By launching the Accenture Metaverse Continuum business group, the global professional services company is preparing organizations for “a future that is very different from the one they were designed to operate in.”
In its latest report, “Metaverse Continuum,” Accenture identified key trends that companies should take into consideration for the next stage of digital transformation. As part of the report, Accenture surveyed more than 4,600 business and technology leaders across 23 industries in 35 countries. At this early stage, 71% of executives believe the metaverse will have a positive impact on their organization and 42% believe it will be a breakthrough or transformational.
“We see the Metaverse as a continuum that spans the spectrum of digitally enhanced worlds realities and business models,” said JP Palpallatoc, Data, AI, and Next 5 Technologies lead in the Philippines, Accenture, in a virtual media briefing held recently. “It applies across all aspects of business, from consumer to worker and across the entire enterprise and from reality to virtual.”
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Trends
- WebMe: Putting the Me in Metaverse
Static pages will no longer be the norm. With Web3, people can expect to become part of a 3D environment in which moving from one “place” to another will be as simple as walking from one room to another. Think holograms or similar technologies that will be developed to accommodate and make this change more mainstream. According to Accenture’s report, 95% of executives believe that future digital platforms need to offer unified experiences, enabling interoperability of customers’ data across different platforms and spaces.
- Programmable World: Our Planet, Personalized
As telecommunications ramping up 5G technology rollouts across the world, issues on network speed and latency will no longer hold back companies from adopting virtual or augmented reality. And with a world changed permanently by the pandemic, work environments will now include virtual worlds, in the real sense of it. About 92% of executives surveyed agree that leading organizations will push the boundaries of the virtual world to make it more real, increasing the need for persistence and seamless navigation between the digital and physical worlds.
- The Unreal: Making Synthetic, Authentic
Pre-pandemic, the buzzword was AI. Fast forward to today, AI is embedded in almost all aspects of business operations. The report found that AI will continue as a vital component of company operations. Already, 96% of executives report that their organizations are committed to authenticating the origin of their data and genuine use of AI.
- Computing the Impossible: New Machines, New Possibilities
The emergence of a new class of machines is empowering organizations across industries to stretch the boundaries of what computers can solve. Tools like quantum computing and biology-inspired computing are allowing businesses to solve problems that may be too expensive, inefficient, or flat-out impossible for traditional computing. As “grand challenges” become trivial operations, how enterprises compete, provide value and partner will radically change; nearly all (94%) executives agreed that long-term success will depend on leveraging next-generation computing to solve seemingly intractable challenges.
Accenture operates its own metaverse, the Nth floor, where the company’s people participate in new hire orientation and immersive learning or meet and socialize as teams. This fiscal year, the company expects 150,000 or more new hires will work in the metaverse on their first day.
Accenture advises companies to explore — and build — a responsible metaverse. One that addresses issues like trust, sustainability, personal safety, privacy, responsible access and use, diversity, and more.