Virtual Worlds and E-commerce: Technologies and Applications for Building Customer Relationships

Just released by IGI Global is the culmination of extraordinary efforts from a collaboration of some of the brightest minds in the industry. Virtual Worlds and E-commerce: Technologies and Applications for Building Customer Relationships. Author/Editor Dr. Barbara Ciaramitaro (Walsh College, USA), gathered an amazing group of industry experts to author this groundbreaking and insightful book, bringing it to the public.

The book presents various ideas on how the use of digitally created worlds is changing the face of e-commerce and extending the use of internet technologies to create a more immersive experience for customers. Containing current research on various aspects of the use of virtual worlds, this book includes a discussion of the elements of virtual worlds; the evolution of e-commerce to virtual commerce (v-commerce); the convergence of online games and virtual worlds; current examples of virtual worlds in use by various businesses, the military, and educational institutions; the economics of virtual worlds: discussions on legal, security and technological issues facing virtual worlds; a review of some human factor issues in virtual worlds; and the future of virtual worlds and e-commerce.

Virtuals Worlds Expert, Technology Trend Forecaster and Founder of Andromeda Media Group, William Burns, contributed his insights by authoring Chapter 17 of this academic book, The Future of Virtual Worlds in E-Commerce.

Below you will find the abstract for William’s Chapter:

The future of the evolving, collaborative communications structure will be impacted to an enormous and ever increasing degree by the merging of e-commerce and virtual worlds. Such media outlets will bring new and innovative methods by which to interact with clients and customers, as well as business to business. As these technologies continue to evolve, bringing higher definition, realism, and the power to manipulate potential customer experiences, increasing numbers of people will come to the realization that virtual worlds and similar environments are an essential part of an online communications experience. Evidence of this paradigm shift can be noted in the multitudes of brand names which also inhabit these virtual environments through countless offerings and marketing campaigns.

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DOI: 10.4018/978-1-61692-808-7.ch017 ISBN13: 9781616928087
ISBN10: 1616928085
EISBN13: 9781616928100