Vivox, the leading provider of integrated voice services for virtual worlds and online games, today announced that it will provide Linden Lab®, creator of 3D virtual world Second Life®, with integrated voice communication for the Second Life Grid.
Linden Lab will incorporate the Vivox voice services into the fabric of Second Life. Subscribers or ‘Residents’ will be able to speak with one another simply by walking up to other Residents and talking. There will be no need for a separate application, download, or login. The solution is designed to simplify and enhance interaction among the Residents and to mirror real–life communication, including spatial audio. Spatial audio, incorporating technology licensed from DiamondWare, will allow residents to hear each other based on their positions — on their left, right, far away or nearby. Other Vivox features will include controls for both Residents and land owners to manage participation in conversations. In addition, Residents will have friends lists, presence, speaking indicators and tools that will allow Residents of Second Life to stay connected with each other and the Second Life universe while in their first life. Whether a Resident’s Second Life interest is primarily social, educational, or professional, integrated voice will enhance and broaden the in–world experience.
“Integrated voice is a natural extension of the virtual world our Residents are building,” said Joe Miller, Vice President, Platform & Technology Development of Linden Lab. “Voice will further enrich that community and introduce new opportunities in social development and commerce. Vivox’s high–quality scalability and rich feature set make it a perfect match for our efforts. Vivox understands the community and its needs and we could not ask for a better partner to bring voice onto the Second Life Grid.”
“The Second Life Grid, with its Resident–created world and highly immersive structure, is an ideal platform for business and social interaction,” said Rob Seaver, CEO of Vivox. “Live voice is essential to realizing the full potential of this environment, particularly for collaborative, academic and economic purposes. We are thrilled to provide this vital part of the Second Life Grid with our integrated voice service. With the intuitive design of the solution, Linden Lab will continue to set the course for virtual worlds.”
About Vivox, Inc.
Vivox provides online games, virtual worlds and online communities with managed voice communication services that are simple to integrate and enhance gameplay and community. Vivox’s carrier–grade, customizable solutions help online games and communities create improved offerings and extend their user base. Today, Vivox is bringing voice to approximately one million subscribers in more than 180 countries. For more information visit www.vivox.com.
Second Life (http://www.secondlife.com) and Linden Lab (http://www.lindenlab.com)
Second Life is a 3D online world with a rapidly growing population from more than 100 countries around the globe, in which the Residents themselves create and build the world which includes homes, vehicles, nightclubs, stores, landscapes, clothing, and games.
The Second Life Grid is a sophisticated development platform created by Linden Lab, a company founded in 1999 by Philip Rosedale, to create a revolutionary new form of shared 3D experience. The former CTO of RealNetworks, Rosedale pioneered the development of many of today’s streaming media technologies, including RealVideo. In April 2003, noted software pioneer Mitch Kapor, founder of Lotus Development Corporation, was named Chairman. In 2006, Philip Rosedale and Linden Lab received WIRED’s Rave Award for Innovation in Business. Based in San Francisco, Linden Lab employs a senior team bringing together deep expertise in physics, 3D graphics and networking.
