Vivox, a provider of game-embedded voice communication services for online games and virtual worlds, has reportedly signed an agreement with Linden Lab, the maker of the 3D virtual world Second Life. As per the agreement, Vivox will provide integrated voice communications to Linden’s Second Life Grid, to simplify and improve the interaction among Linden’s “Residents,” or customers.

The partnership will allow Linden’s customers to talk to each other without the need for separate application, login or download. The service will also offer spatial audio, a Diamondware licensed technology that will allow Residents to hear each other based on their positions. Vivox will allow residents to stay connected with each other by offering communication features like friends’ lists, speaking indicators, presence, and other tools.

Joe Miller, vice president of Platform & Technology Development of Linden Lab, is convinced that integrating voice in the company’s service will enhance their Resident’s in-world experience.

“Integrated voice is a natural extension of the virtual world our Residents are building,” Miller said in a press release. “Voice will further enrich that community and introduce new opportunities in social development and commerce. Vivox’s high-quality scalability and rich feature set make it a perfect match for our efforts. Vivox understands the community and its needs and we could not ask for a better partner to bring voice onto the Second Life Grid.”

Rob Seaver, CEO of Vivox, said he is pleased to provide an essential element to make Linden’s service more interactive.

“The Second Life Grid, with its Resident-created world and highly immersive structure, is an ideal platform for business and social interaction,” he said. “Live voice is essential to realizing the full potential of this environment, particularly for collaborative, academic and economic purposes. We are thrilled to provide this vital part of the Second Life Grid with our integrated voice service. With the intuitive design of the solution, Linden Lab will continue to set the course for virtual worlds.”

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Beverly Maniago is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To see more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.