Updated: Monday, October 19th, 2009

IBM Research, the Nokia Research Center and the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland have announced the development of a new system that may require professionals to integrate a higher level of technology into their business careers.

The Augmented Collaboration in Mixed Environment system allows individuals in different locations to interact and collaborate with avatars in one virtual meeting. Through sensors, microphones and cameras on video glasses, meeting participants can sense one another's movements and pick up on body language cues.

Although the system is still undergoing testing and development, researchers will demonstrate the tool at the International Symposium on Augmented and Mixed Reality October 19 to 22 in Orlando.

This technology is intended to "enable the business community to work more intelligently in a more productive, efficient, convenience and immersive fashion" and address the challenges that come with doing business in "an increasingly decentralized world," said Neil Katz, an IBM engineer.

Bachelors or MBA programs that specialize in technology may help individuals land jobs in the growing information and systems industry. Demand for experts in this field is expected to grow by 16 percent over the next seven years. On average, computer and information systems managers earned between $79,240 and $129,250 in 2006, depending on specialty and level of responsibility.

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