I’ve been covering video conferencing since the late 1980s, when AT&T hired me to review a very early implementation at Apple. It failed spectacularly. A decade later, I saw the efforts of Intel and HP fail as well.

The latest wave of video development was fueled by the pandemic, when people were forced to work from home and video tools advanced more in two years than in the previous two decades.

As we look at the anticipated next big thing, the rise of the metaverse and immersive virtual reality (VR) collaboration tools, it’s time to take a look at what’s needed, what can be done, and if it will work. And it is essential to remember the needs of the employees themselves.

Commitment and ownership of employees

The most compelling argument for virtual…