SINGAPORE – A new study commissioned by Ciena (NYSE: CIEN) has uncovered just how ready business professionals are to collaborate in the virtual world. According to the findings, 98% of Singaporean business professionals recognize the value of virtual meetings, and four in five (80%) would participate in work meetings in virtual spaces versus existing video conferencing tools.

The study, which surveyed 15,000 business professionals across 15 countries found that more than half (57%) of Singaporean business professionals agree that virtual meetings provide greater convenience as compared to in-person meetings, while 44% believe virtual meetings can create an environment that is easier to collaborate. A third (38%) of those surveyed also believe that virtual meetings are less expensive than in-person meetings.

Furthermore, 71% of Singaporean business professionals can see the metaverse becoming part of existing work practices, and over half (56%) think their workplace will move away from static work settings to a more immersive/virtual reality-based environment within the next three years. Similarly, 88% of Singaporean business professionals would feel comfortable conducting more formal, HR-type work meetings in a virtual space.

Despite a growing appetite to utilize enhanced reality tools, survey respondents cited the inability to read in-person expressions and emotions (35%) and virtual meeting fatigue (31%) as key drawbacks to using virtual-collaboration tools at work.

When asked to name the top barriers to business adoption of virtual reality platforms, 39% of respondents in Singapore have concerns with the associated costs, 43% worry that the technology is not readily available, and 41% feel their organizations do not have the reliable network required to support these virtual experiences.

Read the full press release here.

Ciena