3pointD.com

From what 3pointD hears, Linden Lab is very close to integrating native voice support for the virtual world of Second Life. Of course, things they’ve claimed are “very close” in the past have taken months or years to implement (or were in fact not being worked on at all), and the Lab has been having some pretty severe problems of late. But a number of other companies are working on or already providing stand-alone voice services that are integrated with Second Life. Now comes a press release from Internet telephonists Woize International (that’s their cool little logo above) flagging a new “voice-to-voice” product as an “interactive advertising service.” Are avatars soon going to start getting cold calls from marketers?

The release provides precious few details on what the service will actually consist of:

Woize International Ltd, a global communications services provider, will supply the virtual world of Second Life with an interactive advertising service. Woize’s service will enable real life voice-to-voice connections between the residents and merchants of Second Life, enhancing the merchants’ opportunities of making real money in virtual reality. Anders Halldin, CEO and co-founder of Woize International stated, “The Second Life ‘metaverse’ has taken the possibilities of Internet to a new level. Adding Woize’s services to the virtual world will extend the possibilities even more.”

Hmmm. Put me on the do-not-call list. Suriously.