After adding personnel from several Asian countries, IBM is now looking to staff its Virtual Business Center -- with live sales "avatars" based out of India -- to offer an enriched customer experience in Hindi/English.

So if someone wants to buy IBM hardware, software, or services, or needs help in solving a business problem, the IBM sales avatar will either help them or ensure that they get connected to the right IBM expert inside or outside of Linden Lab's popular virtual world, 'Second Life'. Meanwhile, signing of contracts, paying, or exchanging sensitive information would take place by telephone or through the Web.

Accessible through 'Second Life', the IBM Virtual Business Center is unique because it is staffed by real IBM sales representatives from around the world (not robots or kiosks), who can chat with visitors in several languages and build business relationships.

The new staff join existing people from North America, Latin America, Europe, Australia, Singapore, and Malaysia who started working there earlier this year. IBM staff speak 15 languages, including English, Hindi, Dutch, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, Canadian, Hebrew, Turkish, Bahasa, Malaysian, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Korean.

IBM claims the center has had over 17,000 visitors since it opened. It now boasts 9 areas of operation: Reception; Sales Center; Technical Support Library; Innovation Center; Client Briefing Center; Conference Center; Country Pavilions; Exhibition Areas; and Activity Spaces.

Typically, the advantage of going to a virtual world is the ability to find your information faster and more easily than by simply navigating a Web site. In the IBM virtual business center, you can browse 3D book shelves, view 3D books or just ask the librarian, just like in the real world, says IBM.

The company reckons the growth of the Virtual Business Center significant because it offers multi-language support across the world; allowing customers to visit IBM virtually, and see products and solutions in 3D. In the event, the center provides a platform for IBM sales people, clients, and partners to meet, learn, collaborate, and conduct business together, virtually, circumventing the time and cost associated with travel.

The Virtual Business Center is meant to be an innovative compliment to IBM's Web site, www.ibm.com, which has 3 million pages of original content.

IBM has more than 6,000 employees in the Virtual Universe Community. Its employees are also visiting and working in other 3D places like Active World and There.com.

And according to Gartner, "By the end of 2011, eighty percent of active Internet users and Fortune 500 companies will have a second life, but not necessarily in 'Second Life'.