Virtual reality is here
The virtual world is a reality. The 21st century has delivered new technology that is sweeping through our workplaces and through our lives. Some of the technological developments were quite obviously coming. Some of the developments many of us could not have imagined in our wildest dreams.
The call centre industry is one of the fastest early adopters of new technology. The latest developments are utilised rapidly in workforce management, forecasting, monitoring and telephony. If there are efficiencies or savings to be made, then call centres are the first in line for the roll out.
But it is not just the call centre industry that will have to assess the merit of new developments. For those who do not want to leave the confines of their home or workstation, a whole world of virtual relationships and transactions is just a click away. How far will we allow technology to lead us?
It has been a steady journey along the developmental track over the last twenty to forty years. Email, now regarded as a revolution, was actually a very slow evolution. The very early READMAIL versions in the 1970’s were cumbersome and not at all user friendly. Messages could not be saved or replies made. It took until 1993 for the technological developments that allowed the large scale adoption of internet email as the global standard for business communication.
Banking too has also been revolutionised by technological advances. Initial consumer scepticism about online banking has been swept away by the investments in security by the banks and the ease of transacting in the electronic environment. The virtual bank branch has very firm foundations.
Major retailers have also recognised the potential profits available when shoppers peruse the virtual supermarket or department store. Watch this space as developments in graphics and ease of shopping entice more and more shoppers to the electronic aisles.
Ok, the developments discussed above offer savings to consumers and retailers, as well as convenience. All good. What about when technology takes us down virtual dark alleys?
Internet gambling offers all the bells, whistles and commotion of a real life casino. For those with unhealthy gambling habits, the access is way too easy. Where does the onus lie with such dangerously tempting technology? As a society, are we prepared to allow the most vulnerable amongst us to be blatantly exploited in the name of technological progress?
The scariest of all developments would have to be the massive participation in virtual world websites. Second Life is a virtual world with nearly 5 million subscribers and growing rapidly. It is most definitely not a game. It is a 3D online digital world. Subscribers part with real dollars for the virtual Linden currency. They can buy and sell virtual land, make virtual purchases and participate in all forms of virtual friendships. Approximately US$1.6 million was spent in Second Life in the last 24 hours!
There is an argument that technology will soon totally replace the human face of business. Call centres help us deliver a more cost-effective, efficient service to our customers. But what if the technology goes too far? What if all our service delivery becomes automated, online and virtual? Voice recognition developments might negate the need for an agent at all. Online purchasing and payment processing will totally do away with the shop front. Technology could end up putting the call centre industry out of business.
What if technology takes us to a place where the Second Life virtual world becomes the first life real world? What will happen to industry and society when technology does away with the need for first-person interaction and we become nothing more than ghosts in the machine?
Do you think it sounds far-fetched? Think again.
