On the Editor’s Desk

Well, he looked smart well before TechSec (I mean, he’s 50 and wears a ponytail - you can only get away with that if you’re really, really smart or make your living selling dope or playing music), but now he looks especially prescient.

Following his TechSec address that in part focused on virtual worlds and their use in security, I came across this bit about SAIC buying something called OLIVE, which is basically a virtual world-creating company:

OLIVE is a market leading software platform that enables customers to deploy their own persistent and secure 3D Virtual Worlds where users can collaborate over networks. OLIVE’s real-time virtual world technology enables interpersonal interaction through life-like human avatars. These avatars are three dimensional virtual representations that provide a human-machine interface for networked computers, enabling remote users to experience, collaborate, train, and learn. The platform currently supports virtual world implementations in healthcare, financial services, energy, transportation, retail, government, and higher education markets. OLIVE adds a branded platform to SAIC’s simulation portfolio, and enhances the company’s offerings to an expanding simulation marketplace.

There’s no purchase price, but they’re picking up technology and 12 people from Forterra, which has raised $65 million in VC funding. Was the buy similar in size to recent Orsus/Ioimage buys? Seems possible. Interesting to think of virtual world technology being valued by an integrator of security/government contractor at the same level as PSIM or analytics technology.