Outsell Insights, industry analysts for information/publishing have written an article about us in Second Life. It’s quite long and mainly background information, so just a couple of quotations:

The use of 3D animations lends a sense of reality, allowing participants to “see” body language and enhance their virtual interpersonal communication, providing a richer and more productive communication experience than web-based conference tools. NPG’s molecular modelling offering, for example, with its ability to visualise and manipulate 3D objects in real time is simply not possible using traditional online conference media. (Benefits of online meeting tools in general, such as obviating travel, accrue too.)

However, in Outsell’s view, of greatest interest is Second Life’s economy… As at June 2008, total user to user transactions (“a measure of the gross domestic product in Second Life”) were claimed to be $84 million (USD) in 2Q08, up from $15 million in 2Q06, representing an annualized GDP of $336 million, or $0.87 “per user hour”, generated from 59,000 “profitable” virtual businesses.

It doesn’t seem to be possible for me to link to the full article, but their website is here. It’s subscription only, but they do 30 day free trials and any non-subscribers keen enough to read the whole thing can send me a message.