The VRARA Enterprise Forum revealed some exciting updates for the VR/AR for enterprise space, with industry leaders Varjo, Lenovo, and Microsoft sharing essential news and insights for 2021 and beyond.
Throughout the event, more than 600 executives from automotive, aerospace, construction, energy, healthcare, manufacturing, transportation, and other sectors came together to hear the latest news from global brands leading the VR/AR for enterprise space.
Here are some of the critical updates we gathered from the event.
Varjo Talk Product Design With Mixed Reality
Leading hardware developers, Varjo, started the event with a keynote on the new age of product design with collaborative mixed reality.
Alongside a detailed look at all the latest features of the next-generation of its flagship XR-3 and VR-3 headsets, Head of Design and Research at Varjo, Hannah Nilson, explained how mixed reality is transforming the way businesses engage with customers in 2021 and beyond.
One feature of particular interest discussed during the event was the powerful Varjo Eye-tracking capabilities that enhance consumer research by giving detailed real-time analytics of customer experience in virtual or mixed reality stores based on their point of vision.
With this eye-tracking tool, Varjo tells us that businesses can now monitor and report on valuable metrics based on how customers view their products and what part of the product design best drives conversions.
Lenovo Discuss ThinkReality A3 Release
Lenovo also had some exciting updates to share regarding the upcoming release of its new ThinkReality A3 enterprise-grade augmented reality smart glasses.
While we still have no confirmed price or release date, the Hardware Product Manager of Commercial AR/VR at Lenovo, Mike Lohse, told us the company is currently putting the final touches on its device ahead of the forecasted launch in Q2 2021.
Some of the final touches Lohse mentioned during the keynote included better drop impact protection on the A3 Industrial Edition and the possible inclusion of a second battery pack and software optimization to reduce battery consumption.
He also mentioned that while the ThinkReality A3 currently offers mobile support for Motorola handsets alone, the company is looking to expand its offering to other mobile developers in the future.
Microsoft Demonstrates Value of Enterprise MR
Following on from their Microsoft HoloLens Forum and Microsoft Ignite events earlier this year, Microsoft sent Azure Mixed Reality Lead for Microsoft Canada, Sean Graglia, to the VRAR Enterprise Forum to discuss the accelerating value of enterprise MR.
During his keynote, Graglia explained how mixed reality is transforming enterprises across the spectrum, from remote collaboration and training through to sales assistance, design, and prototyping.
According to sources mentioned during the presentations, global spending on mixed reality is expected to reach an astonishing USD 160 billion by 2023, with 87% of large companies already exploring, piloting, or deploying the technology today.
Garcias also added that at least one-third of enterprises would support mixed reality experience platforms, including augmented reality, by 2021, proving how quickly adoption of VR/AR tech is already spreading through the world of big business.
