Argentonia

Argentonia S.R.L. was an Argentine limited liability company that developed and commercialized immersive digital experiences, virtual-world environments, and related technology services. The company was founded in October 2007 by Rosario engineer Leonardo Penotti and three partners while Penotti was studying at the Universidad Tecnológica Nacional. Although Penotti was the only founding partner based outside Buenos Aires, the company established its commercial office in the capital. The company operated during the early expansion of virtual worlds and immersive online platforms. In 2007, it obtained the partnership for the Spanish-language user registry of Second Life in Argentina, linking its activities to Linden Lab’s virtual-world platform. In 2008, Argentonia began using OpenSimulator, an open-source server platform for virtual worlds and metaverses, in commercial projects hosted on its own virtual dedicated server. Its work combined three-dimensional environments, online interaction, digital communications, education, marketing, and experimental media formats. Argentonia’s services extended beyond virtual-world construction. Its activities included digital marketing through Web 2.0 platforms, digital-media projects, Internet branding, and the creation of technology-oriented cultural concepts. The company designed immersive environments intended to demonstrate or promote tools for businesses, educational institutions, and other organizations. Use cases included remote work, educational technology, gamification, virtual events, and interactive communications. Among its most visible projects was an immersive radio initiative developed in 2007 with Argentine journalist Jorge Lanata’s morning program, Lanata PM, broadcast on Radio AM del Plata. Argentonia created a three-dimensional avatar called Lanatron, representing Lanata inside a virtual setting where listeners could interact with program hosts through themed panels containing audio and text. The virtual venue recreated a radio-style auditorium and musical-animation area while carrying the program’s audio stream. Journalists Luciana Geuna and Reynaldo Sietecase also participated in the project, which attracted coverage from Argentine newspapers. Argentonia also worked in immersive education. In 2007, it developed the Universidad Argentina de la Empresa’s virtual campus in Second Life, described as the first institutional space of an Argentine or Latin American university on that platform. The campus included a cultural center, auditorium, information center, and laboratory. These spaces supported exhibitions, seminars, workshops, remote classes, conferences, consultations, and practical learning in three-dimensional design, interface development, and programming. The company promoted its expertise through talks, interviews, workshops, exhibitions, customer events, and television appearances in Argentina, Latin America, and Spain. Its projects were discussed or demonstrated through programs and news outlets including América Noticias, Telefe Noticias, and CNN en Español. Customer-facing events included demonstrations of its virtual-world developments and the launch of a Sedal Virtual product. Argentonia remained active until 2010, when its founding partners dissolved the company by mutual agreement. It is therefore best understood as a short-lived specialist services company from the formative period of commercial virtual worlds rather than as a continuing consumer brand. Its documented work connects early Second Life experimentation in Argentina with immersive marketing, journalism, higher education, and organizational technology adoption.

Argentonia was established in October 2007 as Argentonia S.R.L., an Argentine limited liability company focused on the commercial use of immersive technology. Leonardo Penotti, an engineer from Rosario and a student at the Universidad Tecnológica Nacional, founded the company with three other partners. The company’s commercial office was located in Buenos Aires, while Penotti was the only founding partner based outside the capital. The business registry of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires recognized the company under a newly used category associated with virtual-world development. The company entered the market during the period when Second Life and other virtual-world platforms were attracting attention from media organizations, universities, marketers, and technology companies. In 2007, Argentonia obtained a partnership related to the Spanish-language user registry for Second Life in Argentina. This gave the company a platform for local commercial, educational, and communications projects. Its staff consisted of more than ten permanent employees and external consultants, allowing it to combine software, design, communications, and project-development capabilities. One of its early media projects was an immersive radio broadcast created with journalist Jorge Lanata’s Lanata PM program on Radio AM del Plata. Argentonia built a virtual auditorium and associated interactive areas, together with Lanatron, a three-dimensional avatar representing Lanata. Listeners could enter the virtual environment, access the program’s audio stream, and interact with hosts through panels programmed with audio and text. The initiative also involved journalists Luciana Geuna and Reynaldo Sietecase and received coverage in Argentine newspapers including La Nación, Clarín, and Infobae. Education was another important field of activity. In 2007, Argentonia developed the Universidad Argentina de la Empresa’s virtual campus in Second Life. The campus contained a cultural center for exhibitions and workshops, an auditorium for classes and conferences, an information center for directing online students, and a laboratory for three-dimensional design, interface development, and programming. The project positioned the company as an early provider of immersive educational infrastructure in Argentina and Latin America. In 2008, Argentonia expanded its technical approach by adopting OpenSimulator, an open-source server platform for hosting virtual worlds and metaverses. The platform was used in commercial developments hosted on the company’s own virtual dedicated server. Alongside platform development, Argentonia offered digital marketing on Web 2.0 services, digital-media production, Internet branding, and techno-cultural concepts. Its broader objective was to create dynamic immersive contexts through which companies, institutions, and organizations could test or promote remote work, educational technology, new digital tools, and gamification. The company also maintained a public educational and promotional presence. Its founders and staff gave talks, interviews, workshops, and exhibitions across Argentina, Latin America, and Spain. Television coverage included appearances or reports on América Noticias, Telefe Noticias, and CNN en Español. Argentonia also organized customer events that demonstrated its developments, including an event associated with the launch of Sedal Virtual. Argentonia remained active until 2010. Its founding partners then dissolved the company by mutual agreement. No continuing corporate structure, parent company, public listing, or successor brand is identified in the available reference material. The company’s historical importance lies in its early application of virtual-world technology to Argentine journalism, higher education, marketing, and organizational experimentation during the first commercial wave of immersive online environments.

• 2010

  Company dissolved

  [1]Argentoniaen.wikipedia.org

  The founding partners ended Argentonia’s operations through a mutually agreed dissolution.

• 2008

  OpenSimulator adopted

  [1]Argentoniaen.wikipedia.org

  Argentonia incorporated OpenSimulator into commercial virtual-world developments hosted on its own dedicated server.

• 2007

  Company founded in Buenos Aires

  [1]Argentoniaen.wikipedia.org

  Leonardo Penotti and three partners established Argentonia S.R.L. as an Argentine company specializing in virtual-world development and immersive technology.

• 2007

  Second Life partnership in Argentina

  [1]Argentoniaen.wikipedia.org

  Argentonia obtained a partnership connected with the Spanish-language Second Life user registry in Argentina.

• 2007

  Lanatron immersive radio project

  [1]Argentoniaen.wikipedia.org

  The company created an interactive virtual radio environment and Lanatron avatar for Jorge Lanata’s Lanata PM program.

• 2007

  UADE Virtual Campus launched

  [1]Argentoniaen.wikipedia.org

  Argentonia developed the Universidad Argentina de la Empresa’s institutional campus in Second Life, including learning, cultural, and technical facilities.

An early Argentine specialist in immersive environments, virtual worlds, digital marketing, and educational technology.

• Immersive journalism and virtual radio · 2007

  Lanatron

  A three-dimensional avatar created for Argentine journalist Jorge Lanata in connection with the Lanata PM morning radio program. Argentonia placed the avatar in an interactive virtual radio environment with an auditorium, musical-animation area, thematic panels, and a stream of the original broadcast. Listeners could interact with program hosts through programmed audio and text elements. The project represented an early attempt to extend conventional radio into a participatory virtual-world setting.

• Immersive education · 2007

  UADE Virtual Campus

  A Second Life campus developed for the Universidad Argentina de la Empresa. The environment included a cultural center for exhibitions and workshops, an auditorium for classes and conferences, an information center for navigating the complex, and a laboratory for practical work in three-dimensional design, interfaces, and programming. It served as an institutional and educational space for remote participation.

• Virtual marketing experience

  Sedal Virtual

  A virtual promotional development associated with a Sedal product-launch event. The available material identifies the event as one of Argentonia’s customer demonstrations, but does not provide sufficient detail about the specific product, campaign duration, or commercial results.

• Virtual-world infrastructure · 2008

  OpenSimulator commercial developments

  Commercial immersive environments built using the open-source OpenSimulator server platform. From 2008, Argentonia hosted such developments on its own virtual dedicated server, broadening its work beyond projects dependent solely on Second Life.

• 2007Lanata PM immersive radio

  Argentina

  Argentonia extended Jorge Lanata’s radio program into a three-dimensional interactive environment featuring the Lanatron avatar, a virtual auditorium, streamed audio, and listener interaction through programmed panels.

  Outcome. The project received attention from major Argentine newspapers and became one of Argentonia’s most visible media applications.

  Source
• 2007UADE Virtual Campus

  Argentina

  Argentonia created a Second Life campus for the Universidad Argentina de la Empresa, combining institutional information, cultural programming, remote teaching, conferences, and practical technology education.

  Outcome. The campus was presented as the first Latin American university institutional space on Second Life, according to the reference material.

  Source
• Sedal Virtual launch event

  Argentina

  Argentonia demonstrated a virtual development at a customer event connected with the launch of Sedal Virtual.

  Source

• 2010

  Mutual dissolution of the companyOther

  Background

  After several years of work in immersive technology, digital marketing, education, and virtual media, the founding partners agreed to end the company.

  Action taken

  Argentonia was dissolved by common agreement among its founding partners.

  Aftermath

  The company became inactive; no successor organization or continuing parent company is identified in the available material.

  Source

• 2008

  Adoption of OpenSimulatorStrategy

  Background

  Argentonia needed infrastructure for commercial virtual-world projects during a period when immersive platforms were developing rapidly.

  Action taken

  The company began using the open-source OpenSimulator server platform and hosted developments on its own virtual dedicated server.

  Aftermath

  This expanded Argentonia’s technical portfolio beyond work carried out directly within Second Life, although the available material does not report financial or operational results.

  Source

1. 1Argentoniaen.wikipedia.org