Sep 13, 2011
Online Meetings Just Took a “Virtual” Leap Forward
Here’s a cool virtual office technology. Universal Online Magic just launched a functional beta of VisualHQ, a new breed of web apps that creates a photorealistic virtual corporate headquarters so you can collaborate face-to-face with remote customers.
VisualHQ allows a company, whether composed of remote staff, local staff or a combination of both, to work together in a realistic-looking executive environment. The software offers an always-on webcam connection for personal and group meetings, presentations and collaboration, according to James Auld, president of Universal Online Magic.
“The software also allows a company to invite customers or clients into the environment with one click of an e-mail link — to provide for live, immersive client service,” Auld says. “VisualHQ has a small footprint, leveraging existing PC and Mac hardware and webcams.”
How is VisualHQ different from similar virtual office solutions? For one thing, it doesn’t mandate a real-time 3D video game interface to power it.
“Using photo-realistic, high-definition 2D imagery increases the professionalism of the environments and eliminates the motion sickness that is commonly experienced with real-time 3D,” Auld explains. “No company would want its clients or customers to feel like they were playing a video game. Quite the contrary—our clients want their customers to meet with them face-to-face in a beautiful space complete with ambient sound and stunning visuals, while maintaining a professional corporate feel.”
Auld paints a vivid picture: Imagine inviting clients by e-mail to a meeting scheduled within your VisualHQ space. They arrive in a reception area and are met face-to-face with a live receptionist. At the appointed time, the receptionist leads the group down the hall to the assigned meeting room and you begin your meeting. That, he said, is the VisualHQ experience.
VisualHQ also offers a realistic metaphor whereby users can schedule a meeting in a meeting room or office within the environment, then bring presentation folios. Each presentation folio contains an unlimited number of images, music, sounds, videos and PDF documents for sharing with the group.
So what’s it going to cost you? If you get in on the beta phase, you can pay a one-time fee of $450 for a program that allows 15 staffers and 15 guests. Once the program rolls out of beta, it will cost $120 a month. The software is browser-based, so it works with PCs, Macs and tablet computers.
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