Framingham, Mass. - Vivox, a developer of integrated voice services for virtual worlds and online games, announced on Tuesday that it will provide Linden Lab with integrated voice communication for its Second Life virtual world.

The spatial audio technology will allow the virtual residents of Second Life to walk up and speak directly with one another, and hear others' voices based on their positions -- be it on their left, right, far away or nearby.

Massachusetts-based Vivox said the voice feature on Second Life will be accessible without the need for a separate application, download or login.

"Integrated voice is a natural extension of the virtual world our residents are building," said Joe Miller, vice president of platform and technology development at Linden Lab.

"Voice will further enrich that community and introduce new opportunities in social development and commerce."

A beta test of the voice feature is slated to launch next week, with Linden Lab adding all Second Life residents to the trial by the end of March.

Related Links:
http://tinyurl.com/22sn7a

http://tinyurl.com/2g9rvj (CNET)

http://www.lindenlab.com

http://www.vivox.com

http://www.secondlife.com