Aviva U.S.A., a Des Moines unit of the London insurance company Aviva PLC, has established a site in the online game Second Life to recruit and train sales agents.
Aviva said Friday that it is the first insurance company to create an "island" in the game, which is operated by Linden Research Inc.
A handful of financial services companies have established sites in Second Life and other games.
Aviva also said that is considering ways to use Second Life to reach customers and benefit employees.
Its Second Life site includes a training center and an interactive tool that helps agents learn about the life cycles of potential customers. It is accessible only by invitation; Aviva's sales agents can call a toll-free number to request one.
In 2005, Wells Fargo & Co. introduced a Second Life site called Stagecoach Island, an online theme park with financial-themed games, but moved it to a standard Web site in 2006.
MindArk PE AB of Gothenburg, Sweden, sold three virtual licenses last year to operate financial services companies within its Entropia Universe online game.
