Bank Joins Second Life Land Rush

The Street on December 14, 2006

With businesses rushing to move into the online Second Life community, we now get announcements like this one, of ABN Amro becoming "the first European bank to establish a presence in Second Life." Other companies already there include Dell, Cisco, Toyota and Sun. An ABN Amro board member says the site "makes Internet-based communication with customers more direct and personal." Like real branches, its virtual branches offer financial information and advice to avatar visitors. It plans to organize seminars for specific target groups, including virtual business starters, new graduates and preferred banking clients. The bank also believes the virtual world can be a tool for staff recruitment.