VenueGen, a leading 3-D Virtual Meeting and Training platform provider, has been named one of the Cool Vendors in Social Software and Collaboration in the April 6, 2010 research report published by Carol Rozwell of Gartner, Inc.

As stated in the Gartner report, “the five vendors profiled in this Cool Vendors research demonstrate the breadth of social-software tools. On one hand, they can use the social network to solve problems. In addition, they can provide a platform for engagement in virtual environments that’s superior to more traditional settings.”

Gartner, Inc. names VenueGen a "Cool Vendor" of 2010 for it's e-training app

VenueGen’s 3-D meeting and training platform is delivered as a browser-based software as a service. Users sign up just like a simple Web conferencing tool, and they instantly get a photorealistic avatar based on a picture of themselves. Unlike passive audio and Web conferencing, users are engaged, vocal, and actively participating, thanks to the virtual environment replication of a real conference environment. VenueGen starts at $90 per month, and free 30 day trials are available.

“Billions of dollars are spent each year on business meeting travel, training, and distance learning. The 3-D meeting, collaboration and corporate training markets are accelerating. 3D meeting platforms are becoming mainstream applications,” said David Gardner, CEO VenueGen. “We believe Gartner has identified this trend and we are proud to have been included in the Gartner Cool Vendor report. At $90 per month, VenueGen becomes attractive to every company using audio, video and web conferencing. Our video shows how VenueGen is remarkably different.”

VenueGen features:

• Automated setup - Sign-up is as fast as a Web conferencing tool. Users set their avatar profile and their avatar moves and acts like they would in the real world.

• Photo realistic avatar – Users can upload a photo, it maps to the avatars face, and people can see you and identify you instantly in a meeting. Avatars look just like their owners. No cartoons, no game characters — you look businesslike, and you get business done.

• Positional sound – Drag your mouse left, drag your mouse right, and you scan the room and will see and hear people exactly as they are positioned in the room. This dramatically reduces audio fatigue experienced in typical audio and Web conferences.

• Integrated content – Share documents, PowerPoint, or browse the web while you are in the 3D room.

• Ease-of-use – No menus, no keystrokes. Users simply right click their mouse, and options such as “sit in this chair,” “walk over here,” “point at this person” appear. Users are productive in minutes.

• Replicate the real world – You can be in Paris, London, New York in the same afternoon. Without any video equipment, you can conduct lifelike 3-D meetings with colleagues and partners around the world. All you need is a laptop, and either voice over IP, or any telephone line (standard dial-in like Web conferencing)

Used for Corporate Training & Collaborative Meetings

• Corporate training - Put dozens or hundreds of people in a virtual room, sharing content and ideas, and running productive virtual training classes that are truly engaging. Attendees learn more, retain more, and are more vested in the outcome. They leave training classes connected to their colleagues and revitalized, with high recall of information and ready for action.
• Meetings – Every business line manager has staff meetings, project meetings, informational meetings and more. Team members are all over the country or the world. VenueGen is used for these applications in small to large companies from millions to billions in revenue.

A 30 day trial is available at VenueGen.com.