How virtual spaces signal a new era for digital-first applications

Virtual spaces, where people can engage with one another regardless of device or location, have been around for as long as we’ve had chat rooms like the now-defunct MSN Messenger or Myspace.

Platforms like Discord have redefined these spaces by expanding horizons for how communities can engage with one another, while enterprise-grade platforms such as Slack and Microsoft Teams have gone beyond basic chat functions and have become essential parts of people’s daily lives.

This development goes beyond the communications sphere – multiplayer games and livestream concerts present ever-expanding means of engaging with fellow users. These shared experiences now involve magnitudes more people than they used to.

These spaces have become more important than ever thanks to Covid-19, says Siddharth Ghosh, director of sales for Asia Pacific at API platform PubNub.

“App development is going through a huge transformation right now, with software teams increasingly relying on virtual space technology platforms like PubNub to build innovative real-time features,” he says.

Replicating real-world engagement

The key for virtual spaces to mimic real-life experiences lies in real-time feedback and responsiveness.

“Say you’re developing an online poker game – you want it to realistically simulate an in-person session with your friends,” Ghosh says. “Knowing whose turn it is, who is present, what’s on the table – all these things require real-time interactions.”

Photo credit: Arena of Valor

These types of information can be gleaned from the constant synchronization between users and devices. Virtual spaces, Ghosh says, are purposefully designed to create this response loop.

Another major aspect of virtual spaces is how they enable near-instantaneous communication at scale. In online selling events, for example, virtual spaces enable vendors to engage with millions of consumers concurrently through live auctions, with real-time inventory and pricing, chat functions, live polls, and more.

Ghosh muses that even K-pop groups like BTS have benefited from virtual space technologies. PubNub powers livestreaming technology company Kiswe to enable real-time interactions at scale, and at BTS’ Bang Bang Con: The Live online concert, over 750,000 viewers from over 100 countries were able to tune in simultaneously, setting a Guinness world record in the process.

Scaling hurdles

However, building and maintaining a virtual space application is much easier said than done.

“Developers have to think about all the features and functionalities that go into defining what a virtual space is and juggle those considerations against what capabilities they need,” Ghosh explains. “Additionally, they need to recognize that the development aspect is only 25% of the challenge. The rest falls to deployment and scaling, including data center costs.”

Developers must consider a wide range of issues, including how to best incorporate essential services like channel access, embedded business logic, and notifications or alerts. They must also plan how the application can operate at scale, which include aspects such as resilience, being able to handle a large influx of end users, and supporting international expansion. Additionally, there are security and legislative compliance factors to keep in mind as well.

Knowing this, PubNub designed its platform to reduce the burden on developers by making it easy for them to build scalable, real-time applications. Developers can pick and choose from a library of APIs, rather than attempt to build from scratch, which frees up time so they can focus on innovation.

Ghosh also emphasizes PubNub’s strong focus on developer support because PubNub believes that digital innovation starts with empowering those in the back end. The firm’s API platform also helps with business continuity, providing consistent support and documentation accessibility to all staff.

Siddharth Ghosh, director of sales for Asia Pacific, PubNub / Photo credit: PubNub

“It’s a huge challenge within enterprises to retain engineers who understand the real-time environment or who understand how virtual space technologies work,” says Ghosh. “Our platform ensures that changes in talent don’t impact customer experiences in the long run.”

“Only limited by the imagination”

Looking ahead, Ghosh predicts that businesses of all sizes will need to accelerate the pace of innovation to better support the notion of virtual spaces. They will need to increasingly integrate cutting-edge technologies such as augmented reality to support Web3 and metaverse experiences.

For example, online game universe Defy is currently exploring location-based gamification to enable players to hunt for non-fungible tokens in the real world in an experience reminiscent of the game Pokémon Go.

“Virtual space technologies are here to stay and have already become essential for powering digital-first and remote-first applications,” Ghosh says.

“How that plays out in the future is only limited by the imagination.”

PubNub powers apps that bring people together in real time for remote work, play, learning, and health. Thousands of companies use PubNub’s developer platform and APIs as the foundation for their online chat, virtual events, geolocation, remote control, and real-time updates at a global scale. Since 2010, PubNub has invested in the tools and global infrastructure required to serve customers like Adobe, Pocket Gems, DocuSign, and Swiggy.

Find out more and start developing for free with PubNub on its website.

This content was produced by Tech in Asia Studios, which connects brands with Asia’s tech community. Learn more about partnering with Tech in Asia Studios.