by Marco Zanuttini, Founder and CEO of TechStar

It is a word that now ranks among the top 10 online searches, the focus of studies, news and, above all, increasingly large investments. It is called the metaverse. But what exactly is it all about? First off, what we are witnessing is not so much, or not only, a new technological solution, but rather a real conceptual, strategic and business revolution. Something that can be compared to the birth of a new Internet capable of changing the very way we enjoy content: not as “readers” of a page but literally getting inside the content, experiencing it in an immersive, interactive, permanent way.

Taken from the well-known science fiction novel “Snow Crash”, the word metaverse is not a new concept, but its introduction has catalysed a fundamental evolution: aggregating a number of ideas — as well as technologies — that had hitherto led more or less separate lives.

Just think of virtual reality or the 3D design and digital twin development landscape, i.e. copies that are created for real objects for purposes of demonstration, testing, and more. And there is more: augmented reality, data analytics, and systems to create shared, remotely explorable 3D environments.

This new reality is not emerging today by chance: the experience of interacting remotely has become increasingly common, and in general our habits in the use of technology have undergone a thorough change driven not only by technological conditions but also by historical, social and economic conditions, preparing us for a real evolutionary leap in human communication. While we need more than just a 2D face on a screen, we are increasingly aware of how some old habits are risky for people, costly for businesses, and harmful to the environment.

The big international players have captured all of this, but everyone is grasping it very quickly, too. Suffice to look at the major analyst reports, as well as the movements of large investment groups, large tech companies and major brands in almost every industry: the metaverse is literally becoming an additional part of reality that is being added to our daily offline and online experience, creating radically new and at the same time already extremely concrete business possibilities.

It is worth dwelling on some key features of this technology that will help us realise what a powerful tool this is already turning into for end users and businesses alike.

First of all, avatars allow digital copies of ourselves to explore in a new way the concept of physical proximity, the dimensions of space, albeit virtual, movement, interactions with people and objects, even emotions and in general the expression of our identity. Avatars can prove to be tools for interacting differently with our customer, using the power of a real “presence” that provides guidance and information. In short, it creates a real relationship with our user.

Secondly, we find ourselves in a place characterised by permanence, where my actions, my story, my virtual life influence and interact with those of others and with what others have decided to place in virtual environments just as brands do with their products in the real world: the development of digital twins, i.e. the digital copies that are created from real objects and products, allows us to build, or rebuild, our reality in a variety of ways, and to use it to test, study, show, train, and more.

Finally, the metaverse is a three-dimensional space to be explored and interacted with in much richer and more complex ways than a 2D website would provide, acting as such as a source of a quantity (and quality) of data about users and their behaviours that, if properly processed, will help brands understand their target audience better and better.

In short, the metaverse has potential to unleash that we have not yet fully identified, but one thing is certain: it will open, and is already opening, many doors to those with a curious eye.