ThinkBalm publishes business value study
By Erica Driver and Sam Driver.
Today ThinkBalm published a ground-breaking new research report: “ThinkBalm Immersive Internet Business Value Study, Q2 2009.” The core question we set out to answer is, “What is the business value of using immersive technologies for work?” We surveyed 66 highly-qualified Immersive Internet practitioners and conducted 15 in-depth interviews. This research report contains our findings and analysis. To view or download a PDF version of this 36-page report, click the image below.
Click this image to view or download a PDF of this report.
Key findings from the study:
- More than 40% of those surveyed (26 of 66) saw a positive total economic benefit from investments in immersive technologies in 2008 and 1Q 2009. More than 50% of respondents (34 of 65) expect to obtain a positive total economic benefit in 2009. The number of respondents who expect to obtain economic benefit of $25,000 USD or more in 2009 is more than double the number who indicated they achieved this level for 2008 / 1Q 2009.
- Nearly 30% of survey respondents (19 of 66) said their organization recouped their investment in immersive technologies in less than nine months, once their project(s) launched. Almost 30% of respondents (19 of 66) said their organization did not recoup their investment. Another 38% (25 of 66) said they didn’t know if their organizations had recouped their investment. This is not an unexpected finding because many Immersive Internet initiatives in 2008 and 1Q 2009 were experiments or pilots.
- One third of respondents (22 of 66) said their project data shows success. Another 61% of respondents (40 of 66) said the project “feels like” a success, for a total of 94% of respondents.
- Over a third of those surveyed (23 of 64) said their organization will definitely expand investment in immersive technology in 2009 and 2010, and another 38% (24 of 64) indicated that they might expand their investment.
- The top motivations for investment in immersive technology in 2008 /1Q 2009 were enabling people in disparate locations to spend time together, increased innovation, and cost savings or avoidance.
- Early implementers are choosing the simplest use cases first. The most common were learning and training (80%, or 53 of 66 respondents focused on this use case) and meetings (76%, or 50 of 66 respondents). Some intend to take on more complex use cases in 2010 or 2011.
- Immersive technology won out over a variety of alternatives primarily due to low cost and the increased engagement it delivers. The leading alternatives were Web conferencing and in-person meetings, followed by phone calls. Nearly 60% of respondents (38 of 66) indicated that immersive technology was less expensive than alternatives, and 11% (7 of 66) reported that it was more expensive.
- Work-related use of the Immersive Internet is in the early adopter phase. Before it can pass into the early majority phase, practitioners and the technology vendors who serve them must “cross the chasm.” The most common barriers to adoption are target users having inadequate hardware, corporate security restrictions, and getting users interested in the technology.
© 2009 ThinkBalm. All rights reserved.
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It’s good to hear that businesses can measure and see the value in immersive technologies. That’s much better than most companies value or justify their marketing. LOL.
It feels quite representative, but 66 seems quite a low statistical sample.200 would hav ebeen better. Can you run it again, now more people may answer?
I’ve only skimmed it so far, but you seem to define immersive technology as virtual worlds and games. This was surprising, and to hear of it having an ROI.
Naturally remote working would feature heavily in a global businesses internal remit, but I think it also should apply to real world immersive technology like webinars, video presentaions, webcam conferences, and even text messaging and VOIP and VOIP with video , such as Skype.
Naturally, coming from a video for comunication enabler I am biased, but I think people respind better to real human technology, over avatars and Second Life style environments. Why have a metaphor, when you can have the real thing? Transports may be in a future Star Trek, but we already have sound and video, also remote smell control (USB scent recreators). I don’t think it will be too long before we have desktop lathes (model fabrication) and tyhe sex industry already has remote controlled touch devices.
Virtual mirrors can use real images, withte users own face on the transmitted fashion.
And this is all real world.
I’ve obviously never forgiven Second LIfe for spending my Linen dollars. But I kind of find the real world (technology) “immersive”
Peter
Hi, Peter. Thanks for your comment.
This study is not to be confused with a random survey, which would require 200ish respondents to be statistically relevant. In our case, all of the survey participants were individuals who were involved in Immersive Internet projects in their organizations in 2008 and the 1st quarter of 2009. We undertook a careful screening process to ensure that no one filled out the survey who wasn’t qualified. You can find the details about our methodology on pages 29-30 of the report. The resulting data gives us a snapshot in time, giving us insight into early adopters’ take on business value in the spring of 2009.
ThinkBalm’s definition of the Immersive Internet is “a collection of emerging technologies combined with a social culture that has roots in gaming and virtual worlds.” Here’s a link to the full definition: http://www.thinkbalm.com/immersive-internet/. And here is a link to ThinkBalm’s inaugural analyst report in which we define and describe what we mean by immersive technologies in more detail: http://www.thinkbalm.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/thinkbalm-immersive-internet-report-nov-20084.pdf. On their own, video conferencing, Web conferencing, and teleconferences are not part of our immersive technology definition unless they are part of a broader solution that includes a 3D (or close-to-3D) space in which the user can navigate, with or without an avatar. Most immersive technologies include avatars.
If you are curious about immersive technologies I invite you to join the ThinkBalm Innovation Community. Here’s a link to more info: http://www.thinkbalm.com/community/. By joining this group of Immersive Internet explorers, advocates, implementers and technology marketers you will have an opportunity to experience first-hand the immersive technologies enabling us to:
* Work in 3D, wherever we are
* Interact with others spontaneously, wherever we are
* Brainstorm with dozens of others to come up with and document hundreds of ideas in an hour
* Collaboratively create “quick and dirty” prototypes with remote colleagues
* See the invisible and doing the impossible