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SAPverse, MetaSAP, New RISE?

Being successful as a company sometimes means banking on a trend early. Sometimes it means joining the hype a little later but making better decisions than early movers.
Michael Kramer
March 8, 2022
Digital Transformation
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All of you have probably heard the news by now: Facebook, Inc. is now called Meta. The name change means that Mark Zuckerberg is acknowledging that Facebook isn’t just one app anymore, just as Google has done before with Alphabet. However, Meta also wants to be more: the Metaverse.

More, more, more

In this context, you might remember an invention from almost 20 years ago. In 2003, Linden Lab launched a unique and fascinating 3D simulation of the entire world called Second Life. Users could virtually buy or sell wares and properties or meet up with others through a customizable avatar. The virtual Linden dollar acted as currency.

While the idea was an interesting topic of discussion back in the day, Second Life never became mainstream. In hindsight, we know that the simulation was constricted by technological advances (or rather, the lack thereof) of its time. 

However, the term Metaverse is even older, first mentioned in the novel “Snow Crash” by science-fiction author Neal Stephenson, which was published in 1991. He tells the story of an artificially created virtual reality in which people choose their avatars and move around an open-world simulation. Inside the Metaverse, they can buy and sell wares. Since it is connected to real-life supply chains, the products bought virtually are real, and communication and events happen in real time.  

Beginnings are made

If Meta will be successful with this approach remains to be seen. However, if we apply this concept to business software, new opportunities arise. Imagine if SAP would offer a central platform for all activities in a customer’s daily routine: procurement, production, marketing, sales, support. SAP provides the platform, SAP solutions provide the data and workflows. One of the most important aspects is the integration of third-party systems for improved connectivity and data exchange.

With SAP Extended Reality Cloud (XR Cloud), the first steps toward visualized real-time applications have been taken. After that, it’s only a small leap towards virtual meetings or sales calls.

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Michael Kramer

Michael Kramer, Digital Transformation Enthusiast and Member of the Supervisory Board of E-3 Verlag B4Bmedia.net AG


1 comment

  • Ich bin seit 15 Jahren in Second Life unterwegs. Es handelt sich hierbei um eine Plattform, die von den Nutzern selber gestaltet wird. Diese Plattform ist keinesfalls tot.

    Eine Plattform die uns ermöglicht unsere Fantasie in vielfältiger Weise umzusetzen, sie hilft uns, Leute aus aller Herren Ländern kennenzulernen, sie hilft uns zu lernen in dem man Kurse, Schulungen und so weiter besucht, sie hilft Künstlern ihre Kunst Online zu bauen und auszustellen, sie hilft musikalische Menschen hier auf Bühnen aufzutreten, sie hilft Menschen die durch Handicaps manche Dinge nicht mehr tun können, sie online zu tun und vieles, vieles, vieles mehr.

    Und euch heutzutage gibt es noch Neuligen, die Second Life ebenso spannend finden wie ich noch nach 15 Jahren. Sie sollten sich einen Avatar erstellen und einige Monate diese virtuelle Welt erkunden und vor allem mit alt eingesessenen Menschen sprechen … den Steuereinheiten von den Avataren, die vielfältig gestaltet werden können.

    Second Life ist kein Spiel und es ist nicht ausgestorben. Immer wieder findet man Artikel auf Online Seiten darüber das es nicht funktioniert hat, das es keiner mehr nutzt und so weiter. Nur wenige geben sich die Mühe selber zu erkunden und sich mit Leuten zu unterhalten, diese Schreiber formulieren danach auch positive Texte. Sich schlaumachen in Vorfeld ist eine gute Möglichkeit ordentlich darüber zu berichten.

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