Vodafone Preparing Second Life Presence

Mark Wallace at 3pointD is reporting that Rivers Run Red, a UK creative services company, is building out a Second Life Island for Vodafone.  Vodafone’s ad agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty recently opened their own presence is SL, and it seems Vodafone’s upcoming SL island launch is part of a marketing campaign BBH is spearheading.

Vodafone Group operates mobile telecommunication services throughout most of the world but its U.S. affiliate operates as Verizon Wireless.

The company sponsors global sporting and entertainment events, so it isn’t surprising that they are planning these types of events for their Second Life Island.   They are apparently also planning to bring “new ways” for Second Lifers to interact with each other inside the grid and with real life. Details are scarce, but they are beginning their Second Life buzz.

Canadian telecommunications company Telus opened a virtual store in Second Life back in August of this year, offering virtual mobile telephones with small applications that are mainly for “buzz appeal” rather than anything functional in-world or that bridges RL and SL.

Last April Vivox, a company that enables voice communication for online communities, began putting in virtual phone booths and group microphones (for up-to-five group chatting) in Second Life allowing residents to call RL phones from in-world.  To use the in-world phones requires a download of special software.  Vivox is currently promoting their Second Life presence with a “million minutes” give away.

Voice communication between the RL and SL isn’t new with the entrance of Vivox or presumably, Vodafone.  Skype is being used regularly for voice communication while in-world.

It isn’t clear what Vodafone has planned as yet.  While the standard text based communication in Second Life has some unique benefits, seamless voice communications will be a vital component for broad-based real-life business conferencing applications. We'll be tracking Vodafone's Second Life initiative.

Photo Credit:  Cailyn Miller


October 10, 2006