Welcome to the Melcrum Social Media Newsletter

Second Life has received much attention in the last few months as millions flock to try this latest technology. However, Melcrum's recent survey on social media in major organizations demonstrated a distinct lack of genuine interest in this online virtual world, with over 75% of respondents saying neither they, nor their organization had any interest in Second Life whatsoever. So, is it a waste of virtual space or will the 3D web become a major part of our lives in the future?

For our new social media report, we spoke to IBM’s Philippe Borremans about his organization’s work and development in Second Life. It already has an archipelago of IBM islands in Second Life and has a "virtual world" function in the organization to manage its presence in this and other "metaverses."

The dawn of a new age of employee communication in interactive 3D interfaces is only a short step away. "Our internal communication people are already exploring Second Life's potential for engaging IBMers around the world," explains Borremans. "Many are convinced that the prospect of running global meetings in virtual worlds at a fraction of the cost is not that far away."

Why not have your say on Second Life via the Melcrum blog?

Best wishes,

Alex Manchester,
Editor
alex.manchester@melcrum.com

This week's Melcrum headlines:

• Will Parisians embrace Second Life?
  - The Melcrum Blog - 11 April 2007
  
• Social media use high in workplace
  - The Hub - 5 April 2007
  
• The dark side to social media
  - Melcrum blog - 17 April 2007