Unveiled to shape the future of business, today IBM (NYSE: IBM) announced a new virtual IBM Business Center offering a place for IBM sales people, clients and partners to meet, learn, collaborate, and conduct business together. This center will have six areas: Reception, Sales Center, Technical Support Library, Innovation Center, Client Briefing Center, and Conference Center.

Accessible through Second Life, it will be unique because it is staffed by real IBM sales representatives from around the world, not robots or kiosks, who can chat with visitors in several languages and build business relationships.

If someone wants to buy hardware, software or services or needs help solving a business problem, the IBM sales avatar can work with the client avatar up to the point of exchanging private information, such as the signing of contracts and the passing of money or credit information. That would be handled through a link to IBM's web site or by phone.

"IBM is combining a 3-D virtual experience, its existing 2-D Website, and real IBM people to conduct business. And since we are naturally wired for 3 dimensions, we believe this will make customers' business experiences more effective," said Dr. Daniel Dias, Director, IBM India Research Laboratory.

"It provides a compelling client experience in a new medium, and offers a new way for clients to engage with us. This new engagement model has the potential to transform how we conduct business," he added.

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