Press Release Story

SAN FRANCISCO – Who said video games are just for kids? Obviously not the people at Linden Lab, who launched their new product, Second Life Enterprise, on Nov. 4, a beta program designed to provide a private virtual meeting place for companies and organizations.

Second Life Enterprise is designed to be similar to original version with respect to foundational technology. The new version offers identical user interface and 3D interaction, and will also include the spatial voice feature to simulate real-life communication. The Enterprise version also offers one billion virtual items, and is flexible and customizable for each organization. The primary difference though, between the new product and the original, is that each organization has its own server where they can interact outside of the public eye.

“Virtual worlds have the potential to provide a safer, more cost effective approach to some of the Navy’s current mission areas,” said Douglas Maxwell, program technology lead for the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC).

According to a Linden Lab press release, over 1,400 organizations currently use second life to hold meetings, conduct training and prototype new technologies in a cost effective manner. Fourteen of those organizations have already made the switch to the new Beta program including IBM, NASA and the NUWC.

“The fact that major corporations such as IBM and Northrop Grumman have embraced Second Life Enterprise Beta is tremendous validation for the product and our enterprise strategy,” said Mark Kingdom, CEO of Linden Lab.

Linden Lab also announced plans to launch a marketplace to sell virtual goods. The product will be called The Second Life Work Marketplace, and is planned to be released during the first quarter of 2010. The marketplace is designed to complement Second Life Enterprise, allowing major companies as well as small businesses to unveil new products they have created behind the firewall.

“Additionally, with the Work Marketplace, Second Life Enterprises users will be able to take the single biggest advantage of working in Second Life, the breadth and quality of content, and use it in environments hosted behind their firewalls,” said Kingdom.

Second Life Enterprise will start at $55,000 which includes seven virtual regions, two conference centers and a set of standard business avatars.

Trent Sanders Profile

Pullman, Wash. - The nature versus nurture debate has raged on for years with no end in sight. So no one knows whether Trent Sanders can attribute his successful golf career to fortunate genetics, or hard work and dedication. No matter which has been more instrumental, it is easy to see Sanders' commitment and willingness to take on new challenges in all aspects of his life.

Sanders was born and raised in a golfing family in Scottsdale, Ariz. His mother and father still play often, and his older brother Tyler played three years at Fresno State before suffering a wrist injury, which brought his collegiate career to a halt. The makeup of his family makes it is easy to see why Sanders started playing golf at the age of 4.

Sanders had a stellar junior golf career, which started when he was 8 years old, and continued throughout his high school career. He represented Arizona at the International Tournament in China during his junior year at Brophy College Prep High School, and was ranked one of the top 100 golfers in the nation from graduating class of 2008. This success did not surprise the young star.

"It was the accepted thing because my brother did it," he said. "Playing with him for so long made it seem like a normal thing to do."

Sanders narrowed his college choices down to Washington State and Baylor, but chose to go crimson because he wanted to take on a new experience. Not only did he have to make the transition to a college-level curriculum, but he had to give up the tropical climate of Arizona for the nearly year-round chills associated with Pullman.

"The snow was sketchy. It's one thing to play a tournament in cold weather, but living in it is way different," said Sanders.

In his first year at WSU, he played in 12 tournaments and finished with the fourth-best freshman scoring average in school history. Sanders avoided a sophomore slump this season and improved his scoring average from last year by more than two strokes per round.

Many students have a hard enough time balancing schoolwork with their social lives, let alone all the added pressures and responsibilities student-athletes are confronted with. Being a collegiate golfer requires dedication to schoolwork, even when they travel across the country to compete in tournaments. Sanders said he understands and enjoys all the challenges that come with being a student athlete, and that getting a break from classes while on the road is not as painful as some might think.

Sanders has also remained committed to his faith, staying an active member of Athletes In Action, a Christian volunteer group which meets weekly on campus. Staying committed and taking on responsibility is a big part of why the Cougar up-and-comer enjoys the game of golf so much.

"The mental aspect is what separates (golf) from other sports, having to wait and think before each shot," said Sanders. "It's all on you when you mess up and you can't blame it on anyone else."

Though it may be hard to tell if Sanders was born with a gift to succeed at golf, it is easy to see how strong work ethic and dedication has led to his success on and off the course.