In the 1990s, Microsoft had a stranglehold monopoly in the Information Technology industry by controlling the operating system market of the PC industry (Apple was truly a niche player at the time). Then Google came along, disrupted Microsoft’s business model and rendered Microsoft’s monopoly irrelevant by making the Web the focal point instead.
Today, we have apps, web browsers, devices and Web 2.0 standards. Do you notice one thing?
Facebook, which is owned by Meta, is residing on rented land. Most people access Facebook through apps on their devices. The platforms on the devices are owned by Google (Android), Apple (iOS, iPadOS) and Microsoft (Windows).
As I wrote here, by residing on rented land, Facebook is at the mercy of companies like Apple because it has to play by Apple’s rules (e.g. App Tracking Transparency). Similarly, on the Android platform, Facebook has to play by Google’s rules.
But Mark Zuckerberg has a plan to turn the tables against Apple, Google and even Microsoft. He has a dream and he’s betting the entire future of Meta on this dream. Make no mistake, if it becomes a reality, it is going to disrupt the business model of the Big Three. If this dream becomes successful, it will then be the turn of Google, Apple and Microsoft to till on rented land owned by Meta (the metaverse).
The Big Three know that. That is why they too are pouring billions into the metaverse. They know that if Meta gets there first, it will spell the end of their business model. They simply cannot cede the first mover’s advantage to Meta. But the trick is they cannot call their destination the “metaverse”. The “metaverse” is a term that contains the name of their rival- Meta. Even calling it the “metaverse” implies they are ceding the leadership position to Meta. Therefore, Google is calling their dream “ambient computing”. Apple is rumoured to call the operating system of their metaverse “realityOS”. Microsoft’s marketing department will come up with another name for their “metaverse” dream.
What on earth is the “metaverse”?
Be clear about this: the metaverse is more than just Virtual Reality. If you think metaverse is synonymous with VR, you are missing the whole point.
The metaverse is the intertwining, weaving, blending and integration of virtual reality, augmented reality (AR) and reality into a seamless continuity from one to another.
by helix 
