Second Life Steps In

Second Life Steps In

Second Life is attracting a cult following among businesses, who say the virtual world gives them richer collaboration than teleconference calls or video conferences. But Second Life still has limitations that pose barriers to enterprise adoption.


One of the major limitations is that Linden Lab, which developed and operates Second Life, runs the IT service on its own server farms. This software as a service model creates problems for user control and confidentiality of sensitive conversations.

But Linden Lab is working to change that. The  IT company plans on Wednesday to launch open beta for Second Life Enterprise, a $55,000 hardware appliance that enterprises can install in their data centers. The appliance allows companies to run Second Life on their own networks, behind the company firewall.