Open Metaverse Foundation established to build standards and open-source software
Nonprofit Linux Foundation has created a new organization to provide a space for different industries to collaborate on developing open-source software and standards for an inclusive, global, vendor-neutral and scalable Metaverse.
The Open Metaverse Foundation (OMF) already counts several members, including ChainHub Foundation, Cloud Native Computing Foundation, GenXP, Hyperledger Foundation, LF Edge, LF Networking, OpenSDV, Open Voice Network and Veriken.
“We’re still in the early days of the vision for an open Metaverse, and we recognize that many open source communities and foundations are working on vital pieces of this iterative puzzle,” comments Royal O’Brien, executive director of the OMF.
“While the challenges may seem daunting, I’m energized by the opportunities to collaborate with a broad, global community to bring these pieces together as we transform this vision into reality.”
From an organizational standpoint, the OMF comprises Foundational Interest Groups (FIGs), each focusing on a different key topic. These are users, transactions, digital assets, simulations and virtual worlds, artificial intelligence (AI), networking, security and privacy, and legal and policy.
“The Open Metaverse Foundation is all about bringing a diversity of industry experts and open source communities together to transform the concept of the Metaverse from promise to reality while ensuring it delivers an amazing, immersive experience for all users,” explains Jon Stine, executive director of the Open Voice Network.
“This is about optimal choice, a rich development ecosystem, safety and ease of use. That’s why the Open Voice Network – a Linux Foundation community developing open standards and ethical use guidelines for the inevitable interface for the metaverse, conversational AI – is delighted to link arms with the Open Metaverse Foundation.”
WEF highlights metaverse inclusivity challenges
Also in metaverse news, the World Economic Forum (WEF) has recently published a series of guidelines to make the metaverse more inclusive and equitable.
Writing in a blog post last week, Lisa Heneghan from KPMG International says that while the metaverse holds the potential to be a revolutionary, inclusive technology, to achieve this goal, it needs to be widely affordable and accessible.
“The broad acceptance and sustained success of the metaverse lie not so much in the required investments in technology and infrastructure but in our ability to develop the space in an inclusive way,” Heneghan writes.
The list includes creating meaningful and inclusive experiences “at the intersection of the physical and digital worlds” and providing low-cost connectivity to ensure metaverse-related technologies aren’t cost-prohibitive.
Heneghan also underlines the value of accessibility, which should stem from organizations working with disability experts and advocates to include accessibility as core assets of designing metaverse applications and services.
Inclusivity should also be at the center of metaverse applications, with developers looking at implementing foundational elements of inclusion, diversity and equity in avatar design, for instance.
Finally, Heneghan writes that privacy and protecting personal information are currently one of the most pressing concerns connected with metaverse applications.
“Secure, connected wallets and blockchain-verified avatars will help verify and protect users’ identities and digital assets,” she writes.
“But much like today’s cybersecurity challenges, there are similar opportunities for threats and bad actors to penetrate virtual worlds and take advantage of vulnerabilities in these emerging spaces. It will be imperative to use advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technology to power these worlds and detect threats.”
Biometrics and digital ID providers currently working on metaverse applications include LoginRadius, SITA, and Liquid Avatar Technologies.
