Introduction to Enterprise AR/VR
Always on the doorstep of adoption, never quite there. That’s just about described enterprise AR/VR over the past half-decade. Could a world calamity and a seismic shift in the best way we work and interact change that? Some very serious-minded people think the reply is categorically yes. Enterprise augmented reality and virtual reality, which at various points has been hailed as a game changer and been declared dead, is undeniably having one other moment within the highlight.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Enterprise AR/VR Adoption
The international work-from-home experiment we’re all participating in will significantly affect enterprise AR/VR adoption. According to Munjeet Singh, Senior Vice President who leads Booz Allen’s immersive computing practice, the usage of XR – AR and VR – for enterprise purposes like meetings, presentations, and virtual conferences is something that firms were exploring even before this pandemic happened. However, with so many employees working remotely, it’s being considered and employed way more now as a viable and obligatory tool for connecting with employees.
Use Cases for Enterprise AR/VR
Virtual training has already been a big use case for XR lately. Industries like healthcare, oil & gas, mining, and defense have all turned to this technology for his or her training needs. This trend can and will proceed to grow with the brand new requirement for distant work, as training won’t return to the office or the classroom for some time. Online training can and does occur, but XR training can provide a more immersive and focused environment for more high-risk and expensive trainings.
Digital Twins and Maintenance
In addition to training, there’s been an uptick within the variety of clients on the lookout for Digital Twins – a digital replica of a physical environment or device – for planning purposes, each related to COVID-19 and other needs. By making a Digital Twin, organizations can visualize and map out physical movements and changes before committing to anything permanently. Maintenance and job aids are also already poised to take off from a use case perspective. With firms attempting to cut down on the quantity of individuals going back into the office or being onsite at one location, immersive technologies, like an AR headset, allow employees to offer maintenance support to at least one one other from different locations.
Selling Points for AR/VR Solutions
An enormous selling point without delay for AR/VR technology is the solutions it will possibly provide for virtual collaboration, meetings, and presentations to reinforce—not replace – traditional web meetings and calls. For firms which can be hungry for collaboration and "face-to-face" interaction, immersive technology might be personalized for his or her needs. The current pandemic brings the long run of travel for meetings and business into query, which could find yourself being significantly costlier than it was previously. With immersive technology, you pay the up-front cost of the hardware, but then you might have the flexibility to make use of the technology to satisfy along with your clients and customers at anytime, anywhere, reducing the necessity for expensive and timely travel.
Overcoming Barriers to Adoption
At the top of the day, AR/VR is not going to be right for everybody, and that is okay. It’s essential for firms to evaluate their needs and determine if immersive could help them achieve their goals. In the meantime, AR/VR tools might want to proceed to evolve to persuade the skeptics and take away the prevailing barriers to entry. This can occur with virtual meetings bridging into AR along with VR to permit for more flexibility for the user who isn’t able to be 100% immersed. Accessibility also must be addressed, as current XR devices and applications will not be often accessible, meaning users with disabilities could have trouble using them effectively.
Growth Areas for AR/VR
The better of breed for immersive technology might want to develop a cross-reality platform that may support the complete XR experience in AR AND VR, in addition to desktop users who don’t have headsets. The move to three-dimensional distant work can start now, even without everyone having a headset. We’re already seeing interest from the conference industry to go fully virtual, and coming out of this pandemic, that could be something an increasing number of conferences are forced to explore to remain relevant and keep their participants protected.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the COVID-19 pandemic has rewritten the script for immersive technologies, and enterprise AR/VR is having one other moment within the highlight. With the fitting use cases, corresponding to virtual training, Digital Twins, and maintenance, and the flexibility to beat barriers to adoption, AR/VR solutions can provide significant advantages for firms. As the technology continues to evolve, we are able to expect to see growth in areas corresponding to virtual collaboration, distant work, and accessibility. The way forward for AR/VR is exciting, and it’ll be interesting to see the way it develops in the approaching years.
