From video games to remote surgery, virtual possibilities abound. In workplaces, distributed teams and simulations are considered smart productivity-enhancing ways of tapping into new technologies. However, the virtual world needs a reality check, argues Stanford University's Stephen Barley, an expert in the impact of new technologies at work. Cutting edge it may be, but virtuality is not directly reducing costs for business, instead it's increasing accuracy and accelerating turnaround times. At an Australian School of Business seminar, Barley outlined the upsides – and downsides – of succumbing to the lure of the virtual.