Naked CIO: Virtual worlds will disappear

Though intrigued by virtual worlds and social networking, the Naked CIO says they won't take off for businesses. Here's why…

At a recent golfing outing I found myself paired with a software salesman from a company that develops 'virtual worlds'. I then reviewed silicon.com to find a CIO Jury, which discussed social networking possibilities within the IT field.

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Not long ago I also read an article about the CIA developing a social networking virtual world program to allow its employees to share intelligence information in a more proactive fashion.

I have watched over the years as videoconferencing, unified messaging and other collaborative technologies have been touted but never delivered. By that I mean they failed to create a technology platform that business has bought into as a collaborative tool set.

I have also been sceptical of Second Life as a strong business commerce, marketing and sales platform - and believe I have been proven right as it has evolved into a much more juvenile application for interaction.

But am I wrong? Can social networking principles and virtual world technology combine to create a collaboration platform where other initiatives have failed?

I listened closely as my golf partner described how photorealistic virtual worlds of collaboration created an almost real dynamic of emotions and actions that could parallel a boardroom atmosphere.

The concept of social networking within a company is certainly appealing. Wouldn't it be great if problems could be solved in real-time by people in different buildings, departments and geographic locations in a seamless and collaborative manner?

I question, though, how you manage the difference between gimmick and effective collaboration.

In the end I do not believe this form of collaboration will work where the rest have failed. The reason is the same as with every other promising collaborative technology: technophobes (many of whom lurk in boardrooms) will never adopt this alien technology.

The old guard simply still prefers pen and paper, or face-to-face communication. How can you convince someone who mistrusts technology to run their meetings and collaborative initiatives within a digital environment?

As much as I am interested in virtual worlds and will keep an eye on them - like I have with every other technology that professes to improve business collaboration - I will not invest in an idea that I do not believe any of the leaders of my organisation will embrace.

There remain only three technologies I have seen that have successfully transcended this most difficult area: Lotus Notes, Microsoft Exchange and the BlackBerry. Perhaps for the next generation it will be virtual worlds, unified messaging or even the iPhone.

I will wait and see.