Roughly 5000 IBM’s customer support and service team members have been virtually shipped online to 50 different virtual islands on Second Life.

The intention is to bring on board IBM’s potential and existing clients and partners to be able to interact with their staff online. IBM has lifted various staff from its Australian and Asian offices to join 3D game to help boost and improve its customer service and educate the users on its products. Some of the 5000 team members also use other social interaction sites and programs to communicate.

The various islands are used for research, new staff induction, and meetings.

By means of putting them in a 3D social environment, the users are able to communicate by voice, text and read materials available in the game.

IBM claims that about 10,000 visitors have moved to this type of communication channel since it open in May.

General Manager of IBM.com said “In our IBM virtual Business Centre, we’re combining the content from our 2D website with our real IBM sales people, all in an immersive, 3D virtual experience,” “This forms a new, 3D client interaction model, one that we feel will be very effective. It may even be, we believe, the way some of our clients prefer to engage in the future.”

IBM stated that this early adoption of a 3D environment is a risk that it has taken however works as a tool in completing their current website, as opposed to a replacement.

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/news/biztech/ibm-expands-virtual-world-presence/2007/08/24/1187462452853.html

A similar concept was applied by Hyro to recruit new staff members – http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/9525/50/

In gamers can visit Hyro’s virtual office to view current career opportunities, submit applications, attend interviews and get more information about the company.