Linden Lab introduced the beta version of Second Life Enterprise (SLE), a “flexible enterprise-ready virtual workplace solution”, at the Enterprise 2.0 conference in San Francisco.
The project had the code name “Nebraska”. Second Life Enterprise targets large organizations who want a secure virtual work environment. Second Life Enterprise Beta is a fully integrated set of two servers: the Second Life Server and the Second Life Voice Server which companies or organizations can install in their data centers. Linden Lab:
Customers including IBM, Intel, Case Western Reserve, New Media Consortium, DefenseWeb Technologies, Northrop Grumman, the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, and many others, are maintaining and growing their presence in Second Life while also working in the SL Enterprise environment for certain uses that require higher levels of security and control.
Pricing begins at $55,000 USD. The solution “runs 8 regions simultaneously while storing over 25 additional regions that you can take up and down in a flash. With 8 regions, the system can support a maximum of 800 avatars.”
“From a user perspective, SL Enterprise feels exactly like Second Life with all of the benefits including a 3D rich immersive environment, spatial voice, text chat, and the LSL building environment. But, you can use real names and connect those users directly to your network directory.”
The solution comes standard with 7 pre-built regions and 10 multi-cultural SL Work avatars with business attire and accessories included.
Linden Lab also announced the Second Life Work Marketplace, set to launch in Q1 2010. It “will be the first virtual world application and solution marketplace in the world. It will allow large organizations to download entire regions of collaboration tools, meeting and event solutions, training solutions, work avatars, business-oriented environments, and much more, into their stand alone SL Enterprise environment and make enterprise-wide use of that content under an organizational site license.”
Initially, Linden Lab only accepts content from Gold Solution Providers and Recommended Application Providers, but we will open up the application process to a broader audience soon.
The company also said it is making Second Life mainland into a more business-friendly environment, so that the place will be easier to use and useful for organizations.