Second Life is attracting a cult following among businesses, who say the virtual world gives them richer collaboration than teleconference calls or video conferences. But Second Life still has limitations that pose barriers to enterprise adoption. One of the major limitations is that Linden Lab, which developed and operates Second Life, runs the service on its own server farms. This software-as-a-service model creates problems for user control and confidentiality of sensitive conversations.
Second Life reportedly offers an advantage over conference calls and online conference apps in that it creates the illusion that participants in an event are sharing the same place and time. "What you've got with a virtual environment is that it's completely immersive. There's depth to what we're doing," said Chris Collins, general manager for the enterprise for Linden Lab.
