First Life: Virtual Reality and the Coming of the Avatar in Wealth Management
Abstract
Virtual reality enables the advisor or analyst to manipulate objects across multiple dimensions, and in a collaborative way. The most powerful use cases extend beyond training, education and collaboration to center on the visualization of data. This is hardly surprising, given the utility of data visualization for trading, analytics and modeling.
The power of multi-dimensional visualization in a virtual environment is striking compared to an Excel document, where the information is buried, or a two dimensional scatterplot. Ultimately, the power of the VR-based visualization platform rests in the ability to redefine the user’s relationship with the data, both in terms of conceptual understanding and in a tactile sense. The user becomes a co-pilot, able to view and collaboratively manipulate objects via drag and drop functionality, or with a push of the button.