As future business leaders, today’s children are primed to work and collaborate in a real-time, 3D virtual setting. ProtonMedia is laying the groundwork for that future as the developer of ProtoSphere, a virtual social environment in which users’ computer avatars can meet for online teaming and collaboration. ProtonMedia’s customers include such life sciences companies as AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, and Merck.

Although Ms. Kittrel acknowledged that as of now, interest in the possibilities of virtual collaboration far outstrips actual adoption, as her examples demonstrate, for the next generation of life sciences CEOs, researchers, and sales people, a second life will be second nature.

Microsoft’s Sam Batterman, who goes by the title “business intelligence evangelist,” spoke today about how these virtual collaboration environments function as far more than just the “N” drive on a company’s network. For example, in addition to document and application sharing, ProtoSphere provides the tools teams need to collaborate socially online, including holographic virtual spaces with interactive avatars and bots, VoIP audio conferencing, text chat, presence awareness, video streaming, blogs, wikis, feeds, role-playing simulations, content workflow, and enterprise social networking. For the life sciences industry, Mr.  Batterman suggests uses such as constructing virtual data rooms, a chemistry plaza, or innovation and ideation networks.

The big question is, why do all this in a virtual environment? Why transform the collaboration companies do every day into a massively multiplayer online role-playing corporation? The answer, according to panelist and ProtonMedia CEO Ronald J. Burns, is that in a virtual collaboration environment, it’s not just the charts and graphs and documents housed in the online environment that have value; the avatars themselves have value. The skills and expertise held by the real-world personalities behind the avatars are available and accessible.

But that’s not the only reason, according to panelist Tony O’Driscoll, a professor of the Practice of Business Administration at Duke University. He believes that virtual collaboration online represents the third generation of the Web, the point where the user is enveloped within the content.

The author of Learning in 3D: Adding a New Dimension to Enterprise Learning and Collaboration, Mr. O’Driscoll highlights the value of learning in 3D environments with the equation I x I = E. That is, Interactivity times Immersion equals Engagement. His research has found that bringing people together in virtual learning environments can have a positive impact on the learner’s engagement with the material. According to Mr. O’Driscoll, learning leadership is not only possible in the virtual environment, it’s an ideal venue in which to do so.

In the gaming world, roles change quickly and decisions must be made rapidly, on the fly. Gamers must assimilate numerous sources of input to develop strategies and put plays into action. The gamer must then quickly develop new skills in order to advance through the game. The same principles of learning, advancement, and reward can be transferred to the business world, according to the proponents of virtual 3D collaboration technology.

Before virtual collaborations can gain traction in the business world, however, a critical mass will need to be reached of senior leaders ready to adapt to new technology, according to panelist Tom Kaney, managing partner, MKP Partners.

It may just be a matter of time. Today’s 13-year-old 7^th level mage fighting orcs in Azeroth is tomorrow’s pharmaceutical sales rep or oncology researcher. She’ll be ready to bring the power of virtual collaboration to the workplace, if companies like ProtonMedia don’t succeed in getting there first.