New virtual and augmented reality applications on the rise as VR and AR shift to corporate and gaming
As augmented reality (AR) usage for enterprise businesses continues its rise, it is likely that companies will need to prepare for a tidal wave of new enterprise applications as the industry shifts its focus to the corporate and gaming verticals.
Virtual Reality reporter
In a report by ABI research, both augmented and virtual reality (AR and VR) devices are slated to flood the market with smart glasses for gaming forecast to grow by 82 per cent through 2021. Further, virtual reality is starting to see similar crossover into enterprise, with an 88 per cent CAGR through the same period, according to the research.
"The use cases for AR in enterprise remain the primary drivers for the technology; though, it is worth noting that the consumer AR market opportunity is growing in presence," says Eric Abbruzzese, senior analyst for ABI Research. "Simplistic AR mobile gaming is setting the stage for more advanced AR gaming experiences. Similarly, the primarily gaming-centric VR market is seeing uptake in corporate and enterprise usage in applications such as simulation, training, and visualized content creation."
A combination of new hardware announcements and expanded content selection in both AR and VR are driving this shift in use case focus, the report suggests. Osterhout Design Group (ODG) showed off their new Project Horizon smart glasses display that offer a wide field of view; together with a partnership with OTOY, a consumer content push is coming from one of the leaders in enterprise smart glasses. In VR, HTC's Vive for Business push opens up a compelling entry into VR for corporate and enterprise usage.
"These new combinations of hardware and software leads to a much more fluid relationship between AR and VR," concludes Sam Rosen, managing director and vice president at ABI Research. "The individual importance of AR for enterprise, and VR for consumers, cannot be understated, but with the potential for disruption on display, the limitations for these markets are far less constrictive than once thought."