If anything, the last two years have taught us to appreciate the value that online spaces like Zoom can offer us. While we were all locked down and social distancing, conferences, concerts and other events that are normally hosted in person with thousands in attendance, were held in virtual spaces where anybody could connect no matter where they were. For a lot of people, this was their first time truly engaging with immersive technology. Eyes were opened, but as we move towards a world of virtual and extended reality systems, how will this help our businesses? How will this help the world?
Who is Evenness?
Evenness, an Extended Reality (XR) solutions provider originally from The Netherlands, is a platform-agnostic agency that works with various selected XR platforms to create ideal, inclusive and accessible environments for individuals to interact. In addition, Evenness has brought social initiatives to life, such as the virtual Gallery “RESPECT”. featuring the accomplishments of people of color throughout history.
The gallery strives to educate users and provide them with a platform to learn about history and the achievements of inspiring Black innovators, scientists, politicians, poets, artists, civil activists, peace makers, sportsmen, journalists, and creatives.
Helping Businesses
“XR via a browser or a VR headset is the perfect solution to interact in a more personal way with people from all over the world. I had an amazing opportunity to attend Evenness’ programs, such as InnoHUB – a virtual program for professionals & entrepreneurs to network and learn from the brightest minds in the domains of Open Innovation, AI & Data!” – Ivana von Proschwitz, International Startups Coordinator at AI Sweden.
Those of us who had the experience of working from home can probably relate: being able to work in an environment that is 100 percent yours, where your snacks don´t get stolen out of the fridge, and you no longer have to deal with rush-hour traffic, is great. But you’re still sitting at a computer, at your desk or table, typing away and answering phone calls for 8+ hours a day. Work doesn’t have to and shouldn’t be this tedious.
Conventions, trade shows, job fairs, virtual meetings, workshops, or trainings – all deserve to have their very own 3D office space that doesn’t require the investment in expensive, clunky VR headsets. In democratizing XR & the Metaverse by creating awareness and sharing their knowledge, Evenness is helping prepare organizations for the remote & immersive “Future of Work”. Virtual reality settings can be the stake that breaks the monotonous workflow, whether you’re at home or back in the office.
Accessible & Inclusive by Design – Helping the World
The United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are initiatives recognizing that ending poverty and other deprivations complement one another, when paired with strategies that improve health, education, reduce inequality, and encourage economic growth. Evenness has adopted 10 of the goals to fall in line with their values: Sustainable Innovation, Excellence of Experience and Accessible & Inclusive by Design.
The technology being used is by design to be accessible and inclusive for all. With the ability to host immersive virtual experiences and events, barriers that might have once hindered someone from attending a conference are now lifted. Those with mobility challenges would no longer need to arrange transportation to the location. Those with hearing impairments can use the devices that they’re already accustomed to using at home, instead of relying on the event to provide them. Navigating parking lots and large auditoriums with limited seating no longer need to be factored into a person’s ability to attend.
These factors also come together to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that would be expected to run these events. By hosting events virtually, we would be contributing to reducing emissions produced due to less people needing cars, planes and trains to travel on site. What would normally require a logistics team to configure audio and visuals, chairs and tables, or food and beverage, is no longer needed. Every bit counts when working towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, whether directly or through the work of the organizations that are participating in the virtual conferences and events being held.
Now and the Future
After almost three years of actively conducting research on pandemic-induced behavior changes and exploring the way people learn best in remote environments, Evenness is now establishing its presence in the US. With a focus on building their own Metaverse platform, they plan to develop a virtual marketplace for innovators to share knowledge and digital upskilling. The ultimate goal: make the platform accessible to everyone interested in tech, no matter their socioeconomic background or physical abilities.
