More and more people will use the metaverse for work, shopping, education, social and/or entertainment, according to the latest report by Gartner.
The analyst firm revealed that by 2026, 25 percent of people will spend at least one hour a day in the metaverse.
“Vendors are already building ways for users to replicate their lives in digital worlds,” said Marty Resnick, research vice president at Gartner.
He added, “From attending virtual classrooms to buying digital land and constructing virtual homes, these activities are currently being conducted in separate environments. Eventually, they will take place in a single environment – the metaverse – with multiple destinations across technologies and experiences.”
The metaverse is expected to provide “enhanced immersive experiences” through a range of devices including tablets and VR headsets. Additionally, digital currencies and nonfungible tokens (NFTs) will play a big role in the virtual ecosystem as no single vendor will own the metaverse.
According to the analyst firm, the metaverse will also impact how businesses interact with consumers. It will also drive the shift to immersive workspaces in virtual offices and change how work gets done.
In addition, it will allow virtual events that have gained popularity over the last 18 months to 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 Resnick.
“By 2026, 30% of the organisations in the world will have products and services ready for metaverse.”
The adoption of metaverse technologies is nascent and fragmented, and Gartner cautions organisations about investing heavily in a specific metaverse.
Resnick reiterated that it is still too early to know which investments will be viable in the long-term. “Product managers should take the time to learn, explore and prepare for a metaverse in order to position themselves competitively,” he said.
