Introduction to AR and VR in Business
As the cofounder of FortySeven Software Professionals, with over a decade of experience advising F500 corporations and growth-stage startups, I even have seen firsthand how technologies are helping to enhance business processes. Some may argue that technology implementation isn’t value it, but I firmly imagine that we are able to incorporate the potential of technology into any existing project. This is why it’s essential to explore more use cases of trending technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR).
The Impact of AR and VR on Business
During the pandemic, many businesses were forced to adapt to latest technologies, creating latest business models for his or her existing services and products. The hottest use of VR in tourism was dedicated to improving experiences at tourist sites and attractions. Many museums created opportunities to go to their exhibitions via their website and 3-D technologies, blurring the boundaries between the digital and physical worlds. As time passes, we see increasingly more use cases of AR and VR in various industries.
Understanding AR and VR
There is a big difference between AR and VR that we must always remember. Augmented reality overlays digital information onto the physical world to create a mixed-reality experience. Virtual reality, nonetheless, places users in a completely digital environment that completely shuts out the true world. Both technologies provide unique advantages and are revolutionizing how businesses engage with customers, which is able to undoubtedly change the e-commerce industry and others within the near future.
Enhancing Customer Experience with AR and VR
AR and VR are changing how customers interact with businesses and products, making a more engaging and immersive experience. AR allows customers to overlay computer-generated images onto real-world views, enabling them to visualise how products would look inside their environment. This feature is especially useful for patrons purchasing furniture, accessories, and fashion products. VR provides customers with a completely virtual experience by which they will see and feel services, ideal for corporations within the tourism and hospitality industries.
Industries Using AR and VR
Several industries are already leveraging AR and VR to reinforce customer experiences and boost business outcomes. These include:
- Automotive: BMW’s i Visualizer app uses AR to let customers view and customize their cars in real time, while Volkswagen uses VR to coach its employees about latest technologies.
- Retail: Ikea’s Place app uses AR for patrons to put virtual furniture into their homes to see the way it looks before making a purchase order.
- Beauty: Sephora’s Virtual Artist and L’Oreal use AR, allowing customers to try on makeup virtually.
- Healthcare: AR technology is used to help surgeons in operating rooms by providing real-time guidance and data.
- Tourism: The British Museum uses VR to create virtual tours of its exhibits, and travel corporations use AR to supply interactive guides to landmarks and cities to their customers.
- E-Commerce: Amazon has used AR technology to enhance virtual shopping experiences since 2017, with features like AR View and Room Decorator allowing customers to see how a product might look in their very own homes.
- Education: AR technology could be used as an interactive tool to reinforce traditional textbooks, including animations, 3-D models, and videos.
Improving Communication and Productivity
These technologies have the potential to enhance customer experience and increase worker productivity. They also can transform how we communicate and collaborate with each other. Virtual reality could be utilized in distant offices to create virtual meeting rooms that recreate the sensation of being in an actual office. As an employer, finding the fitting strategy for implementing these technologies to enhance communication between teams is crucial.
Conclusion
AR and VR aren’t only improving the client experience but in addition helping businesses be more visible in crowded markets, thereby increasing customer loyalty and engagement, in addition to the profits of corporations. With my experience working at an IT consulting company, I see the use cases and impacts of those technologies almost every single day. As latest technologies turn out to be ready for widespread adoption, they often promise to vary all the pieces from how we do business to how we communicate with each other. For AR and VR, I definitely agree that they are going to have a profound impact on various sectors of society.
