overcoming barriers to adoption of virtual worlds in government

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Ms. Janet Cichelli Serco, Inc. LinkedIn: janet-cichelli SL: Micaela Sorbet An Eyes-Wide-Open Look at the Challenges in Adopting Virtual Worlds for Learning & Collaboration

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Presentation given at Defense GameTech 2010 on overcoming current barriers to adoption of Virtual Worlds for training and collaboration in government organizations.

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Page 1: Overcoming Barriers to Adoption of Virtual Worlds in Government

Ms. Janet CichelliSerco, Inc.LinkedIn: janet-cichelli

SL: Micaela Sorbet

An Eyes-Wide-Open Look at the Challenges in

Adopting Virtual Worlds for Learning & Collaboration

Page 2: Overcoming Barriers to Adoption of Virtual Worlds in Government

“Each new technical medium runs into common

obstacles as well as unique barriers to its adoption.

But attitudes change when proven value or competitive

advantage are achieved. The value of virtual-world

technology will evolve as business models continue to

become more intensely collaborative internally,

externally, and globally.”

Algis Leveckis, Co-founder of QuestG, Inc.,

Barriers Can Be Expected

Page 3: Overcoming Barriers to Adoption of Virtual Worlds in Government

“Each new technical medium runs into common

obstacles as well as unique barriers to its adoption.

But attitudes change when proven value or competitive

advantage are achieved. The value of virtual-world

technology will evolve as business models continue to

become more intensely collaborative internally,

externally, and globally.”

Algis Leveckis, Co-founder of QuestG, Inc.,

Barriers Can Be Expected

Page 4: Overcoming Barriers to Adoption of Virtual Worlds in Government

Predictions 2010: What's In Store For Serious

Games And B2B Virtual Worlds?

The foundation will be laid for future business

acceptance of the technology for 2011 and beyond.

We also predict that serious games adoption will

remain highly vertical in 2010 — expect firms in the

defense industry to make strong moves to acquire

serious gaming and virtual world companies to serve

their military and healthcare clients.

Virtual Worlds Forecast to Grow Through

2015

The Strategy Analytics Virtual Worlds Strategies

service report, “Virtual Worlds Market Forecast

2009-2015,” predicts that virtual worlds will

continue to improve the user experience and will

convert registrations to active users at a 38%

compounded annual growth rate through 2015.

Virtual Worlds Management

Industry Forecast

While investments in the virtual

world space will likely go down in

2009, innovation can still be

rewarded. In effect, the recession

may lead to something of a

culling of the herd, but still

promote some virtual worlds and

developers to greater success

than before.

Growth? What the Industry is Saying

Page 5: Overcoming Barriers to Adoption of Virtual Worlds in Government

How Were Barriers to Adoption Identified?

DoD Early VW AdoptersArmy RDECOM ● Navy NUWC

NDU ● Navy CNIC ● Navy JTIEC

Navy CSCS Project

Serco Customer

Collaboration Center

1

2

3

Page 6: Overcoming Barriers to Adoption of Virtual Worlds in Government

Buy-In & Stakeholder SupportTechnology Selection

And Preparation User Experience

Significant Barriers to Adoption: Top 3 Categories

Page 7: Overcoming Barriers to Adoption of Virtual Worlds in Government

Top Barriers to Virtual Worlds Adoption

1. Economic downturn and reduced operating budgets

2. Bias against VW for doing real work & learning

3. Inadequate workplace computer hardware

4. Network security and firewall restrictions

5. Unsuccessful or under-successful pilot project

6. Poor first-time user experience

Page 8: Overcoming Barriers to Adoption of Virtual Worlds in Government

Barrier #1:

Economic downturn and reduced operating budgets

• Some of the casualties

• Flash-based virtual world platform Metaplace shut

down on 1/1/10

• There shut its virtual doors on March 9, 2010

• Specific challenges:

• Reduced innovative efforts and risk tolerance

• Perception that innovation is risky and expensive

• Management inertia

• Prejudgment of value/cost

Page 9: Overcoming Barriers to Adoption of Virtual Worlds in Government

Opportunities & Recommendations

Economic downturn and reduced operating budgets

• Learn to Love the Low End*

• Leverage Green Government

• Help Stakeholders experience the value

• From BAA to VW Challenges! case.

The Bottom Line

Some funding exists, but increases the need for creativity and a

compelling and clear business case.

Great news!

Current economy provides more motivation to explore VWs to reduce cost!

*The Silver Lining – An Innovation Playbook for Uncertain Times by Scott D. Anthony

Page 10: Overcoming Barriers to Adoption of Virtual Worlds in Government

• What Biases?

• Cultural

• Generational

• Personality predisposition

• Perception as frivolous entertainment

• Fantasized avatars and settings may not help

• Perceived VW technology shortcomings

• Government briefing generation

• Incoming gaming generation

Barrier #2:

Bias against Virtual Worlds for real work & learning

tolerance

From the Trenches:

“If you can’t bring the instructors

along, you’ll never get the students.”

Tami Griffith(SL Avatar Tami Nightfire) Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM), US Army

Are we our

Avatar?

http://iggyo.blogspot.com/2009_07_01_archive.html

Page 11: Overcoming Barriers to Adoption of Virtual Worlds in Government

• Provide first-hand experiences

• Limit other changes

• Find champions

• Leverage diffusion of innovation*

The Bottom Line

We tend to resist what is not understood, so make extra efforts early

on to provide easy entrée into environment and manage change.

Opportunities & Recommendations

Bias against Virtual Worlds for real work & learning

Position virtual immersive environments as a natural extension and convergence of existing technologies such as synchronous learning tools, video games, Web 2.0, and social networking – and not as a science-fiction-dream-come-to-life.

Tony O’Driscoll

Learning in 3D: Adding a New Dimension to

Enterprise Learning and Collaboration.

What the Experts Are Saying:

“Converting the delivery of instruction

while leaving the instructional content

largely intact eases the transition for

FMS instructors. “

Navy CSCS CONOPS

*Diffusion of Innovations by Everett M. Rogers

Page 12: Overcoming Barriers to Adoption of Virtual Worlds in Government

• Many enterprise computers in place today

• are several years old

• not outfitted to run graphically rich apps

• have computational and graphics

processing good enough for Internet

browsing and PowerPoint

• not outfitted with microphone or headset

for VOIP

• Lack bandwidth - performance can grind

session to a halt

Barrier #3:

Inadequate workplace computer hardware

tolerance

Each computer running the virtual world needs an average of 80 kbps downstream, spiking at about 400 kbps on initial connect and during “teleports.” Upstream is much lower, requiring 30 kbps on average. VOIP requires an additional 50 kbps on both downstream and upstream per speaker.

Real Government in Virtual WorldsGov 2.0 Conference Session notes

From the Trenches:

Page 13: Overcoming Barriers to Adoption of Virtual Worlds in Government

• Consider limitations when selecting VW technology platform

• Opt for thinner clients with less functionality

• Browser-based solutions for meetings work fine

• Strive for high-end graphics and high bandwidth

• Set up small number of shared higher-end

computers for scheduled events

The Bottom Line

You’ll need to plan to replace or supplement PC/laptops that are

capable of supporting virtual world efforts.

Opportunities & Recommendations

Inadequate workplace computer hardware

Page 14: Overcoming Barriers to Adoption of Virtual Worlds in Government

• Network Security

• Public VWs require ports on a network and desktop

PC to be "open“

• Federal CIOs consider VW a cyber-security threat

• Avatar Security

• Identity management & assurance

• Who’s behind that avatar?

• Reputation management

Barrier #4:

Network security and firewall restrictions

Page 15: Overcoming Barriers to Adoption of Virtual Worlds in Government

• Use SL Enterprise or others that can be run behind a firewall

on private servers

• Employ a multi-layered security approach for public VWs

(Source: Trend Micro: Threat Management white paper)

• User awareness

• Gateway Protection

• Endpoint Protection

• As mobility increases, focus on protecting mobile devices

The Bottom Line

You’ll need to employ a multi-layered security approach for use of

public VWs or bring it in behind your firewall.

Opportunities & Recommendations

Network security and firewall restrictions

Page 16: Overcoming Barriers to Adoption of Virtual Worlds in Government

Barrier #5:

Unsuccessful or under-successful pilot project

• Some use cases not well suited

• Requires smart planning

• Content ≠ Visitors

• Misaligned expectations common

• Proof-of-concept for reason

• Redirection can be seen as

failure

Uses Cases for Defense & Government:

• Learning and Training

• Meetings

• Conferences

• Technology “challenges” and BAAs

• Recruiting & Onboarding

• Collaborative Prototyping

• Scripted-Physics Simulation

• Human Resource Management

• 3D Data Visualization

• Data Analytics

• Remote System and Facility

Operations

• Situation Rooms

• Community of Practice

Adapted from: http://second-life-tool-

ranking.ning.com/group/immersiveenviro

nments/forum/topics/virtual-world-use-

cases

Page 17: Overcoming Barriers to Adoption of Virtual Worlds in Government

• The right use case is critical

• With clear and compelling ROI or operational value

• Provides for easy entry & quick win

• Training and virtual meetings - top use cases for a reason

• Consider selecting with “the same, only better” approach

• Manage Expectations

• Try out and adjust

• Some efforts may need to be redirected/abandoned

The Bottom Line

We are still in the early adoption stage. Pick your spots well, and

connect with other veterans to learn and gain best practices.

Opportunities & Recommendations

Unsuccessful or under-successful pilot project

Start small……….THINK BIG

Page 18: Overcoming Barriers to Adoption of Virtual Worlds in Government

• Just create an account, log in and follow a SLURL, right?

• New users are expected to

• control their movement, direction, speed and “flight”

• fight lag

• use camera controls

• use chat, VOIP and gestures

• not get entangled, lost…

• Many explore in advance,

and find empty spaces

It ended up taking nearly 30 minutes to make sure everyone’s voice over IP was working. Some people didn’t have the right drivers on their machines. Others needed to switch microphones. Even once we got most people up and running with voice, we heard a loud squeaking sound a couple of times and communication was sometimes difficult due to people talking over each other because of lag. ThinkBalm report, “Crossing the Chasm,

One Implementation at a Time.”

From the Trenches:

Barrier #6:

Poor first-time user experience

Page 19: Overcoming Barriers to Adoption of Virtual Worlds in Government

• Provide live support & in-world guides

• Provide default or pre-tailored avatars

• Resolve technical glitches well in advance

• Have content/displays available for pre-

event visitors

• VIPs require extra effort to ensure good

stakeholder experience

The Bottom Line

If we want to engage people, we need to design an experience with

a low threshold for entry.

Opportunities & Recommendations

Poor first-time user experience

Becoming proficient in navigating virtual worlds such as SecondLiferequires an investment of several hours time. If it is not done smoothly, the individual becomes frustrated and has no further desire to participate in any kind of Virtual World in the future.

Mr. Bud LiversUS NavyCenter for Naval Intelligence

From the Trenches:

Future devices to

improve experience

Page 20: Overcoming Barriers to Adoption of Virtual Worlds in Government

Some final points we can’t solve every

training problem with virtual worlds think differently this is evolution, not revolution

manage expectations technology is never

enough don’t burn down the schoolhouse yet

initial experiences can make or break an

ounce of planning is worth a pound of glitz

think big, start small be realistic about limits

you still have time analyze take risks be

cautious remember the goal add value

Ms. Janet Cichelli ● Email: [email protected] ● LinkedIn: janet-cichelli ● SL: Micaela Sorbet