Interesting times have arrived in the metaverse. While some are busy hauling insults on Zuckerberg for allegedly throwing all his fortune into the metaverse project, others are really seeing a potential there and heading that direction. Here’s a few recent happenings in the metaverse.
Axonect Enterprise Enabler Powers Axiata’s First Metaverse Concert in Sri Lanka and Indonesia
Axiata Digital Labs (ADL) has announced its Axonect Enterprise Enabler delivered Axiata Group’s first-ever immersive music concert, known as Metastage. This concert was hosted by Sri Lanka’s Dialog Axiata and Indonesia’s XL Axiata as a proof-of-concept of GSMA’s Open Gateway initiative and it showcased the opportunity for mobile operators to enhance existing services and deploy new services to their customers. ADL is a telco-focused software and solutions provider, which helps businesses advanced in this digital era. The Metastage concert was powered by Dialog Futureverse, and was designed in association with GSMA Open Gateway APIs. In the words of the Chief Technology Officer of the Axiata Digital Labs. Namal Jayathilake:
“We are delighted to have played a key role in powering Dialog MetaStage, the first metaverse concert in Sri Lanka. Our Axonect Enterprise Enabler platform has once again demonstrated its potential as a powerful tool for digital innovation and transformation. We look forward to working with more mobile operators to bring new and exciting services to their customers.”
Axonect Enterprise Enabler is a TM Forum ODA-compliant digital transformation platform that enables mobile operators to transform into Digital Telcos by seamlessly exposing mobile operator capabilities within a consistent federated and commercial framework via universal CAMARA APIs and TM Forum Open APIs. Viranga Seneviratne, Senior General Manager at Ideamart, Dialog Axiata has the following to say about the project:
“We are thrilled to have partnered with Axiata Digital Labs to bring new and exciting opportunities to our customers. The success of Dialog MetaStage is a testament to the power of collaboration and innovation, and we look forward to working with Axiata Digital Labs to continue pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the mobile industry.”
The concert which was held on February 17, featured Sri Lankan and Indonesian artists performing in front of a virtual audience. The Axonect Enterprise Enabler acted as the gateway for the concert orchestrating Open Gateway APIs and TM Forum APIs, enabling users from both countries to experience a customized concert.
Mobile Operators Step into Extended Reality and the Metaverse
The Extended Reality (XR) and Metaverse is one space that is attracting investors. Currently, there has been an increased market for Virtual and Extended Reality. The biggest leaps forward in technology are rarely just about hardware or software. There has been a breakthrough which is bringing in a new type of device, as well as a whole new suite of uses and applications that open up new computing possibilities.
Extended Reality is a term that refer to virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR) as well as mixed reality. There has been an influx of more capable and affordable VR and AR devices in the markets with lots of ways to use them in consumer and business settings. From the trends, these tools are set increase in number and popularity over the coming years and will usher in a new age of online experiences based on spatial computing.
The metaverse vision has been around for a time now but for it to get realized, connectivity is essential. This is particularly true when it comes to delivering immersive experiences in public locations, where thousands of people may want to experience the same rich immersive content at the same time. To achieve this, especially on a global scale, the place of networks capable of supplying huge capacity and throughput cannot be overemphasized. 5G is often highlighted as a vital technology for driving this field forward. This is where technology operators would want to cash in.
Ahead of this year’s MWC in Barcelona, many network operators, such as China Mobile, Deutsche Telekom, KDDI, NTT Qonoq, Orange, Telefonica, T-Mobile, Verizon and Vodafone, have already made strides into the XR space and are thinking strategically about how to provide services and make some cool cash for themselves. One interesting fact is that they aren’t just coming in as network providers; some of them are thinking of navigating the transition to XR so that they can maximize their role in the ecosystem and prevent some of the defining characteristics of the smartphone era — such as closed ecosystems and fragmentation — from repeating themselves. Some are already building partnerships with companies throughout the value chain, from device-makers to developers, to play a part in shaping the immersive landscape.
Emmerdale Reveals Plans to Join the Metaverse
Emmerdale has revealed its plans to move into the Metaverse with a new project called “Extending Emmerdale”. This initiative will be launched next month with two experimental projects to “create experimental prototypes in the metaverse, building an incredible interactive world to enhance the audience experience with cutting edge immersive technology”. Although there are no details yet of what the Emmerdale experience will look like, it will make extensive use of the soap’s 24-acre village in Yorkshire. In the words of Nader Mabadi, Head of Emmerdale’s production:
“We’re all aware that the nature of our industry is changing rapidly, as is how people are watching and consuming content. Working with the team at XR Stories to explore the extension of Emmerdale into the Metaverse is a really exciting project. Developing the ability to take our beautiful village into that world is the perfect example of bringing one of the UK’s most loved programmes into a new and vibrant ‘universe’, giving us unending opportunities to expand and create hybrid content for our audience.”
Further details on Extending Emmerdale are expected in the coming months.