We have previously learned from experts such as Andrew Filev, CEO of Wrike, that not only are collaboration tools accelerating beyond our initial expectations but that email is dead, or slowly dying. Yes, lockdown brought on a whole wave of tools such as MS Teams, 8x8, Zoom and others (with 2020's unofficial slogan being "Is your mic on, no I really don't think your mic is on") but we would like to look beyond the virtual background. VR, or virtual reality, is unlikely to be a new concept to many of us, but what about virtual reality collaboration tools? What about the use of virtual structures in workspaces to host meetings? And what about the use of an entirely virtual reality, immersive technology igloo?

New technologies have been developed that are placing team briefings on the walls, enabling 360 degree corporate storytelling and providing immersive team training. The capabilities are endless and, despite the resemblance to passages within Charlie Brooker's dream diary, we believe that much of this technology can actually be used to both help the businesses themselves and ease the pressure off of employees. For example, perhaps you want to place yourself against a virtual background to fully simulate the experience of other workstations and other parts of the production line. Immersive technology can allow you to do just that, thus providing you with a more accurate understanding of production flows.

In this Emerge5, we're listing the top five collaboration uses for immersive technology that goes beyond the virtual background and places you in an entirely unique environment. We are unpacking some of the key benefits that they can bring in our video with Natalie Cregan-Evans, Marketing Manager at Igloo Vision. Below, we have the five tips as presented by Theo Penty, Head of Educational Business Development EMEA & North America at Igloo Vision.