The Future of Augmented Reality in the Enterprise
An article on CMS Wire last week discusses predictions for the future of Augmented Reality. For example, earlier in the month, ABI Research found that vendors are developing applications for AR in the enterprise in addition to consumer AR. The AR hardware market was also found to have potential for transformation and innovation, particularly for differing capability requirements of displays for both consumers and enterprises.
The aspects of future AR development elaborated on in the article are:
- Customer Experience Driving AR Development. A report from ABI Research earlier this year showed that Augmented and Virtual Reality will be the next innovative technology to impact the retail and marketing sectors. Consumer demand for an improved shopping experience is enabling digital marketing and ecommerce vendors to enhance customer experiences with AR and VR.
- Current and Future AR Sales. Robert Radek, founder and CEO of GEON Network, has stated that AR tech is already used in a variety of markets such as gaming, commercial, ecommerce and retail. Key players mentioned include Google, Microsoft, Sony, Apple, and PTC. Radek is quoted to have said that increasing interest in ‘Augmented Reality’ and ‘AR’ as search term has been reported by Google along with estimated market growth.
Exponential growth potential can be seen in both the immediate future and long-term. Radek is said to have addressed the stagnation of AR tech sales (e.g. headsets), claiming that the cause of this is that products only address a small market of those interesting in using tech for leisure.
- AR Enters Post-Hype Development. Karen Shackman, founder of Shackman Associates New York, has stated that the key to future AR enterprise use is ensuring it is not a one-time experience. Shackman is quoted to have said that AR has the potential to enhance visitor experiences and provide marketing opportunities for companies and locals in cities like New York.
John Buzzel, president of YOU ARE HERE, has also said that any stagnation is only temporary, as AR is making is easier for enterprises to find ROI in immersive tech. It is claimed that 2018 will likely be an important year for AR due to increased mobile adoption, hardware releases, and new iOS and Android features due to valuable use cases and approached being found in AR’s practical phase following the intial hype.
Many technological developments are currently reducing AR obstacles, leading to improved ease of use, improved networking, greater utility, lower costs, enhanced developer tools, and higher performance.
- Long Term Future. The article claims that new digital standards for AR will be adopted in the long term as it becomes content and interface. AR is no longer just a feature as the biggest companies in tech invest billions. David Xing of Plott has stated that AR is on the verge of becoming XR (Extended Reality), a combination which uses VR to experience the environment and AR to change how it looks. Xing predicts that the emergence of XR will expedite the development of both AR and VR. In the short term, he believes that mobile AR will take the lead as everyone will have an accessible AR device, which will then lead to bringing the AR experience to headsets.