**4.5 Stage IIIvr – Transactional Stage**

At the Transational State (Stage IIIvr) of the model, where the user content comes from is a critical component to the business implementation and operation. There is an increasing demand for rich data resources found across the web so access to resouces external to the corporate environment capabilities with the virtual workspace is becoming critical. The following characteristics are anticipated from of virtual workspaces at stage III of the model:


#### **4.6 Stage IIvr – Involvement Stage**

The Involvement Stage (Stage IIvr) describes the basic collaborative functionalities utilized in virtual online sessions. Text chat, image depictions, including static slide presentations, document viewers, and whiteboards are common collaborative tools incorporated early in

ROTATOR Model:

**5. Conclusions** 

A Framework for Building Collaborative Virtual Workspaces 109

2. *Collaborative Tasks* – Basic collaborative tasks would include a limited exchange with system data internal to the virtual environments infrastructure. This stage is focused on

3. *End-users* – Other than general interaction within the virtual environment itself, endusers would have minimal to no object creation or manipulation. There may or may not be an avatar proxy for end-user visualization and use. The emotional realism you might experience with your avatar or digital proxy would be limited to non-existent. It should be noted here that use of a digital proxy or avatar can have a certain degree of anonymity to it that can encourage more personal exploration; where shy users are

4. *Encompassing Technologies* – At this stage, technologies would be limited to manual creation of virtual spaces. Spaces at this level have a degree of visual familiarity with layout and objects within the space for the end-users. When applicable, the liberation from the physical laws of the real world can make possible the creation of innovative

So the ROTATOR model is a proposed staged theoretical model that moves from reality and augmented reality towards collaborative virtualized environments or from purely virtual environments towards reality in four like steps. The model is set up to allow organizations to effectively understand and then evaluate their collaborative virtual workspace goals and objectives in order to create a long term plan for implementation and deployment of those workspaces. This model is just the first step in a larger framework the authors intend to develop based on case study analysis of past and projected implementations to help companies find the proper fit for their needs when using virtual spaces and like technology

The ROTATOR model is built on the premise that businesses may be starting from either a fully reality-based setting that does not yet use any virtualized communication mediums and move towards more aggressive forms of virtual medium use by adding augmented spaces to their systems. As the model moves towards the center space-labeled Section IV in the model—businesses can evaluate the delivery of each stage of the virtualized medium before reaching the fuller virtual reality space and/or plan for movement based on uses,

On the far right of the ROTATOR model a business might begin to see ways to continue it's movement into the more complex arenas of fully immersive virtual reality as these capabilities become more plausible for the organization to manage. It is anticipated that along with the more aggressive stages, nearer to the center Stage IV of the model, there will be greater risks for businesses to consider and a more difficult process of maintaining business content that may increase cost and some exposure for these businesses. However, this should not preclude some businesses from investing in the newest emergent options of

The impetus behind the ROTATOR model is to provide a structured first step in assisting businesses in evaluating and planning ahead for these kinds of implementations—be they aggressive use of newer immersion techniques for business collaborations or more stable

the management collaborating with individual end-users.

more likely to participate (Lesko & Pickard, 2011).

and imaginative spaces, activities and experiences.

options for company communication and work.

needs and goals of the organization.

virtual reality tools.

virtual workspace developments. It should be noted here, that these tools are replications of 2-D tools used in real world (RL) applications. Additionally, the content from these tools is housed within the virtual world solution itself and is not generally pulled from external resources or over the Internet. Content for slide presentations and document viewings are often uploaded directly to the virtual world environment for viewing. The following characteristics are anticipated from of virtual workspaces at the Involvement Stage (Stage IIvr) of the model:


#### **4.7 Stage Ivr – Rendering Stage**

The focus at the Rendering Stage (Stage Ivr) is on creation of a shared presence and experience with the user. The virtual workspace are designed with specific processes in mind that are temporal or lasting for a finite period of time. The physical laws of the real world are applicable aiding in familiarity and assimilation with spaces and business processessupported. At this beginning stage, businesses will have encorporated visually appealing, immersive and and systematically-generated virtual workspaces. The following characteristics are anticipated from virtual workspaces at the Rendering Stage (Stage Ivr) of the model:

1. *Business Environment* - The environment created by virtual workspaces at Rendering Stage of the model is characterized by displays and exhibits, architectural design and modeling, virtual tourism, and marketing. Predefined virtual workspaces. Most content is static and persistent with minimal fluidity to the content of the environment. Management has full control of virtual workspace design.

