Top Kudoboard Alternatives

Nectar provides a flexible and cost-effective solution for contemporary workforces to enhance appreciation and strengthen connections among their teams. By utilizing this platform, organizations can preserve their culture, boost employee morale, and encourage their core values effortlessly, all without the need to oversee an internal initiative. This allows for a more streamlined approach to team engagement and recognition.

Kudos® is a platform for creating and managing recognition and engagement programs. It simplifies administration, increases participation, and provides actionable insights. Recognition is peer-to-peer or manager-led, with flexible points, multimedia, and values. Gamified targets and prompts encourage frequent use, while automated celebrations highlight key events. Awards, Nominations, and Incentives offer structured ways to reward achievements, backed by point-bank budgeting. Announcements keep teams informed with targeting, tracking, and pinning options. Analytics monitor recognition activity, program ROI, and trends. Kudos currently supports a variety of languages including English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Czech, Greek, Japanese, Polish, and Portuguese.

Teamo offers a full-featured, no-strings-attached solution for workspace engagement, communication, recognition, and rewards, designed to enhance team morale and productivity without the need for annual contracts or costly software downloads. The platform includes a wide range of engagement tools such as social boards, challenges, polls, leaderboards, and peer-to-peer recognition, ensuring that every employee feels appreciated and involved. It also celebrates important milestones such as birthdays and workplace anniversaries, creating a positive and inclusive culture. With Teamo's powerful reporting tools, you can effortlessly identify employees' strengths and weaknesses, gather insights into workplace culture, and measure employee alignment with company values, making it easier to make informed decisions about team development. The rewards system offers an unlimited selection of perks, including company merchandise and paid days off, all without shipping fees, allowing you to go beyond traditional gift cards. Teamo’s flexible rewards approach means you can cater to a wide variety of employee preferences, ensuring maximum engagement. Additionally, the platform is designed to be cost-effective, offering customized pricing based on your company’s size, budget, or goals, with no long-term or front-loaded contracts to worry about. Monthly payments are straightforward and free from hidden fees, giving you total control over your spending. Whether you're looking to enhance employee recognition, improve communication, or foster greater engagement, Teamo offers an all-in-one solution that grows with your business.

Vantage Circle stands out as a celebrated platform for employee engagement and recognition, tailored to assist HR professionals in fostering a comprehensive approach to employee involvement through its various offerings, including Rewards & Recognition, Wellness, Feedback, and Exclusive Perks. With a user base exceeding 2 million employees from over 700 clients worldwide, this platform effectively meets the recognition needs of a diverse, global workforce by providing both flexible monetary and non-monetary rewards. The built-in social recognition feature empowers employees to celebrate each other’s successes, thus enhancing a culture of appreciation within the organization. Furthermore, Vantage Circle integrates seamlessly with commonly used tools like Teams and Slack, streamlining daily operations for companies. Employees benefit from a vast Rewards Catalog, allowing them to redeem their reward points for gift cards from more than 1000 brands and products available in the Amazon Store, or even book experiences and purchase merchandise from options spanning across 59 countries. For those receiving Long Service Awards, the platform presents additional perks such as Anniversary Points, a Digital Service Yearbook, and a specialized Milestone Catalog to commemorate their dedication. The intuitive and user-friendly dashboard significantly simplifies HR management tasks while offering a detailed overview of the recognition initiatives in place, making the experience more efficient for HR teams. This holistic approach not only boosts employee morale but also contributes to a more engaged and productive workforce overall.

Blueboard serves as a unique platform for employee recognition and incentives, offering a selection of carefully curated experiences. Our service simplifies the process for businesses and individuals to provide impactful rewards, gifts, and incentives to employees. By incorporating experiential rewards into your recognition program, you can truly energize and engage your workforce. From relaxing spa days to thrilling concerts, surfing lessons, and unforgettable travel experiences, these rewards effectively honor your top achievers while inspiring motivation. Unlike traditional cash bonuses or gift cards, experiential rewards enhance recognition by acknowledging employees as individuals and fostering strong relationships rooted in respect and appreciation. Furthermore, these experiences generate excitement and conversation, creating a vibrant atmosphere around recognition efforts. Ultimately, Blueboard not only enhances employee satisfaction but also strengthens company culture through meaningful engagement.

Madison Recognition stands out as a premier authority in the realm of Social Employee Recognition on a worldwide scale. The company provides a variety of Recognition, Incentive, and Service Anniversary initiatives, all enhanced by Maestro, our advanced cloud-based SaaS solution. By utilizing Maestro, organizations can effectively leverage social employee recognition to deepen the connections between managers and their teams, as well as to foster a stronger relationship between employees and their employers. This innovative approach not only boosts morale but also promotes a culture of appreciation within the workplace.

Culture Cloud by O.C. Tanner is a leading employee recognition solution that empowers organizations to build thriving workplace cultures through personalized, scalable recognition experiences. The platform offers a full suite of configurable recognition programs, including peer-to-peer appreciation, custom symbolic awards, milestone celebrations, and company-wide initiatives that inspire motivation and connection. Grounded in extensive award-winning research, Culture Cloud continuously evolves to deliver best-in-class recognition tools paired with expert culture consulting, brand strategy, and leadership education. Used by more than 1,100 multinational clients and 14 million users across 180 countries, the platform facilitates over 31 million recognition moments each year, driving real business outcomes such as increased employee satisfaction and lower attrition. High-profile companies like GE Appliances, American Airlines, and Capital One have reported substantial improvements in engagement and culture by leveraging Culture Cloud. The system offers rich analytics and benchmarking to help leaders measure the impact of their programs and refine strategies. Culture Cloud’s flexible approach allows organizations to co-create recognition experiences tailored to their unique values and workforce needs. With 24/7 client success support and a deep commitment to cultural transformation, O.C. Tanner helps businesses use recognition as a competitive advantage. Its global reach and scalable design ensure that employees feel valued no matter where they work. Ultimately, Culture Cloud integrates technology, research, and human insight to foster workplaces where people thrive.

Qarrot offers a robust recognition software solution tailored for small and mid-sized enterprises, designed to help you reach various objectives such as boosting employee morale, enhancing organizational culture, maximizing performance, or expressing gratitude. Founded on the principle that companies with fewer than 1,000 employees should have access to modern and cost-effective recognition tools, Qarrot serves HR professionals, business owners, and team leaders alike. With our versatile features, you can customize a recognition program that aligns with your specific business goals and organizational framework. Empower both employees and managers to send out badge-based and point-based recognitions while motivating individual and team achievements through reward systems based on set goals. Additionally, our automated milestone awards simplify the process of commemorating birthdays and work anniversaries, thus making celebrations effortless. A public social feed enhances the visibility of your recognition efforts, fostering a culture of appreciation within your workplace. Ultimately, Qarrot streamlines management for you, allowing you to focus on what truly matters—your team's success.

By motivating staff and recognizing their accomplishments, we can significantly alter workplace dynamics. Rewardian functions as a flexible platform for employee recognition and rewards, suitable for organizations of all sizes, providing easy-to-use and customizable solutions designed to engage and inspire employees to reach their full potential. This platform enhances the recognition process for both employees and managers through its user-friendly technology, personalized reward options, and a seamless interface. Consequently, effective acknowledgment of employees cultivates a more engaged workforce, resulting in a more positive atmosphere and improved productivity. The platform also simplifies the tracking of milestones such as service anniversaries and birthdays, offering an array of integrations, automated content management features, and a wide range of reporting and analytics capabilities. We dedicate ourselves to understanding your organization’s mission, values, culture, and goals to develop a recognition program that aligns seamlessly with your specific requirements. With comprehensive communication strategies and tailored reward systems, we provide the vital resources needed to uplift and motivate your team effectively, leading to the overall success of your organization. Additionally, our platform promotes a sense of community and belonging among employees, which is essential for fostering long-term loyalty and commitment.

Recognize serves as a dependable platform designed for employee acknowledgment and engagement. This user-friendly application seamlessly connects with various other tools such as Outlook, Workplace, Facebook, and SharePoint, among others. Noteworthy features of Recognize encompass automatic recognition of employee birthdays and anniversaries, immediate social recognition for employees, notifications and acknowledgments from managers, along with a system for nomination voting and over 100 gift certificate options. Additionally, it provides a reward system that can be managed by the company and is highly customizable to fit specific organizational needs. This versatility makes Recognize an optimal choice for enhancing workplace morale and fostering a culture of appreciation.

Leading organizations globally recognize the significance of having passionate employees and the positive impact they contribute to their businesses. They see a clear link between employee engagement and enthusiasm, and the overall brand strength and corporate success. Employees who are passionate and engaged have been shown to take fewer sick days, exhibit higher retention rates, boost productivity, and enhance the customer and guest experience significantly. The Brownie Points platform offers a comprehensive software solution aimed at fostering employee passion and encouraging discretionary effort, while also enhancing productivity and minimizing both turnover and absenteeism, all of which lead to an improved client or guest experience. This cloud-based, real-time engagement platform is highly customizable and allows organizations to create various employee or distributor recognition programs, seamlessly integrating existing initiatives into one or more cohesive systems. Implementing a Brownie Points recognition program can result in substantial advantages for your organization, such as increased staff retention, lower absenteeism, and a markedly improved customer or guest experience, ultimately driving the overall success of the business.

Our thoughtfully selected range of significant awards serves as a wonderful means to commemorate employee retirements and anniversaries. Are you focused solely on retirement and service milestones? Inspirus Celebrates offers the ability to design tailored programs that are both affordable and straightforward to implement within a mere three-week timeframe. Meanwhile, Inspirus Connects acts as a centralized platform where employees can engage with one another, recognize their colleagues, and celebrate important milestones and anniversaries, while also having access to shop for rewards and stay informed about company updates, news, and events. This platform effectively merges both digital and physical components, fostering an environment in which employees can feel appreciated and connected to their organizations. With a growing list of esteemed partners across the United States, Inspirus has earned its reputation as a trusted choice, thanks to our unwavering commitment to outstanding customer service. We pride ourselves on helping organizations create a culture of recognition that not only enhances employee satisfaction but also boosts overall morale.

A significant reason for employee turnover is the lack of acknowledgment, highlighting the effectiveness of robust employee recognition programs, which can reduce voluntary departures by up to 31%. Gallup emphasizes that recognition and rewards are vital in boosting workplace engagement. As employee recognition technology advances and becomes widely accessible, selecting a provider focused on creating an outstanding employee experience is crucial. Our in-depth insights, adaptable tools, and tailored solutions cater to every stage of the employee life cycle, making them suitable for any organizational size. By utilizing our platform, your organization can effectively manage diverse forms of employee recognition, incentives, and corporate initiatives seamlessly. With the support of ROI analytics and customized surveys, you will acquire a thorough understanding of your recognition program's impact. By encouraging consistent positive feedback, you can improve employee morale and simultaneously reduce turnover rates, which is advantageous for the entire organization. This dedication to recognition not only fosters a more engaged workforce but also enhances the overall culture within the company, promoting a sense of belonging and loyalty among employees. Ultimately, a strong recognition strategy leads to long-term success and stability for the organization.

Flaree serves as a platform for recognizing employees, specifically tailored for remote and hybrid teams. By implementing an engaging and enjoyable kudos system, it helps organizations cultivate a culture of appreciation among their members. The integration with Slack is smooth, and the ability to customize Flaree collectibles enhances the overall experience, making workplace engagement more dynamic and interactive. This innovative approach not only motivates employees but also strengthens team connections in a virtual environment.

Thanks serves as a comprehensive platform designed for recognizing employees, making it simple to celebrate both major milestones and everyday successes. It efficiently automates recognition for years of service by offering thoughtful awards and digital mementos on anniversaries, in addition to sending timely automated messages for birthdays and other work-related events. The platform includes a Nominate feature that enables managers and colleagues to create performance and incentive awards, which can range from travel experiences to vouchers and branded merchandise through an extensive global rewards network. Moreover, Custom Awards provide options for personalized gifting, with access to over 9,000 curated experiences, while the Memories feature compiles recognition messages and photos into digital keepsakes that are delivered on service anniversaries. This daily peer-to-peer Thanks function operates within a social framework that promotes a culture of appreciation aligned with company values, and the embedded gamification elements effectively boost engagement by fostering healthy competition among team members. In the end, Thanks not only acknowledges achievements but also plays a vital role in cultivating a positive and supportive workplace environment. By integrating these various features, Thanks enhances overall employee satisfaction and strengthens team dynamics.

A "trait" refers to a unique attribute or quality inherent to an individual, while a "quest" signifies the pursuit of something of significant worth. Our objective is to establish ourselves as the leading standard for talent identification and development both in Asia and internationally, while also creating an exemplary performance management system. We design intelligent systems that utilize data, automation, and system intelligence to empower your workforce, boost productivity, and improve engagement throughout the organization. TraitQuest serves as a vital link between employers and employees, facilitating performance management, fostering employee engagement, and ensuring talent retention. Through our dedicated initiatives, we harness data-driven decision-making, develop trait profiles, and incorporate workplace gamification into a cohesive multi-level engagement platform. This commitment guarantees that the organizations we collaborate with consistently achieve exceptional performance in their respective fields. By continuously refining our approach, we aim to enhance the overall experience for both employers and employees alike.

The employee engagement platform employs a combination of surveys, pulse assessments, and a recognition and rewards framework to measure the morale and culture of an organization in real-time. When workers feel valued and recognized for their accomplishments, they often develop a stronger allegiance to the company. This feeling is especially prevalent among millennial employees, highlighting the universal human need for acknowledgment and validation across all age groups. By utilizing Teamphoria’s free employee engagement platform, both staff and supervisors can cultivate a vibrant company culture that prioritizes recognition and appreciation. Teamphoria offers users the ability to create tailored management tools and communication features that enhance interaction while also simplifying workflows, which can lead to greater productivity. Furthermore, employees can engage in pulse surveys and share various content, such as videos, on private social media feeds, creating a secure corporate intranet experience. This platform is designed to be accessible for employees across different locations via a secure website or mobile application, ensuring seamless connectivity and communication. In conclusion, the adoption of such a system not only boosts employee morale but also propels the overall success of the organization forward, fostering a more cohesive workplace environment.

Empuls serves as a comprehensive platform designed to enhance employee engagement, aiming to foster a positive company culture and invigorate the entire digital workplace. It is utilized by leaders to unite teams, break down silos, amplify employee voices, and cultivate an environment of appreciation within the organization. The platform is founded on essential engagement principles that facilitate employee connection, alignment, empowerment, and motivation. It connects remote teams through a social intranet, empowers them with feedback mechanisms such as surveys, and motivates through recognition and rewards, ultimately aiding companies in enhancing their eNPS score—a vital indicator of company culture, turnover rates, and employee satisfaction. Designed to be user-friendly and self-service, Empuls allows HR departments to implement the system swiftly, often within days, while also integrating seamlessly with existing tools like HRIS, Slack, Teams, and Gsuite to streamline the onboarding process. Additionally, Empuls boasts a variety of engaging features, including contests, game mechanics, and informal social spaces, all aimed at fostering a vibrant workplace culture that keeps employees invested and connected.

Swile is an innovative card that brings together a variety of employee benefits, such as restaurant vouchers, gift cards, and mobility incentives, all backed by a user-friendly app that enriches team dynamics with functionalities for organizing events, managing reimbursements, and accessing free pools. At its essence, Swile acts as a distinctive restaurant voucher card that imposes no spending cap, accepted at more than 220,000 venues, and it offers a high degree of personalization to cater to individual choices. Furthermore, it serves as a versatile gift card valid for online purchases across France, including in local businesses, while granting entry to a vast network of ticket options for theaters, cinemas, amusement parks, travel, and accommodations, and also features discounts from leading retailers along with integration for Apple Pay and Google Pay. The Swile app further simplifies various team-oriented activities, providing unique tools that promote collaboration and boost engagement among team members. This forward-thinking approach not only fosters greater workplace fulfillment but also cultivates a dynamic team culture that can adapt to diverse needs. By integrating these features, Swile effectively transforms the way companies enhance employee benefits and strengthen interpersonal connections within their teams.

Unily serves as the core employee experience platform within your digital workplace, enhancing work for all individuals involved. The primary advantages of Unily include the creation of detailed employee profiles that connect seamlessly with Azure Active Directory, fostering a sense of identity among all staff members. Additionally, it promotes engagement by offering enterprise social networking capabilities accessible on both desktop and mobile platforms. Moreover, productivity is boosted as it consolidates access to various applications and resources within the digital workplace, enabling users to customize their menus according to personal preferences. Ultimately, Unily transforms the way employees interact and work together, leading to a more collaborative environment.

Effective teams utilize HiThrive, a company that focuses on pioneering employee recognition solutions aimed at nurturing a culture of appreciation. This platform is designed to provide simple yet powerful recognition suited for a variety of situations. HiThrive features seamless integration with Slack, offering a free self-service employee recognition application that is ideal for teams of all sizes. Users have the flexibility to customize their experience to align with their organization’s unique identity and core values. For larger companies, HiThrive Enterprise offers a customizable, white-labeled employee recognition platform tailored specifically to meet the needs of diverse global teams. It allows extensive personalization to address specific organizational requirements. Designed for the modern workforce, it includes functionalities such as peer-to-peer recognition, which can either be publicly shared or kept confidential, alongside the capability to enhance celebrations through social media, teammate comments, daily updates, and executive summaries. The platform also automates the acknowledgment of important milestones such as service anniversaries and birthdays, showcases accomplishments with custom culture awards, and provides rewards through collaborations with Amazon Business, gift cards, and charitable contributions. Additionally, it equips organizations with tools for budgeting, analysis, and reporting, ensuring they can effectively monitor and evaluate their recognition initiatives. Ultimately, HiThrive not only facilitates acknowledgment but also helps organizations cultivate a profound culture of gratitude and engagement within their teams. By fostering such an environment, companies can enhance overall employee satisfaction and retention.

Espresa introduces the world's pioneering fully inclusive cultural benefits platform, which is a cloud-based solution aimed at enriching the employee experience while fostering a workplace that enhances overall wellbeing, community, and recognition. This innovative platform actively engages employees whether they are working remotely, in the office, or on the move, while simultaneously empowering human resources and benefits teams to shine. Users can embark on their own cultural journeys by selecting personalized solutions and integrating various culture modules as needed. Additionally, the platform offers a comprehensive 360-degree perspective on employee engagement, complete with real-time analytics to optimize experiences. Espresa stands out as SOC2 compliant and uniquely provides adherence to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), ensuring an inclusive experience for all users. With such features, Espresa not only promotes a vibrant work culture but also prioritizes accessibility and employee satisfaction.

CultureBot is the go-to solution for enriching team culture in remote and hybrid setups using Slack. Start nurturing the perfect team environment you’ve always dreamed of today. Companies that embrace creative strategies to boost engagement, create connections, and promote social interactions in a remote setting are likely to develop more dedicated employees and a stronger overall culture. Simplify the onboarding journey by helping newcomers connect with their teammates through Slack's employee introductions feature. Bring back the informal "water cooler" conversations that evoke the essence of in-office dynamics. Leverage our customized shoutouts and peer recognition tools to inspire team members to continually appreciate one another's efforts. It’s essential to make sure that every person feels appreciated, acknowledged, and honored during their significant milestones. Create tailored employee surveys and questionnaires within Slack to easily gauge team morale and emotions. Consistently collect anonymous feedback to identify cultural issues before they grow into major concerns, thus nurturing a more positive work environment. By implementing these strategies, you can cultivate a dynamic and inclusive culture that resonates with each member of the team, ultimately leading to increased productivity and satisfaction. This holistic approach not only enhances individual morale but also strengthens the collective bond among team members.

Airspeed offers a fantastic opportunity to foster a sense of community and camaraderie within your team. By investing in your company culture today, you can enhance employee engagement significantly. We are developing innovative Slack applications designed to facilitate enjoyable connections among team members. The straightforward setup of Slack ensures you’ll save valuable time while integrating these tools. Our suite of apps features: - Celebrations - Coffee Talk - Icebreakers - Intros - Maps - Shoutouts You can easily add these applications to your Slack workspace through our website or directly from Slack's app directory. Begin your free trial today and experience the benefits of a more connected team. Don’t miss out on the chance to strengthen your team’s dynamics.

AssessTEAM is designed to simplify, enhance, and add enjoyment to the employee evaluation process. With our innovative mobile application, we offer engaging methods for interacting with your team, enabling 360-degree feedback, standard reviews, ongoing commentary, and casual endorsements. Younger teams prefer AssessTEAM to conventional options, as millennials naturally gravitate towards our playful emoticons and the streamlined experience of requesting evaluations via our Android and iPhone apps. We accommodate over 30 different evaluation methodologies and enjoy popularity in 79 countries, having successfully processed more than 3 million evaluations on our platform. Our user-friendly approach ensures that organizations can foster a culture of feedback and growth effectively.

To successfully meet your organization's objectives, it's essential to select a platform that offers flexibility, affordability, and customization. Promote regular and prompt recognition, as individuals benefit from receiving rewards immediately, enhancing the significance of appreciation. Implement peer recognition that is timely, public, and immediate to foster a stronger sense of teamwork among employees. Our engaging social leaderboard is both enjoyable and user-friendly, allowing you to celebrate winners, showcase achievements, and commemorate significant milestones. Employees can select from a diverse array of global online and retail retailers through gift cards or merchandise, ensuring that everyone has access to rewarding options no matter where they are located. We handle the complexities of gifting employees during holiday seasons, allowing you to focus on the celebrations. To make special occasions even more memorable, consider sending personalized gift cards or greeting cards. Options such as service yearbooks, awards, or milestone gifts can elevate the celebration of work anniversaries. The service yearbook feature encourages peers to share and compile memories in a digital yearbook format, creating a lasting keepsake for the team. This approach not only enhances employee engagement but also strengthens the overall culture within the organization.

Achieving a remarkable 32% increase in employee productivity can be realized by promoting teamwork and establishing a culture that values appreciation through Social Recognition®. This strategy leads to the creation of a more human-focused work environment. The connections nurtured through giving and receiving recognition cultivate a stronger sense of belonging among team members. Employees who are recognized as often as six times a year experience a notable 32% increase in their performance. It is essential to build a culture of excellence where peer-to-peer recognition ensures that each individual feels valued, acknowledged, and appreciated for their unique contributions and personal attributes. Furthermore, implementing an ongoing performance management system helps employees access consistent development resources, illustrating how effective results can be achieved. Moving beyond traditional workplace anniversary celebrations, it is crucial to recognize all key milestones in an employee's journey, such as onboarding, promotions, transfers, years of service, and retirement, making sure every achievement is honored. By embracing this comprehensive approach, organizations not only boost productivity but also cultivate a workforce that is more engaged, motivated, and connected to their roles. Ultimately, fostering such an environment leads to higher retention rates and a stronger organizational culture overall.

Xexec offers an innovative solution for recognizing and rewarding employees known as Employee Reward and Recognition. This program caters to various corporate organizations of all sizes and types. It empowers employers to allow their staff to express gratitude and commemorate their accomplishments through the use of this system. Furthermore, Employee Reward and Recognition is designed to be mobile-friendly, ensuring accessibility across a range of devices, making it convenient for users on the go. Ultimately, this platform enhances workplace morale and fosters a culture of appreciation within the organization.

When employees collaborate from diverse locations—whether within the same office, across different companies, or globally—the opportunities for casual interactions, such as hallway chats or water cooler discussions, are greatly reduced. This scarcity of informal engagement can impede the formation of meaningful professional relationships, which are crucial for successful teamwork and communication. To nurture these connections, you might consider establishing a system where team members can respond to group questions that reveal their hobbies, preferences, and interests. Recognizing contributions is essential; consistently acknowledge how individuals have positively impacted the team while highlighting the skills and values they represent. Moreover, dedicating just 15 minutes to engage with colleagues throughout your organization can be incredibly beneficial. Utilizing tools like ChatFox can streamline this process by scheduling meetings, generating video links, and sharing past Icebreaker responses. Celebrating small victories can significantly enhance overall job satisfaction, creating a more positive atmosphere. Furthermore, tracking team members' birthdays ensures that everyone is celebrated on their special day, fostering a sense of belonging and unity within the group. Such initiatives not only strengthen camaraderie among employees but also cultivate a more engaged and harmonious workplace culture. Ultimately, the effort to build these connections will yield lasting benefits for both individuals and teams alike.

A platform crafted specifically for remote teams to improve their workplace culture. It fosters a values-oriented atmosphere, promotes team appreciation, and boosts employee involvement. Disco integrates effortlessly with Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Google Hangouts Chat, enabling users to acknowledge significant contributions and recognize employees regularly. Additionally, the platform streamlines the collection and organization of company nominations, effectively showcasing exceptional cultural achievements within the organization. This approach not only lifts spirits but also cultivates a strong sense of community among remote workers, ultimately enhancing collaboration and connection in a virtual environment.