With immediate effect, Wirecard Bank AG is the first German bank to open
a branch in the virtual 3D online world Second Life®. As a result,
internationally Wirecard Bank AG is the seventh bank from the real
“brick & mortar” world to be represented in the virtual universe of
Linden Lab®.
Wirecard Bank AG now is the first German financial service provider to
open a branch of its own in the 3D online world Second Life. In the
virtual world, specially trained Wirecard Bank service personnel are
available to assist customers. Customer advisers are represented by
avatars in the branches, answering questions on the products and
services of the Wirecard Bank. In addition, access to Wirecard’s payment
services is available via Second Life. Interactive entertainment
campaigns serve to round off the offer of Wirecard Bank AG on an island
of its own in Second Life.
In the process, Wirecard AG does not perceive its commitment to Second
Life as an isolated step but pursues a strategic overall concept. For
instance, in the booming market of online games, the payment and
financial service provider is also positioning itself in Entropia
Universe by MindArk PE AB, a virtual world consisting of more than
580,000 members with an annual trading volume of over 360 million U.S.
dollars. Not only is it possible to acquire virtual objects or
properties within Entropia Universe; in the near future it will also be
possible to visit a further virtual branch office of the Wirecard Bank
online.
“The intelligent link between technology and banking services is an
objective that has been pursued by Wirecard Bank AG from the outset. To
reinforce this strategic positioning on the market, the commitment to
Second Life represents a logical step as far as we are concerned”, says
Burkhard Ley, Chief Financial Officer of the Wirecard AG and Wirecard
Bank AG, in explaining how the virtual branch came to be opened.
Virtual worlds are currently experiencing breathtaking levels of growth.
According to an estimate by the German professional IT assocation
Bitkom, sales revenues with online games in 2006 were up by well over a
third year-on-year, to reach 3.4 billion euros. In five years, the
worldwide market volume is to increase to approx. ten billion euros.
With more than six million members worldwide and a daily trading volume
of roughly 1.5 million U.S. dollars, Second Life is among the
fastest-growing virtual worlds on the Internet.
About Wirecard:
Wirecard AG is one of the leading international providers of electronic
payment systems and risk management services. The Company supplies
customers with a wide range of national and global payment options as
well as industry and country-specific risk management services to
minimize the occurrence of defaults on receivables. Wirecard Bank AG is
a Principal Member of VISA, MasterCard Europe, JCB International and
complements the portfolio of services. The Wirecard software platform is
used by more than 7,000 enterprises across the globe, including dba,
Gulf Air, HSE24 and QVC. Wirecard AG is listed on the Frankfurt
Securities Exchange.
