Changing the Face of the Internet The economic rules have changed public policy has not caught up.Policymakers are grappling with the urgent need to frame strategic questions in light of the changing economic situation. Governments are struggling with ways to utilize information, foster development of intangibles,and promote innovation and competitiveness in the new economy. Dr. Robert Cohen explores how business may use new and emerging social networking technology to collaborate and remake the way companies produce, manufacture, sell, and trade goods and services, and, along the way, create the high-technology, high-wage jobs of the future. Virtual World sites now have millions of users worldwide, but the total number is expected to grow to one billion by 2017. Virtual Worlds can transform business operations by streamlining the design and testing of new products, improving training and learning, and providing avenues for consumer involvement in product design, performance, and sales support. Virtual World technology can expand collaborative enterprises in aircraft and car manufacturing, finance, retail, and other sectors, speeding up time to market, eliminating waste, and boosting design and processing times. Virtual World applications, fully realized, have the potential to transform industrial structures and lead to new ways of organizing that foster collaboration both inside and outside firms. This comprehensive guide is a vital tool for understanding the state of Virtual Worlds today and serves as a blueprint for advancing global economic progress for years to come.