It might be time for CFOs to start getting ready for the metaverse. According to Gartner, 25% of people will spend at least one hour a day in the metaverse for work, shopping, education, social and/or entertainment by 2026.
Gartner defines a metaverse as a collective virtual shared space, created by the convergence of virtually enhanced physical and digital reality.
Metaverse is persistent, providing enhanced immersive experiences, as well as device independent and accessible through any type of device, from tablets to head-mounted displays, the firm noted.
Metaverse will impact how work gets done
In addition, Metaverse It will impact how work gets done.
Enterprises will provide better engagement, collaboration and connection to their employees through immersive workspaces in virtual offices, Gartner said.
Businesses will not need to create their own infrastructure to do so because the metaverse will provide the framework, the firm predicted.
The advisory firm also forecasted that virtual events that have gained popularity over the last 18 months will offer more collaborative and immersive networking opportunities and workshops.
Enterprises will have the ability to expand and enhance their business models in unprecedented ways by moving from a digital business to a metaverse business, said Marty Resnick, research vice president at Gartner.
“By 2026, 30% of the organisations in the world will have products and services ready for metaverse,” Resnick predicted.
Vendors are already building ways for users to replicate their lives in digital worlds,” Resnick observed.
From attending virtual classrooms to buying digital land and constructing virtual homes, these activities are currently being conducted in separate environments, he added.
“Eventually, they will take place in a single environment — the metaverse — with multiple destinations across technologies and experiences,” Resnick said.
A virtual economy enabled by digital currencies and NFTs
As no single vendor will own the metaverse, Gartner expects it to have a virtual economy enabled by digital currencies and nonfungible tokens (NFTs).
The metaverse will impact every business that consumers interact with every day, the firm said.
Be cautious about investing heavily in metaverse
As the adoption of metaverse technologies is nascent and fragmented, Gartner cautions organisations about investing heavily in a specific metaverse.
“It is still too early to know which investments will be viable in the long term, but product managers should take the time to learn, explore and prepare for a metaverse in order to position themselves competitively,” said Resnick.
