Sunderland Software City

The Second Life Software City

North East software companies can now take their products to customers on the other side of the world without leaving the office as Sunderland Software City opens office space online in the virtual world Second Life.

Second Life’s virtual North East now contains a ten-story Sunderland Software City tower, complete with helipad, where companies associated with the initiative - which encourages the growth of the software business in the region - can meet virtually with customers from all corners of the globe.

The space allows local businesses to market their products face-to-face at both private meetings and public sales and networking events, using live audio and video-streaming to demonstrate their services.

Second Life was founded in 2003 and has an estimated 18 million users worldwide. “Residents” interact with each other in an online world using personal 3D avatars to meet other residents and socialise and do business.

The Second Life economy grew an estimated 65% in the last year, with residents spending almost 500 million hours logged on to the site. Second Life’s real world turnover reached $57 million in March with transactions for the quarter hitting $160 million, a 30% increase on 2009.

Sunderland Software City Chief Executive Officer Bernie Callaghan said:  “The software industry is a global market, so the major benefit of virtual office space in Second Life is that the businesses we support don’t have to jump on a plane to meet their customers – which I’m sure they’ll be grateful for after the disruption of the last few weeks!

“Although it obviously isn’t the only way they could do that, it is a lot more personal than other methods– which a lot of companies really appreciate and which is why a lot of major industry players do business this way.

“Doing business on Second Life is enormously cost-effective for small companies too – not to mention extremely environmentally friendly.”

Sunderland Software City’s tower has been developed by Vector 76, a Gateshead company that specialises in the development of content and services for the 3D internet.

Chief Executive Shaun Allan, said: “To people outside the industry this might sound a bit left field, but Second Life is huge in the global software industry, so it’s a perfect place for local software companies to meet the right people.

“Vector76 & Sunderland Software City are here to provide North East business’s gain a strategic foothold in this expanding global market, as the lines between the conventional web and 3D web rapidly blur”

“A lot of major global companies are using Second Life to tap into new markets, and as a sign of how it can be used to keep costs right down and help improve their carbon footprint, IBM recently held a sales conference for 250 people in Second Life, which is thought to have saved them £250,000”.

For more information about Vector 76, contact Shaun on 07526 161 664 or visit the Vector 76 website.  

To discuss using Sunderland Software City's virtual office call 0845 872 8575 or drop us a line