It may well prove to be to the VRML community what Doom was to the gaming community - an eye opener, but just the beginning. The BigBook 3D team plans to use these technologies together in a number of ways. Currently seeing 7 percent VRML 2.0 compatibility in his visitor's browsers, Clay adds that BigBook 3D's migration to the 2.0 spec will coincide with Netscape's embedding VRML 2.0 functionality into Navigator. Clay is cleverly letting this lack of VRML 2.0 market readiness mature BigBook 3D's existing services, a process he hopes will help point the way to more effective use of the 2.0 spec's enhanced interactivity features. The examples in this article lend credence to the argument that the impact of corporate involvement at all levels of the VRML community is helping popularize the VRML agenda.
Competition helps young markets establish themselves.
It fosters innovation, eliminates companies that can't produce and invites new and invites the good ones to fill in the gaps. This cycle is particularly true for technology markets, due in large part to their high rate of attrition. Though there has been ample opportunity for all serious VRML entrants until now, this can only remain the case for so long. Black Sun's Dia Cheney points out that competition hasn't even made its way to stoking the fires between producers of similar VRML technologies, who are seeking the same market segment. Competition is fierce, she poignantly adds, in trying to land early corporate adopters of the platform.