Friday 14 September 2007

Capgemini France - An Update

A while back I reported that the French arm of global IT consulting company, Capgemini, had held a 3-day recruitment fair in Second Life. It seems that this first delve into the virtual world has given them an appetite for more. They have now taken up residence in part of an island called The Blast Machine , owned by a company of the same name, who have already done a great deal of work with Capgemini in interactive media.

The principal building is identical to that used for the recruitment fair. The only difference I can see is that the classy Scope Cleaver tables and chairs have now been moved into the new building. Outside, there is a "landing pad" for teleporting visitors and a small outdoor seating area.



The building is OK, professional rather than stunning, with slideshows and other information on prominent display. Personally, I find the degree of branding rather over-the-top, working on the assertion that "sometimes less is more." But it is certainly unmistakeable!

Looking ahead, it is not apparent what Capgemini are planning for this site. It is currently tucked out of the way, presumably awaiting a re-think on its usage. It seems to lack facilities for locking it down for private meetings, and the surroundings are not that conducive to informal get-togethers, or creating a workable community. If I had to guess (and believe me, it is a guess) I would expect the site to host occasional public events, and possibly rely on "the long tail" to provide a relatively low-level but long-term connection between visitors and the company. As with so much else in Second Life, the future will tell.

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