Sunday 15 April 2007

Level 3 - but still a ways to go

I've been pottering about in SL this evening, in a rather random, aimless fashion. I read that Coca Cola launches officially in SL tomorrow, but I couldn't find any useful location, and I think I will have to wait a good while yet before anything starts happening on the cluster of Tokyo islands. So I just mooched about, until I came across Level 3. I have spotted this one before, but it's the first time I've tried to gain access for a while and, lo & behold, I got in.

Level 3 Communications (to give the full company name), based in Broomfield, Colorado, operates one of the largest communications and Internet backbones in the world. They "offer a comprehensive portfolio of network offerings that spans Internet Protocol (IP) services, broadband transport, colocation services, and patented Softswitch-based managed modem and voice services." And they are yet another comms company to set up shop is Second Life.

The island is only part-complete. There is a rudimentary "backbone" with a number of functioning slideshows that give you background on their products and services, and music is tuned to an internet African Music radio station (nice bit of soukous).


The far end of the backbone structure is given over to the "Broadband Theatre". I notice the English spelling here - hmmmm... curious. But aside from a few seating areas, and the start of an auditorium(?) there's not a great deal here as yet, although there are clear signs of work in progress.

The builders are coreaudiovisual, based in Santa Monica and Saint Louis, so I really don't get the spelling noted above - though as a Brit, it is nice to see. Given the relative immaturity of the island it is not really fair to critique it. It is simply not clear what ideas will be implemented here. At present, it is the basics one would expect (some meeting spaces and some weblinks) but I have no idea where it will go from here.

3 comments:

Johan Vermij said...

At least in the real world they've got an impressive portfolio. Haven't come across them in SL much, but read the contracted a big shot architect to do this job.

Would be interesting to see more of them coming into SL

Anonymous said...

Hey Aleister

Thanks for your mention of Coca-Cola's entry into Second Life. I work for crayon, part of the team involved with this, and wanted you to know that you can visit the in-world coca-cola pavillion by using a slurl that's posted at virtualthirst.com. Or message me in world - avatar name Gideon Television - and I'll send you a landmark.

Anonymous said...

yeah, i heard they were building a presence in SL. Sounds cool!

-me