PH firms keen on spending office time in the metaverse, says study

Most Filipino companies are ready to take digitalization up a notch and conduct virtual meetings through the metaverse, according to a study by an American telecommunications networking equipment and services company.

In a recent report, Ciena said 89 percent of local enterprises it surveyed had indicated their preference to hold work meetings in the metaverse—virtual spaces where users from across the world can meet, interact and explore—using video conferencing tools.

With the mobility restrictions imposed due to the pandemic, companies have increased the use of video conferencing tools like Zoom and MS Teams for communication. Such practices have continued with the advent of hybrid work arrangements.

The study noted that 60 percent of the Filipino business professionals agreed that virtual meetings could “provide greater convenience as compared to in-person meetings.” About 44 percent also said virtual meetings were “less expensive,” as these do not require transportation.

The prospects of metaverse-based collaboration appear to be bright among Philippine companies as 85 percent of the respondents said they could “envision their organization introducing virtual reality space platforms into existing work processes.”

“Filipino business professionals are clearly comfortable with virtual meetings and for the early adopters, ready to move to the metaverse,” said Dion Leung, regional managing director of Ciena in Asean.