Virtual Worlds Case Study:

IBM Innovation Jam

IBM’s Innovation Jam, an electronic brainstorming session open to all 335,000 IBM employees aimed at developing a list of ideas for moving the company forward, took place globally on over three days . The process generated 37,000 comments from employees. IBM committed $100 million to develop these ideas, of which some $30 million was devoted to the development of businesses around virtual worlds, in no small part due to the role of NMC and the NMC’s Second life Campus during the event.

The online brainstorm was informally combined with IBM’s Virtual Universal Community and 3D Jam on the New Media Consortium Second Life campus.

In July 2006, thousands of IBMers — including their family members — collaborated with employees from select IBM clients and business partners to identify the next breakthrough products, services, processes and new business models that will transform industry and society and in the process shape the future of our organizations. Together, participants explored exciting intersections between emerging technologies and business insight to create meaningful new capabilities. More than 53,000 people from 70 countries contributed 37,000 comments in 72 hours.

Phase 2, held in early September 2006, was meant to refine these piles, to clarify which “1) will create the greatest business value 2) will have the greatest societal impact and 3) are the most market-ready.”

Read more about this from Vice President of Technical Strategy and Innovation, Irving Wladawsky-Berger in Transforming Business through Virtual Worlds Capabilities – it’s Déjà Vu All Over Again.