and its companions AR and mixed reality (XR) for yet-unknown variants, is in enterprise applications with projects in health/medicine, finance, defense, architecture/engineering and education. Read the rest of the article.

When we think about AR glasses, we mostly think of them as smart glasses that can view our real-world environment and then super-impose data, information, and enhanced images about objects we are seeing in and around us. It allows a person to ask the device to read the specific text a person wants to hear-…

A buzzword among tech buffs, the metaverse can be summarized as a natural evolution of the internet where a network of persistent digital spaces will be populated by people (as digital avatars) hanging out, making a living, and claiming ownership of their digital belongings. Read the rest of the article.

As we step into the metaverse, the next iteration of the internet will create an entirely new channel for brands to connect with their consumers. Where the internet ushered in the eCommerce era, the metaverse will start the iCommerce era, and many brands are already exploring creating unique experiences in the metaverse. This new channel…

IoT, 5G, AI, VR. It seems like everyone is throwing around acronyms to describe technology and digital transformation, and it is hard to know what to focus on and what you can ignore. You suspect that your business may be falling behind in how you utilize emerging technologies. Yet, other companies use technology to attract,…

By Barton Goldenberg Private Online Customer Communities are one of the most insight-rich sources of customer feedback. Whether interacting with each other, with associates from your organization or simply leaving product reviews or comments, the customer conversations are real and unguided. They provide tremendous insight on many aspects of your business from product design and…

By Barton Goldenberg Customer X is an established blueberry grower located in the beautiful state of Oregon.  They just received private equity funding to expand their blueberry operations globally.  Customer X has never done business globally and is keen to learn global best practices from their blueberry supplier, a global leader delivering the industry’s best…

By Barton Goldenberg Digital customer communities create a dynamic customer engagement solution. These communities give your customers a place to share insight, collaborate, advocate for your products or services, and even make purchases. A customer community will let your customers connect with those just like them, with similar interests. Use Case #1: Deepen Customer Engagement …

By Barton Goldenberg Digital Customer Communities are transforming the sales environment by having the capability to drive more sales for your business by connecting employees together from different branches, within your distributors, suppliers, or resellers. Digital Customer Communities have the capability to provide world-class services by connecting customers together and giving replies to each of…

Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality (VR/AR) will be the most disruptive technology for the next decade. Worldwide spending on VR/AR is forecast to accelerate out of the COVID-19 pandemic, growing from $12 billion in 2020 to $75 billion in 2024 to $1.5 trillion in 2030. Largest initial VR/AR applications will be in training & education,…

Virtual gathering places for customers benefit from collaborative and immersive apps Our Forward-Thinking clients are leveraging private digital customer communities to foster engagement with their customers. These collaboration communities are built on software such as Telligent, Salesforce, Higher Logic, and others. They integrate tightly with your CRM system and data management platform. We like to…

Three process pillars must be in place to steady your system Given that CRM systems are no longer a small-budget item, companies suffering from CRM system user fatigue need to get proactive about driving their systems’ success as the economy moves through COVID-19 recovery. Remember, your customers’ needs have changed and will continue to change…

    Press Release (for immediate release) February 8, 2020 Bethesda, Maryland ISM Announces its New Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Strategy & Implementation Practice   Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality (VR/AR) will be the most disruptive technology for the next decade.  Worldwide spending on VR/AR is forecasted to accelerate out of the COVID-19 pandemic,…

Our forward-thinking clients are leveraging private digital customer communities to foster engagement with their customers. These collaboration communities are built on software such as Telligent, Salesforce, Higher Logic, and others. They integrate tightly with your CRM system and data management platform leveraging VR, AR, and other emerging technologies to support and engage customers. We like…

Below the top 10 reasons why companies are turning to ISM to build their Digital Customer Community.   Digital Customer Communities typically are private online digital communities that: Nurture Leads & Grow Sales Achieve Superior Customer Support Deepen Customer Insight & Engagement Increase Customer Satisfaction & Loyalty #10:      Digital Customer Communities allow you to leverage any customer…

GIVEN that CRM systems are no longer a small-budget item, companies suffering from CRM system user fatigue need to get proactive about driving their systems’ success as the economy moves through COVID-19 recovery. Remember, your customers’ needs have changed and will continue to change because of COVID-19; now more than ever, you need to engage with them in their…

It is no longer business as usual, as companies around the world are having to learn to adjust to the new normal resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Customer knowledge and enhanced customer collaboration are at the core of this new normal. Here are the top three ways companies are adjusting: LEVERAGING HOLISTIC CUSTOMER PROFILES WITHIN…

GIVEN that CRM systems are no longer a small-budget item, companies suffering from CRM system user fatigue need to get proactive about driving their systems’ success as the economy moves through COVID-19 recovery. Remember, your customers’ needs have changed and will continue to change because of COVID-19; now more than ever, you need to engage with them in their…

Now is the time to harness all the tools of customer engagement It is no longer business as usual, as companies around the world are having to learn to adjust to the new normal resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Customer knowledge and enhanced customer collaboration are at the core of this new normal. Here are…

Putting customers at the center of your digital efforts involves sound CRM processes It’s no surprise most companies struggle with their digital transformation efforts. Eighty-five percent of all digital transformation initiatives fail to deliver the expected results. Having completed many digital transformation assessments for ISM’s global clients, I’m confident of this: A sound CRM strategy…

By John Chan Both Big Data and Artificial Intelligence applications (AI) have a mutually beneficial relationship. The success of AI applications is contingent on the big data input. AI is now assisting organizations towards utilizing their data as a means of influencing organizational decision-making with previously thought-to-be unfeasible methodologies. Glenn Gruber, a Senior Digital Strategist…

The customer journey has become both less linear and more complex as customers use an ever-increasing array of digital devices to engage brands across an almost limitless number of touch points. This has huge implications for initiating and maintaining engagement with customers and prospects as they move throughout the buying cycle. It is important for…

There are many reasons why companies fail to transform customer data into value, ranging from lack of executive sponsorship to data privacy issues to incomplete data to not having the tools to unlock this value. But by far the most important reason is a failure of the executive team to appreciate that technology alone is…

Contextual relevance can also help you capture anonymous prospects who may visit your website or otherwise engage with your brand without identifying themselves. Using contextual relevance to gather new prospects Existing customers are always easiest to target. That is because we have the most information on them, which helps to create relevant messages and enables…

Contextual relevance – the practice of delivering the right content through the right channel at the right time to customers at all stages of the buying journey – is the key to capturing and retaining customers in today’s omni-channel, digitally-connected marketplace. This particular blog post will offer some examples to illustrate its value. Contextual relevance…

More data has been produced in the last two years than in all previous history. And thanks to the Internet and an ever-expanding variety of connected devices, the amount of customer data available to businesses and brands is growing exponentially and will continue to do so. Properly collected and analyzed, customer data can deliver increased…

More than 70% of today’s customers make their buying decision before speaking with anyone from sales or customer service. To secure the sale, you must find them before they find you with timely messaging that’s relevant to wherever they happen to be in the buying cycle. This isn’t easy in today’s digital world, where customer…

Everyone agrees that more relevant marketing generates better results. But what does “more relevant marketing” mean in practice? It means delivering the right content through the right channel at the right time – with appropriate messaging, customized for individual prospects and optimized for wherever they happen to be in their buying journey. This is much…

Today, more than 11 billion Internet-connected devices produce more than 8 zettabytes of data per year. By 2025, forecasts call for 80 billion devices and 180 zettabytes of data, respectively.  The amount of data available to help you better understand your customers and their interactions with your brand(s) is greater than ever, and it will…

By Kathy Barton A branded digital customer community is like a private Facebook community, where you own the content, define the rules of the road, and moderate and curate the content. These communities offer many benefits to companies looking to promote business goals while providing members with information, support, interaction, and camaraderie. Some of these…

By Kathy Barton 80% of knowledge management projects underperform. Why? Information gets loaded into a database, but then quickly gets outdated. It’s hard to maintain, and it tends to be limited to what is known as explicit knowledge. This is information that’s easily written down, captured and stored in documents and databases. It’s really more…

With disintermediation on the rise, and with more and more customers demanding digital access to companies, there is no better way to welcome your end customers than to invite them to your “digital customer community.” This concept is made possible by the social media community software available in today’s market, a powerful tool that allows…

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is red-hot and for good reason. Coca-Cola is an example of a company that leverages AI to squeeze every drop of insight it can from the customer data it collects. Ever wonder how Cherry Sprite came about? Coca-Cola created Cherry Sprite as a new flavor after monitoring data collected from “smart” self-service…

Sixty-nine percent of decision makers use social media for purchase decisions. Ninety percent of buyers trust peer recommendations. Ninety-four percent of B2B buyers conduct online research before making a purchase. Companies like Amazon and Alibaba continue to raise the bar, forcing every company to rethink its digital strategy. No wonder 89 percent of executives say…

By Barton Goldenberg How well does your company nurture its sales leads?  Prospects at all stages of the buying journey are interacting with your brand.  They’re visiting your website, attending your events and consuming your content. How do you keep them engaged and keep in touch with them as they progress down the sales funnel…

Here is the digital dilemma captured in two sets of statistics: Eighty-nine percent of executives believe digitization will disrupt their business in 2019, yet less than 33 percent of executives believe their digital strategy is correct; meanwhile, spending on digital transformation initiatives will exceed $2 trillion in 2019, yet fewer than 85 percent of digital…

Everyone gets frustrated with customer support. Whichever support functions you use, you’ve probably found that they are limited in what they can do and what they offer. Traditional, siloed support solutions usually have a narrow intended audience, scope & function. They also are often constrained by time, geography or language. In response, many companies are…

By Barton Goldenberg Artificial Intelligence (AI) is red hot and for very good reasons. Coca Cola is a shining example of a company that leverages AI to squeeze every drop of insight it can from the customer data it collects. Ever wonder how Cherry Sprite came about? Coca Cola created Cherry Sprite as a new…

by Barton Goldenberg Process improvement is critical to maintaining a dynamic, growing, customer-focused business. Customers, the economy, business conditions, technology, and social norms are constantly changing. Thus, the need for companies to continuously evolve their businesses and business processes to meet new conditions. Yet, process development can be complex, time-consuming and overwhelming to many organizations.…

By John Chan Artificial Intelligence (AI), defined as the intelligence demonstrated by machines is a key element of a Digital Transformation that will impact all aspects of businesses worldwide. At present, AI is providing a major influence in the marketplace as the Gartner Group stated that by the end of 2018, 20% of business content…

One of our long-time customers came to us recently requesting a Digital Assessment and guidance in the formulation of their digital strategy.  They had recently expanded their number of distributors and felt it was time to assess both their distributors’ marketing effectiveness and how distributors could increasingly leverage digital strategies to enhance their marketing efforts…

While most global oil and gas industry companies are leaders in petroleum and related engineering, few oil and gas companies lead the pack in terms of customer strategy or the use of technology to drive customer engagement.  For one of ISM’s global, oil field services customers, we were tasked with assessing their current digital sales…

The Digital Dilemma: 89% of executives believe digitization will disrupt their business in 2019, yet < 33% of executives believe their digital strategy is correct.  Spending on Digital Transformation initiatives will exceed $2 trillion in 2019, yet > 85% of digital transformation initiatives fail to deliver expected results. How to overcome the digital dilemma?  Best-in-class…

Less than 1/3 of these executives believe that their digital strategy is correct. Many organizations are overwhelmed with how to successfully implement their digital initiatives. The result is high failure rate. What if your staff had a clear digital initiative road map on how to break down the initiative into bite-size pieces and applies a…

Discover the new era in private online communities. By Barton Goldenberg With disintermediation on the rise, and with more and more customers demanding digital access to companies, there is no better way to welcome your end-customers than to invite them into your ‘digital customer communities’. This concept is made possible by the powerful social media…

by Barton Goldenberg According to an IDC estimate, the spending on digital transformation initiatives will exceed $2 trillion in 2019. With this level of investment, it is concerning that less than 1/3 of these executives believe that their digital strategy is correct, and only 21% believe the right people are setting their digital strategy. What…

by Barton Goldenberg This continues our two-part series on ISM’s framework for digital transformation examining the digital transformation building blocks for digital success. The Five Digital Transformation Building Blocks In our experience, companies that have been successful in their digital transformation efforts employ an integrated framework, where data produced and used in various customer strategy…

By Nick Rojas For this week, ISM will feature a Guest Blog Post from Nick Rojas concerning proven methods of increasing customer engagement Customer engagement is very important to a business’s overall success. As a business owner, it is paramount to have your customers engaged with your brand as much as possible. This is because…

In our experience, companies that have been successful in their digital transformation efforts employ an integrated framework, where data produced and used in various customer-facing projects is integrated and shared seamlessly between activities. Companies that have struggled to tackle digital transformation typically fall short with respect to one or more of five key building blocks. CRM Data…

69% of decision makers use social media for purchase decisions. 90% of buyers trust peer recommendations. 94% of B2B buyers conduct online research before making purchase. Companies including Amazon and Alibaba continue to raise the bar forcing every company to rethink their digital strategy. Companies such as Airbnb and VRBO continue to wreak havoc in…

By Barton Goldenberg and Mike Bender The amount of data an organization has available to understand their customer is immense. Some organizations are mastering their data and others are overwhelmed by the volume. Today, more than 11 billion connected devices are producing eight zettabytes of data per year. The amount of data only grows with…

Successful companies have made data analytics a part of their DNA for a reason. To succeed, business decisions must now be made based on an enhanced understanding of customers’ preferences and behavior in the new digital environment. Read this article as I examine three case studies on using data analytics to deepen customer engagement. View…

  Jan. 8, 2019 Press Releases BETHESDA, MD, Jan. 8, 2019 — ISM has been recognized as one of the 10 Most Promising Digital Experience Consulting Companies in 2018. ISM was awarded by CIOReview Magazine, for their contributions to in customer digital engagement strategy. For more than three decades, ISM has pioneered the design and…

By Mike Bender Today, more than 11 billion connected devices are producing eight zettabytes of data per year.  The data only grows with billions of phones, sensors, payment systems, and other Internet of Things (IoT) devices added every day.  By 2025, forecasts call for 80 billion devices producing a staggering 180 zettabytes of data.  The industry leaders…

ISM is honored to be recognized as one of the 10 Most Promising Digital Experience Consulting Companies in 2018, awarded by CIO Review Magazine.  In the January issue of CIO Review Magazine, ISM is recognized and featured in an article where ISM’s President Barton Goldenberg is interviewed by CIO Review Magazine.  Attached is the featured…

By Mike Bender Best-in-class companies have made data analytics a part of their DNA for a reason. In today’s digital marketplace, the nature of the game has changed.  To succeed, business decisions must now be made based on an enhanced understanding of customers’ preferences and behavior in both online and offline environments. A strong data…

by Barton Goldenberg Today there are more than 11 billion connected devices producing more than 8 zetabytes of data per year. In the next five years, the number of connected devices will increase eightfold, while the amount of data they produce will increase a staggering 22 times. This trend will only accelerate over time. Organizations…

by Barton Goldenberg Best-in-class companies have made data analytics a part of their DNA for a reason.  In today’s digital marketplace, the nature of the game has changed. The traditional sales model of cold calls, followed by lead qualification and product demos, is now complemented by social networks, online engagement, and education. It is the…

By Kathy Barton A branded social media community is like a private Facebook community, where you own the content, define the rules of the road, and moderate and curate the content. These communities offer many benefits to companies looking to promote business goals while providing members with information, support, interaction, and comradery. Some of these…

You can invite who you want, and you control the information these communities yield When it comes to engaging with your customers or other constituents, many observers deem private or “branded” communities as superior to public ones like Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter, for one simple reason: A private community is purposely not open to the…

by Barton Goldenberg Knowing The Customer Is The Key To All Marketing Today’s customers and prospects engage with brands across many devices and touchpoints.  Sometimes these individuals are well-identified, such as when they make a purchase, contact a call center or complete an online form.  At other times, contacts are anonymous, as when browsing a…

by Barton Goldenberg Today, customers have almost limitless ways engage brands, using all kinds of devices across hundreds of touch points. This is the new normal, and the amount and complexity of digital information will only grow in the future. At the same time, potentially-available customer data already exceeds the ability of most organizations to…

By Barton Goldenberg How well does your company nurture its sales leads?  Prospects at all stages of the buying journey are interacting with your brand.  They’re visiting your website, attending your events and consuming your content. How do you keep them engaged and keep in touch with them as they progress down the sales funnel…

By Kathy Barton Everyone gets frustrated with customer support. Whichever support functions you use, you’ve probably found that they are limited in what they can do and what they offer. Traditional, siloed support solutions usually have a narrow intended audience, scope & function. They also are often constrained by time, geography or language. In response,…

By Kathy Barton 80% of knowledge management projects underperform. Why? Information gets loaded into a database, but then quickly gets outdated. It’s hard to maintain, and it tends to be limited to what is known as explicit knowledge. This is information that’s easily written down, captured and stored in documents and databases. It’s really more…

by Kelly Potter For this week, ISM will feature another Guest Blog Post from Kelly Potter concerning the positive and negative effects of IoT in Hospitality. Imagine our everyday objects interacting with each other via the internet. That’s the Internet of Things (IoT) in its simplest form. According to Forbes, “The Internet of Things is the network of…

By John Chan With the immense changes brought about by digital ecosystems, the marketplace will reward the organizations that understand the importance of digital ecosystems in the marketplace. Organizational management can create new foundations of value via the use of digital ecosystems and consequently change the power dynamics of global business. eBusiness professionals should recognize…

By John Chan A successful organizational digital transformation effort will necessitate numerous changes in an organization’s operating model. When beginning a digital transformation effort, many organizations will take a piecemeal approach.  They will simply making changes to just one business division or a product line as an experiment to fine tune its tactics for digital…

It should come as no surprise that there is confusion over what is meant by “customer success” and how exactly to apply this new approach to your day-to-day business. Like other paradigm shifts, it will take time for customer success to become mainstream. Let’s take a brief look at these paradigm shifts. View the full…

by Barton Goldenberg The key, as always, is data—and how you use it I attended an alumni course at my alma mater, the Wharton School, titled “Customer Centricity.” We played a simulation game where each group implemented a variety of sales, marketing, and service activities with the goal of maximizing customer value over time. When…

By John Chan With digital technologies transforming the marketplace, organization management must design digital customer experiences to deliver customer value as a means of prospering in the future. However, management cannot simply deliver customer value by fine-tuning their customer touchpoints. Rather, management must set up a connected Web of services and business functionalities to acclimate…

By John Chan Digital technologies are now significantly affecting the global marketplace. A recent Forrester survey found that 89% of business executives surveyed foresee that digital technologies will have a tremendous impact on their business within the near future. Digital technologies have already had a huge effect on some industries as illustrated by the examples…

By Barton Goldenberg The concept of Customer Success originated with companies actively targeting ‘at-risk’ accounts with teams designed to increase retention by helping customers derive more value from their products and services. These companies soon discovered that their efforts, initially targeted at “stopping the bleeding,” could be extended to their entire customer base. This proactive…

By John Chan The business world is changing rapidly in the today’s marketplace. A key force behind this change is the impact of digital technology. Digital technology is altering the undercurrents of the marketplace and the rapidity of how organizations to respond to changes in the market. Simultaneously, digital technologies have changed how people research,…

By Jim Rulison For this week, ISM will feature another Guest Blog Post from Jim Rulison concerning the option of using templates vs. custom layouts for marketing campaigns. To have a successful marketing campaign, there are plenty of important decisions to make along the way. From narrowing down and defining a target audience, deciding how…

By Barton Goldenberg Nowadays it seems like everyone is jumping on the Customer Success bandwagon. Yet in our observation, many companies are unclear where this leads. It involves much more than creating a new team of Customer Success Managers, giving them access to existing data and processes, calling them accountable and calling it a day.…

By Jim Rulison For this week, ISM will feature a Guest Blog Post from Jim Rulison concerning six secrets to wooing your target audience. Many marketers consider the target audience to be the most important component of a marketing campaign. Whether it is traditional or digital advertising, no marketing method, including direct mail marketing will…

by Barton Goldenberg The concept of Customer Success originated with companies actively targeting ‘at-risk’ accounts with teams designed to increase retention by helping customers derive more value from their products and services. These companies soon discovered that their efforts, initially targeted at “stopping the bleeding,” could be extended to their entire customer base. This proactive…

by Barton Goldenberg Effective Customer Success Nowadays it seems like everyone is jumping on the Customer Success bandwagon. Yet in our observation, many companies are unclear where this leads. It involves much more than creating a new team of Customer Success Managers, giving them access to existing data and processes, calling them accountable and calling…

by Barton Goldenberg Gone are the days when you can simply ‘push’ your product or service onto a customer. Product-driven marketing – messaging focused on features and benefits and promotional offers aimed at driving sales – is no longer effective. Features are easy to copy and offers are easy to match. Many companies have realized…

by Barton Goldenberg Gone are the days when you can simply ‘push’ your product or service onto a customer. Product-driven marketing – messaging focused on features and benefits and promotional offers aimed at driving sales – is no longer effective. Features are easy to copy and offers are easy to match. Many companies know it…

By Barton Goldenberg Customer experience management needs to be at the vanguard of your strategy In this space over the past year or so, I’ve focused on the necessity of having an integrated customer-centric strategy to survive in the digital age. Such a strategy is built upon various pillars of engagement, including traditional media, social…

Overheard from 5 participants attending a recent high-tech conference in Silicon Valley: Participant #1:            “You’ve got to get onto the Customer Success bandwagon; it is what all great companies subscribe to.” Participant #2:            “What exactly is meant by Customer Success?” Participant #3:            “I think it is a new term that one of the valley’s high-tech…

By John Chan CRM has become a necessity for today’s organization. It is a technology and a process for obtaining and appealing to new customers, along with strengthening relationships with current customers. With CRM analytics, organizational management can document and assess customer/prospect actions for future marketing campaigns. A customer lifecycle can be determined from the…

By Barton Goldenberg Concerning the Internet of Things options for retailers: At present, there is no one company that can create a single comprehensive Internet of Things (IoT) solution for retailers.  IoT equipment manufacturers can put the IoT sensors together, while the IoT integrators must integrate the IoT equipment into a huge IoT ecosystem.  Organizations…

By Barton Goldenberg There are various retail Internet of Things (IoT) benefits and risks that retailers will encounter before, during and after implementation. The IoT is not a one-size fits all solution as all retailers need to segment their customer base carefully and be differential whenever a high-touch approach is required and when low-touch approach…

By Barton Goldenberg As the Internet of Things (IoT) phenomena becomes more prevalent in the marketplace, major retailer brands are adopting various IoT applications. From my analysis of the IoT retail marketplace, here are my key observations concerning IoT for retail: The need for best-in-class retailers to survive in the current digital deluge environment and…

By Barton Goldenberg As the Internet of Things (IoT) phenomena becomes more prevalent in the marketplace, major retailer brands are adopting various IoT applications.  From ISM’s analysis of the IoT retail marketplace, here are four key retail IoT case studies that demonstrate major retailers’ efforts to thrive in the new IoT business environment: Rebecca Minkoff…

By Barton Goldenberg As the Internet of Things (IoT) phenomena becomes more prevalent in the marketplace, major retailer brands are adopting various IoT applications.  From ISM’s analysis of the retail IoT market, here are the four key retail IoT applications that will be critical for retailers in their efforts to thrive in the changing business…

Your company can either navigate the digital deluge, or be swamped by it.  Having a sturdy data foundation now is critical to successful customer engagement in the future.  Properly collected and analyzed, customer data can deliver increased business revenue, bigger wallet share, and happier and more loyal customers willing to advocate for your company’s brand(s). View the…

By Nick Rojas CRMs have tremendous potential, but many of the businesses that own CRM software use only a few of the features it offers. Not only can this reduce the value of a business’ investment in CRM software—it can also result in that company being less versatile than its competitors. If you want to…

By Barton Goldenberg MORE THAN 70 percent of today’s customers make their buying decision without speaking to anyone from a company’s sales or customer service departments. So securing a sale increasingly means serving up relevant information to the right person at the right time—their way, not yours—during their buying window. It’s no easy task in…

By Barton Goldenberg ISM predicts that the biggest impact of the Internet of Things (IoT) will be in the global retail market as according to the 2016 McKinsey Global Institute report, IoT is forecasted to have a total economic impact of between $3.9 and $11 trillion a year by 2025, including $410 billion to $1.2…

By Barton Goldenberg More data has been produced in the last two years than in all previous history. And thanks to the Internet and an ever-expanding variety of connected devices, the amount of customer data available to businesses and brands is growing exponentially and will continue to do so. Properly collected and analyzed, customer data…

By Nick Rojas Your marketing plan is one of the most important strategic documents your company can have. It should help you reach your target audience effectively, engage them, and create a demand for your products or services. A successful entrepreneur should think about their marketing plan the same way a chess champion thinks about…

By Barton Goldenberg When a new technology like the Internet of Things arrives on the scene, I find it helpful to ask this question: “What are the people, process and technology issues that need to be overcome in order to fully exploit this new technology?”  Below are my current observations. ‘People’ Issues Providing necessary training…

By Barton Goldenberg 1. What are the Internet of Thing’s resulting customer service challenges? The resulting customer service challenges include: New Contact Center support requirements: I foresee the Contact Centers of the future offering support across most if not all channels – including telephone, Web, SMS messaging, Social Media, Internet of Things – that feed…

By Barton Goldenberg As with any new technology, there are plenty of questions that need to be asked by the management of every organization considering implementing the innovative technology.  Here are three key questions concerning the Internet of Things and my initial responses to each question. 1) Is there a sustainable driving force behind the…

By Nick Rojas Like everything in life, good business is strengthened by good relationships. Having as close a relationship with your customers as possible will only work to further improve sales. Taking the extra information, you know about them and their needs into account allows for success that might not have come otherwise. To aid…

By Barton Goldenberg Here are two significant Internet of Things technologies that are impacting merchant–customer relationships: 1. A Beacon is a very small transmitting radio that sends relevant information to a desired location.  Beacons utilize Bluetooth Low Energy technology, which is a wireless technology standard for exchanging data efficiently over short distances from fixed and…

By Ronald L. Dod For this week, ISM will feature a Guest Blog Post from Ronald L. Dod concerning how your eCommerce brand can boost your customer experience. Description: Discover ways to boost your eCommerce customer experience and have a more successful eCommerce store. We often hear about user experience (UX), but the term customer experience…

By Gloria Kopp For this week, ISM will feature a Guest Blog Post from Gloria Kopp concerning the Top 5 Cloud Computing Mistakes made by businesses. If you have streamlined your business to the cloud, you will already be seeing the outstanding benefits of being able to access everything from everywhere. It can be hugely…

By Barton Goldenberg Closely related to the Internet of Everything is the ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT), which can be defined as any natural or man-made object that is embedded with sensors that are assigned an Internet address and that transfers data coming from the sensors by connecting wirelessly via the Internet to servers located in…

Choose channels, gather data, create profiles, analyze, deliver right message at the right time. Repeat… View the full article here.

Barton Goldenberg discusses how beauty companies can do better at CRM… View the full article here.

By Barton Goldenberg In the future, most if not all of an organization’s products and services will be connected to the Internet.  These connections form a key part of the Internet of Everything and its more important counterpart the Internet of Things.  But before I get ahead of myself, let’s start with the definition of…

By Nick Rojas For this week, ISM will feature a another Guest Blog Post from Nick Rojas concerning Social Media practices for franchises. Some brands have become synonymous their product/service. Examples are saying you’re going to “Google” something instead of use a search engine, or grab some “Kleenex” instead of just tissue. Of course, this…

By Barton Goldenberg Any organization wishing to be around in 10 years will have to execute a sound channel optimization strategy.  That strategy must answer at least these two questions: (1) Is the organization optimizing channel partner integration, the channels that their customers use, or both? and (2) How is the organization accommodating multi-channel optimization?…

By Barton Goldenberg A second key component of channel optimization is optimizing each selected channel – see diagram above – through the use of integrated processes and technology. (The first key component is achieving a balance between fulfilling each customer’s desired channel preferences versus achieving the organization’s desire to secure the lowest cost-to-serve channel option…

By Barton Goldenberg To succeed at channel optimization, organizational management must overcome the challenges of finding the right balance between delivering desired customer channel preferences while simultaneously driving customers to the lowest cost-to-serve channel that is acceptable to them. The key challenge for organizations is to find the right balance between delivering desired customer channel…

By Barton Goldenberg All organizations at one time or another have dealt with happy and unhappy customers, profitable and unprofitable customers as well as ‘high maintenance’ and ‘low maintenance’ customers.  What if an organization had a magic wand and could optimize the channel(s) that each of their customers uses such that each customer gets to…

Customers want information relevant to them, served up their way… View the full article here.

Working with a channel sales partner is a unique relationship. Barton shares a few ways to stand out from the crowd, build your relationship, and sell more effectively with channel partners, in this article from Salesforce’s Quotable blog.

By Barton Goldenberg The advent of data analytics and insight are already having a meaningfully impact on the way that organizations manage their customer relationships and customer engagements.  Best-in-class organizations have already concluded that to be successful, data analytics must be tightly integrated into their Social CRM application.  Concerning the impact of Data Analytics on…

By Barton Goldenberg While there is no shortage of Data analytics opportunities within an organization, succeeding at implementing Data analytics is no slam-dunk.  The following seven requirements need to be in place as the key components of effective data driven decision making: Data Analytics Strategy & Goals:  Why is the organization embarking on a Data…

By Barton Goldenberg Let’s briefly examine how a few organizations are applying Big Data analysis and insight to work. • A major insurance company’s automobile division determined some time ago that to accurately assess the risk associated with insuring an individual’s car, they needed more than the traditional demographic variables like age, sex, location of…

By Barton Goldenberg The term “Big Data” refers to ‘data-driven, tactical decision-making derived from large data volumes coming from a variety of sources (e.g., transactional, Social Media, mobile devices, electronic transactions, etc.).’ The growth in Big Data over the past few years has been explosive.  At the end of 2016, this growth of Big Data…

By Barton Goldenberg Gamification is all about organizations applying social technology to time-tested, motivational methods.   Millennials love to play games – they grew up playing them.  Gamification within a business setting can help motivate Millennial employees and customers to perform certain activities within their Social CRM system. Here is a primary list of exemplary ways…

By Monika Götzmann For this week, ISM will feature a Guest Blog Post from Monika Götzmann concerning Customer Retention. When it comes to improving the performance of a business, the priority is often to increase the number of sales made and when attempting to do so, many companies place a focus on branching out and attracting new…

By Barton Goldenberg Gamification applications are receiving a lot of attention in the current marketplace, and I am 100% certain that they will continue to grow significantly in the future.  In 2010, there were 500 results for Google searches for “Gamification.”  Today there are 7.6 million results.  In 2013, businesses spent $242 million on Gamification…

By Nick Rojas For this week, ISM will feature a another Guest Blog Post from Nick Rojas concerning Artificial Intelligence. Digital marketing has revolutionized customer acquisition in several ways. On the one hand, it has provided a wealth of new tools to help marketers engage prospective buyers and drive them into their purchasing funnels. On…

Learn how to identify the top four challenges for a path of an integrated customer-centric strategy… View the full article here.

Customer experience management needs to be at the vanguard of your strategy… View the full article here.

By Barton Goldenberg In my previous Gamification – related blog post, I discussed how Gamification can benefit an organization for its Social CRM efforts. Now, I will describe two additional examples of how Gamification can benefit an organization towards employee satisfaction and customer relations. Lower Contact Center agent turnover In general, Contact Centers are staffed…

Barton Goldenberg discusses three critical customer relationship agendas for manufacturers embracing servitization… View the full article here.

By Nick Rojas For this week, ISM will feature a Guest Blog Post from Nick Rojas. If you’re serious about upgrading your digital marketing strategy for the foreseeable future, you’re going to want to take advantage of one very important asset: Artificial Intelligence (AI) might have been a theory in the 20th century, but in…

By Barton Goldenberg Gamification is defined as: The use of applying game-like elements to non-game environments to influence behavior. The integration of game mechanics into a Website, Social Media community, campaign or application in order to drive engagement. Gamification allows an organization to benefit from the adoption of psychology techniques to motivate people to perform…

By Barton Goldenberg The key impact of mobility on Social CRM will be the ability of businesses and customers to use mobile devices to engage with Social CRM applications. As millennials become an increasingly important part of the workforce, their ‘always on, always connected’ approach to everything they do will require Social CRM information to…

By Barton Goldenberg What is the most important business application that one can have on a mobile device?  By 2018, I believe this application will be Mobile Social CRM. (Social CRM functionality accessed on a mobile device) Four key reasons are driving increasing market adoption of mobile Social CRM: Reason #1: Mobile Devices The almost-universal…

By Barton Goldenberg Anyone with teenagers knows that the world’s 3 billion Millennials (born since 1985 and also known as ‘Generation Y’) are obsessed with being ‘always on, always connected’ to the Internet and to their friends.  The Millennial generation currently accounts for 45% of world population. 50% of Millennials perform research via the Web…

By Barton Goldenberg In my previous post, I discussed how a hypothetical hotel chain effectively used Social CRM to accurately target a so-called “customer of the future,” Debbie Jones, and her friends. Now let’s take our leveraging Social Graph Tools Case Study a step further, as the chain, which we’re calling Happy Hotels, purchases a…

By Barton Goldenberg As consumers increasingly adopt Social Media as part of their lifestyle, organizations must ask, “Can we afford not to connect with potential customers in the way that they expect to be communicated with?”  The answer seems clear: Social Media will meaningfully change the way that organizations market, sell and service their customers. …

By Barton Goldenberg In previous posts, I outlined various security risks associated with Social CRM installations, all pointing to the importance of developing an appropriate Social CRM security policy. Since no one technology or process can provide total security, the aim is to develop a defense through an in-depth Social CRM security policy. Securing a…

By Barton Goldenberg I hope you are enjoying the holidays with friends, family and co-workers alike. During 2016, ISM pioneered the important new concept of Integrated Customer-Centric Strategy, and I had the pleasure of presenting it at several conferences and company events around the country. Throughout the year, we have helped clients thrive in the…

By Barton Goldenberg A major risk to the Social CRM enterprise resides on an organization’s employees’ PCs, laptops and mobile devices.  Malicious code can take many forms: a computer virus, a “Trojan”, or active content like Java and ActiveX programs. Excellent anti-virus protection tools exist and should be implemented by all organizations, but they must…

By Barton Goldenberg At least from a security perspective, the people in an organization are its weakest link.  Anyone, from customer service representatives in the contact center to sales executives equipped with laptops, can inadvertently—or intentionally—create a security breach.  And one aspect of human behavior is a given: with enough effort, it is easy to…

By Barton Goldenberg The growth of Social CRM is exposing organizations to more risk than ever before. Social Media communities open the organization to all kinds of new exposure. Threats can come from hardware, software, operating systems, middleware, networks and elsewhere. Minimizing security risk for Social CRM is just as important as for other applications…

By Nick Rojas Every company has those few clients that we treat as high value accounts. You know you can’t lose them, and they know it too. Clients that know their value often ask for lower prices. They feel, and sometimes rightly so, that they have exceptional negotiating power. In fact, we’ll even say that…

A new technology links customers’ online and offline data, giving you a single, comprehensive view… View the full article here.

By Barton Goldenberg A key aspect of Customer Engagement involves leveraging social insights stored in the customer profile and elsewhere within a Social CRM application to engage with customers or prospects via their preferred channel(s).  For example, if a customer engages with your organization via Twitter, you will want to reply to the customer the…

By Barton Goldenberg As I mentioned in my previous post, the technology issues involved in Social CRM initiatives are extremely complex. This is, in part, due to the ever-expanding number of technical options in the marketplace. I also described two distinct software vendor camps competing for Social CRM business: 1) dedicated Social Media platform vendors…

A digital strategy – with CRM as the core–is mandatory for all companies wishing to survive the digital future… View the full article here.

By Barton Goldenberg Within any technology implementation, people and process issues will have the greatest impact on the ultimate success of the project. Still, at some point, one or more new pieces of technology will need to be purchased and installed. The issues around this are highly complex, given the ever-expanding number of options in…

By Barton Goldenberg Thriving Digital Customer Communities are driven by the active and engaged participation of their members. For private, branded communities tied to a particular organization, this necessarily involves participation from the organization’s employees. Such communities function best when in-house participants are motivated and passionate about the organization, its brand(s) and its products. I…

By Barton Goldenberg Nearly all organizations underestimate the time and effort required to execute successful Digital Customer Communities.  For example: Setting up a content calendar for the community takes a lot of time and commitment from others.  Do they have this time?  Will they make this commitment? Experienced bloggers will confirm that it always takes…

By Barton Goldenberg Last time I wrote about the importance of creating Social Media policies to govern employee activities on Social Media. I will now discuss my Social Media policy recommendations. Here are three Social Media policy best practices that every organization should keep in mind: Legislate: Effective Social Media policies make clear to employees…

By Barton Goldenberg Given the importance of getting the Social Media component right in a Social CRM initiative, I want to focus this post on best ‘people’ practices for an organization’s Social Media effort.  Thus includes Creating and Adhering to Social Media Policies. Any organization that is active in Social Media should put in place…

By Barton Goldenberg In my previous blog posts, I discussed effective training and a responsive help desk, the first two out of the three components that will assist in determining the long-term success of any Social CRM implementation. Here I will discuss the third component: Comprehensive Systems Administration. In most organizations, a systems administrator is…

By Barton Goldenberg In my previous blog post, I discussed effective training, the first of the three components that will assist in determining the long-term success of any Social CRM implementation. Here I will discuss the crucial element of a help desk for a Social CRM initiative. A Responsive Help Desk Every Social CRM system…

By Barton Goldenberg To ensure high user adoption of Social CRM systems, as well as happy and engaged users, the following three components are required: Effective Social CRM training A Responsive Help Desk Comprehensive systems administration These three components often determine the long-term success of any Social CRM implementation.  In this blog post, we will…

By Barton Goldenberg Here are five ways to that will help every organization address and hopefully overcome the inevitable Social CRM – related people issues that challenge every Social CRM initiative. Announce Social CRM Efforts Internally The launch of a Social CRM initiative should be done with great pride and care.  Many people in the…

By Barton Goldenberg In my previous blog post, I provided an example of a Social CRM implementation in which people issues led to the derailment of the implementation. Here, I will provide two examples of a Social CRM implementation in which the people issues were handled well and helped secure very successful implementations. Publishing Industry…

By Barton Goldenberg Of the three components in the people, process, technology mix I consider mastering the ‘people’ component of a Social CRM implementation as the most difficult challenge for any organization given the sensitivity of users to change.  The following case study is an example of a Social CRM implementation that I have been…

By Barton Goldenberg As promised in my previous blog post, I will be describing the third and final stage of my proven three-stage process in designing a Social Media strategy for creating successful Social Media communities: “Calibrate”. To calibrate an organization’s Social Media strategy, one must set and measure community metrics, outline execution and ongoing support…

By Barton Goldenberg As promised in my previous blog post, I will be describing the second stage of my proven three-stage process in designing a Social Media strategy for creating successful Social Media communities: “Navigate”. In the navigate stage of a Social Media strategy, the organization must: Select the Appropriate Social Media Software Vendor Tools…

By Barton Goldenberg In this blog post, I will describe the first stage of my proven three-stage process in designing a Social Media strategy for creating successful Social Media communities: “Contemplate”. The key steps within the Contemplate stage are: Assess current situation. Understand the community’s linkage to the overall business strategy. Define the audience. Determine…

By Barton Goldenberg A crucial element to customer-centric strategy implementation success is that business process improvement precedes technology.  On a recent vacation in Italy, I had the pleasure of watching Germany win a major soccer tournament.  I was impressed by how well the Germans and Argentinian players in the tournament had played, but more importantly,…

By Barton Goldenberg Business process change is a delicate mater, for automating a broken business process will only make matters worse and negatively impact the success of the customer-centric system implementation.  Possible customer strategies may include but are not limited to: Digital Transformation, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Digital Customer Communities, Customer Engagement, Data & Analytics,…

By Barton Goldenberg An effective Social CRM implementation requires a critical mix of three key components: people, processes and technology.  This mix must be adjusted throughout the initiative to ensure sustainable success. Inadequately addressing any one component can result in program failure. Of the three, the ‘people’ component can present the greatest challenge given the…

By Barton Goldenberg The potential of Social CRM still remains untapped by many organizations because executives are intimidated by the issues associated with automating Social CRM tasks and implementing appropriate systems. ISM has developed a 10-step approach to help organizations implement Social CRM. My experience over the past 30 years suggests that when executives follow…

By Barton Goldenberg In my last post I discussed 12 key questions to ask potential vendors to help identify the most suitable Social CRM software for your organization. Once you’ve chosen your vendor, here are some tips for negotiating the optimum product/service agreement and price. According to Gartner, up to 80% of consumers’ discretionary spending is influenced…

By: John Chan, Director, ISM Software Lab Director ISM rigorously tests and reviews all major CRM software applications so we can provide up-to-date guidance to our clients.  During our most recent evaluations, we discovered a significant trend: The Increased Availability of Geolocation Functionality.  Geolocation is a set of tools that provides visualization and mapping insights…

By Barton Goldenberg In my last post I discussed three significant phases in the Social CRM software selection process: writing the system specifications, vendor RFP response review and the Social CRM demo.  Now, here are some key questions to ask each potential vendor to help you select the most suitable software for your organization. Having a structured…

By Barton Goldenberg In my last post I discussed the key technical aspects of Social CRM software selection.  Now I will discuss three significant phases in the software selection process: writing the system specifications, vendor RFP response review and the Social CRM demo. Writing the System Specifications Upon completion of the system needs analysis, prioritized business functional…

By Barton Goldenberg In my last post I began a discussion about selecting Social CRM software by outlining a 10-step methodology for determining and prioritizing the business requirements that need to be met by the project. Here I continue with respect to the technical aspects of Social CRM software implementation. During the Social CRM software…