Gaming--or gamification--is infiltrating the enterprise as a means of improving business skills training and engaging customers on websites. In the meantime, enterprises are infiltrating popular online games, such as Farmville and Mafia Wars on Facebook, to reach out to potential customers, writes Michael Hugos, principal at Center for Systems Innovation.

Farmers Insurance has gotten into the Farmville game, offering players virtual services, such as crop watering by a virtual blimp branded with the company name. Shouldn't car makers and auto parts dealers participate on popular racing game sites, such as TrackMania, and offer their own teams, Hugos asks. "Why don't more physical fitness and nutrition companies have sports games like the Nike Running Game?," he writes in a post at CIO magazine.

Businesses that join the online gaming mania will succeed if they manage to interest other players rather than just peddle their wares, Hugos suggests. CIOs could be instrumental in this effort by identifying personnel already well-versed in popular games. The marketing department might take an interest when they learn how inexpensively they can generate brand awareness.

"[L]ots of companies already have skilled gamers who are masquerading as mild-mannered Clark Kents and Lois Lanes during working hours," he suggests. "Now tell the marketing folks that in the best interests of advancing the company's reputation you're going to put some IT staff on the project and let them play video games at work. You might be surprised at what happens."

For more:
- see Michael Hugos' post at CIO

Related Articles:
Hilton, Siemens, SAP play video games
Gamers leave radiology center's data exposed
Would you outsource to FarmVille?