Google went public with Lively, one of its virtual world projects. The browser based offering joins Meez Nation and a number of other browser based virtual world offerings currently within the marketplace. IBM and Linden Lab announced the launch of their Open Grid Public Beta project. Interoperability within virtual worlds is something both companies have been working on in partnership for sometime.

Each of the above were discussed with analysts looking to understand how the third wave is taking shape. While public listed companies were mere observers of the second wave they are now positioning themselves to be active participants within the third wave. Making this transition from user centric to user driven is one of the great challenges many organisations face as we enter the Meta Age. Interesting times indeed.

Debra Aho Williamson shared Comscore KPI data for each of above looking at unique visitors worldwide, US social network advertising spend and time spent on site. The growth and importance of social network platforms continues apace. With proof-of-concepts now firmly in place all eyes are on next generation platforms soon to come to market.

Some of the hybrids we are tracking from the social network and virtual worlds space show promising early signs. As development continues apace within this space each of these next generation platforms will take digital identity and attention streams to a whole new level. All of which will provide the foundations necessary for the Meta Age to become a reality.

Rivers Run Red CEO Justin Boddington recently remarked that 60% of the queries they have received of late related to internal communication projects. Organisations cannot be something on the outside they are not already on the inside as many early entrants to Second Life have learned. With two of the Metaverse Development Company founders who brought many of the early entrants into Second Life awakening to this fact that is a very good thing.

PA Consulting and The Sunday Times recently teamed up to host a conference titled Getting Real About Business in Second Life. Claus Nehmzow of PA Consulting moderated a panel with Randy Sisks of Cisco, Pascal Spelier of ABN Amro and Dominic Rushe of The Sunday Times. The event was recorded and is viewable in four parts. Runtime for each video is under 10 minutes.

Part one and two provide business presentations from each of the panel on their experiences in Second Life todate. Part three covers the following topics from the Q&A – virtual worlds v video conferencing, partnering through Second Life, communication methods and integrate channels. Part four covers the following topics from the Q&A – entry costs, focus groups, confidential meetings, recruitment and the future of virtual worlds.

Over the next five years most businesses will have a virtual world presence just as they have a website today. As the above example demonstrates some of the more forward looking organisations are already experimenting with early virtual world offerings. While only at the very beginning of the beginning of our transition to a Meta Age virtual worlds represent a unique facilitation role for organisations of all sizes and sectors. Interesting times indeed.

The second was Getting Real Work Done in Virtual Worlds by Erica Driver and Paul Jackson. It predicts that within five years, the 3-D Internet will be as important for work as the Web is today. Information and knowledge management professionals should begin to investigate and experiment with virtual worlds. Both reports provide useful reference points as to what lies ahead.

BBC recently ran an excellent three-part series titled Visions of the Future. Futurist Dr Michio Kaku hosted the series and explores the cutting edge science of today, tomorrow, and beyond. Part one is titled The Intelligence Revolution and looks at what will happen when ubiquitous computing converges with the Internet.

In this century, we are going to make the historic transition from the ‘Age of Discovery’ to the ‘Age of Mastery’, a period in which we will move from being passive observers of nature to its active choreographers.

Ronan and I both share Michio’s worldview that humankind is at the beginning of the beginning of a major transition. Runtime of part one is 50 minutes. For those interested part two titled The Biotech Revolution and part three titled The Quantum Revolution are also recommended viewing.

Catching up on news over the last week three pieces caught my attention. The first was Draxtor Despres video report titled Media in SL : old vs new? An indigenous media sector was already well established prior to the arrival of Reuters, AvaStar, Sky News and iCNN over the last year. Draxtor speaks with representatives of each camp on how they view each other in this 5 minute clip.

The second piece was Sir Tim Berners-Lee commentary on the social graph meme doing the rounds. Paul Miller has an excellent post which follows the conversations which have taken place since and is recommended reading. Looking forward to seeing what semSL, a project to combine the virtual world of Second Life with semantic technologies, holds in store once it goes live.

The third was Anne Eisenberg’s NYT piece on EveryScape with details of its upcoming December launch. The mapping services provider will offer virtual street tours for ten urban areas including Aspen, Boston, Cambridge and New York. Unlike other providers within this space it will also offer interior views. Harvard Square was profiled with a preview of the browser based service here.

A video recording of Mike Liebhold speaking at the first Stanford Metaverse Meetup last week is now available for viewing. Mike speaks about the Geospatial Web, Virtual Worlds, Augmented Reality and how they all fold together. Runtime is 65 minutes. As Mike rightly points out and as Ronan continually remarks here at Mobil Avenue many of the concepts have been around for some 30 years now. Blended realities is something we are going to be writing alot more about in 2008.

Virtual Worlds were highlighted as a core driver of DME within iN2015. Concept proposals are invited from prospective Virtual World technology providers, developers and user groups under a Request For Information (RFI) – Virtual Worlds for Singapore. Closure date for RFI submissions is January 15th 2008.

Both the public launch of China’s Recreation District (CRD) in Beijing last week and Singapore’s iN2015 reinforce the strategic imperative of Virtual Worlds within DME over the coming decade. International initiatives such as these bode well for the future of the emergent Virtual Worlds sector as it evolves. Interesting times indeed.

Just as CNN asks its real-life audience to submit iReports – user-generated content submitted from cell phones, computers, cameras and other equipment for broadcast and online reports – the network invites the residents of Second Life to share their own “SL iReports” about events occurring within the virtual world.

“The thing we most hope to gain by having a CNN presence in Second Life is to learn about virtual worlds and understand what news is most interesting and valuable to their residents,” said Susan Grant, executive vice president of CNN News Services.

CNN are the latest media outlet to take up residence in Second Life. Having worked with Millions Of Us on their entry strategy over the last couple of months their iReport hub progress will be followed with interest. CNN joins Reuters who took up residence with the assistance of Electric Sheep Company in October 2006 and Sky News who were advised by Rivers Run Red and took up residence in May 2007.

Of particular interest is the launch of China’s Recreation District which is the virtual equivalent to China’s “Special Economic Zones”. As someone who was fortunate enough to witness first hand the rise of the Asian Tiger economies over the last 2 decades this event heralds a new chapter in the regions evolution. Many thanks to Brendan for the invitation.

Stanford plays host to its first Metaverse Meetup this evening. Mike Liebhold from the Institute of the Future is tonights guest speaker. As one of the leading 3D Geoweb thinkers Mikes talk on 3D Data for Real World Virtual Worlds promises to be entertaining and educational. Co-ordinator Henrik Bennetsen has more details on the event here. For those who cannot make it to Stanford there will be a Second Life simulcast at Spaceport Bravo.

Saturday sees Harvard Business School play host to its annual Cyberposium. This years event has Virtual Worlds high on its agenda with Linden Lab CEO Philip Rosedale delivering one of the keynotes and a Online Games and Virtual Worlds : More Than Just Entertainment? panel in the afternoon. For those interested in attending registration is available here.