In early 2014, SAP and Vuzix began to collaborate on the development of warehouse picking systems using the M100 to streamline operations and increase efficiencies in logistics. The partners in this project announced in a press release that Bechtle is the first company to put the system into full scale production for warehouse picking support.

In the company’s logistics hub, located at company headquarters in Neckarsulm, Bechtle, Germany’s largest B2B IT service provider, is using information presentation and real world detection, a preliminary form of Augmented Reality, with the Vuzix M100.

According to the release this is the world’s first live deployment of SAP’s mobile AR Warehouse Picker app.

In the announcement issued by Bechtle, the company also mentions that it is deploying Epson Moverio technologies in its premises but provides no details about the use cases or the stage and possible outcomes of deployment. It suggests that it is also exploring the use of Augmented Reality in other warehouse processes. The additional use cases include product receiving, warehouse stocking and complex order deliveries.

Goldman Sachs has released its first important analysis of the Augmented Reality market. Although it differs in some respects from the views of the AR for Enterprise Alliance (AREA) members, it states that companies in the AR ecosystem are on the verge of a very big trend. More specifically, the report’s authors, led by Goldman analyst Heather Bellini, state that the combination of AR and VR have the potential to become the next big computing platform. This platform, which is loosely described as it encompasses all VR and AR technologies, will create new markets and that many existing markets will, in the process, be disrupted.

The 58-page report predicts that consumers will be spending very large sums to use Virtual Reality products and content in the next year. It also contains forecasts of the size and timing of hardware and software sales over the next 10 years. Unfortunately, the forecasts do not distinguish between those products that are solely for AR and those that will be used for VR experiences, or a combination of both.

Of the nine industries studied for use cases when preparing the forecast, the largest is video gaming. Five of the industries profiled are industrial or have an industrial component: Healthcare, Education, Real Estate, Military and Engineering. Of these, the report predicts that healthcare and engineering applications will dominate revenues by 2025.

The featured example in the healthcare study is about AREA Sponsor member, Atheer, and its scenario for use of the Atheer AiR platform by medical professionals.

This analyst note is the first in the company’s new “Profiles in Innovation” series analyzing how emerging technologies are creating profit pools and disrupting old ones. For more on the series, Goldman Sachs clients can log into the Profiles in Innovation portal. Those who are not Goldman Sachs clients may read more about the report’s conclusions from news outlets such as Bloomberg and Yahoo! Finance.

Eyes are one of the human body’s most valuable organs and they move before we are aware. While extensive academic work has been done on this phenomenon and some companies have attempted to introduce gaze technology for controlling cursors, the human eye remains under exploited for Augmented Reality systems. Quantum Interfaces has been developing software to be integrated into hands-free displays for several years.

In a press release issued by Quantum Interface during CES, the company announced that it is working on an alternative to voice, touch and gesture for content and motion control. Its collaboration with EyeTech Digital Systems has produced technology demonstrations of the Quantum Virtual Augmented Reality Interface (QiVARI) with Eye Tracking.

The company suggests that this is the first use of what it calls “predictive user interfaces” which will be used in vehicles and displays such as those provided by ODG which were demonstrated on the exhibition floor.

During CES 2016 Google announced that it is working with Lenovo to create the first Augmented Reality-enabled smartphone based on Project Tango technology. The Chinese hardware maker of the popular ThinkPad laptop line of products mentioned in the announcement that it plans to release the device with 6.5 inch form factor based on a Qualcomm processor in summer 2016. While this device could appeal to consumers, the company’s strong brand in enterprise could also help to carry some weight in enterprise smartphone purchasing decisions.

The Project Tango collaboration is described on a page on the Lenovo site. Lenovo recognizes that before it can have a successful solution to offer, there must be developers engaged to publish applications that could be valuable to its customers. The call for new applications suggests some useful features, such as measuring real world objects in real time or indoor navigation, and points to the Project Tango developer site for further information.

This announcement received attention from dozens of news services whose writers quickly pointed out that the new device could directly compete with products currently on the roadmap with Intel partners. The Intel-based devices would use the RealSense depth sensing technology for comparable features. At least if the devices are not competing directly, their positioning could be confusing to buyers and slow adoption.

According to a blog post sharing summaries of its fourth quarter 2015 report, Digi-Capital expects enterprise Augmented Reality to expand in 2016. The publisher of quarterly research reports on the Augmented and Virtual Reality markets has also released a new infographic.

The infographic shows the companies that Digi-Capital considers the leaders in 4Q 2015. The note at the foot of the post explains that placement on the pyramid is based on a blend of enterprise value, funds invested and a range of qualitative measures. Parent companies only included with acquisitions e.g. Facebook/Oculus, Apple/Metaio. Apple is at the top.

The text of the post (which doesn’t mention the featured image except in the footnote) suggests that, in 2016, the biggest hurdle for Augmented Reality providers is in the head-mounted and hands-free wearable display segment. In the hands-free display segment, some Augmented Reality hardware providers such as Microsoft, Sony, Epson and Vuzix are offering solutions they hope will expand to meet the requirements of both consumer and enterprise customers. Others, such as Atheer, ODG and DAQRI are investing in solutions specifically designed for enterprise usage.

More specifically, the Digi-Capital post’s author writes that the field of view of current displays (between 20 and 40 degrees diagonally) is only suitable for what it terms “mobile computing.” Many enterprise Augmented Reality use cases could qualify as mobile since the real world objects on which experiences are created can be beyond the reach of (not detected by) a stationary user. Digi-Capital’s analysts believe that for AR-assisted entertainment use cases, displays with a larger field of view (providing 40 to 90 degrees) will be necessary.

Only one week after CES in Las Vegas, the auto industry will meet again in Detroit to demonstrate the latest technologies for attendees of the North American International Auto Show. One of the event’s sponsors, DENSO, a global tier one supplier to automotive manufacturers, has announced in a press release that it will be showcasing its Augmented Reality-assisted displays for drivers on the exhibition floor.

The showcase will demonstrate how Augmented Realty can increase safety by showing drivers risks in advance and keeping their eyes on the road using a head-up display while also adjusting settings in the car or using in-car navigation. The company also foresees combining Augmented Reality features with connected roads in smart cities.

The technology is not entirely new to DENSO and its customers. The automotive industry has been investing in Augmented Reality technology for nearly a decade. Many proven use cases are in the design and manufacturing of vehicles but due to high cost and low performance, the use for driver assistance has taken substantially longer to mature.

A new era in enterprise Augmented Reality began when Intel CEO Brian Krzanich invited Brian Mullins, CEO of DAQRI, an AREA Founding Sponsor member, to the stage on the eve of CES 2016. During the time Mullins had available he spoke about the opportunities for Augmented Reality to increase productivity, reduce risk and costs.

The DAQRI Smart Helmet was featured to demonstrate how, using the Intel RealSense technology for depth perception and mapping and the Intel Core m7 processor for graphics processing and rending, the companies are working on a product that provides a very immersive human computer interface. More information about the relationship between Intel and DAQRI is contained in the press release issued by DAQRI. DAQRI separately announced that it has begun shipping the first production units to its preferred partner network and is conducting pilots with customers in aerospace, construction and oil and gas industries.

Many news outlets posted about the demonstration using language evoking x-ray vision technology. For example, in these posts by The Guardian and on the CNET portal the authors suggest that the technology provides superhuman powers like seeing inside the pipes. Other coverage of the announcement produced over 50 relevant stories in less than a week, a remarkable achievement by enterprise AR publicity standards.

As 2015 draws to a close, it’s the season for 2016 predictions. Once again, Augmented Reality features in many lists. It’s less common to find a list of predictions entirely focusing on Augmented Reality, such as that contributed by Epson’s Valerie Riffaud-Cangelosi and posted on the Information Age blog.

In summary Riffaud-Cangelosi predicts that:

1. Many new and more mature wearable AR display devices will be introduced in 2016.
2. Enterprise Augmented Reality will be prominently featured by many more companies.
3. More independent software developers will be adding value as they understand best the needs of their enterprise customers.
4. Wearable AR display devices will be purchased and integrated into a broader enterprise hardware and software portfolio.
5. Businesses will begin to combine smart glasses with IoT systems, to make workers more productive and streamline their back-end operations.

After reviewing photographs and documents released as part of a Federal Communications Commission filing, the 9to5Google blog published a post with photographs compiling new insights with what it already knew about the Enterprise Edition of Google Glass.

The post confirms that the system will have improved internal hardware and ergonomics (e.g., the power switch is in a more convenient position). Furthermore, the device will be easier to store and carry as a result of a button-and-hinge system to fold the arms.

Although Google has yet to formally announce this new product with compact form factors, most observers agree that Google will not be selling to end user customers directly. More than likely, only certified Glass for Work partners will be able to pre-load proprietary software for specific use cases before distributing it to qualified customers or dealers in specific vertical markets.

Maybe there should be a site that maintains a list of jobs which will be changed by availability of Augmented Realty-assisted systems. In this post on the BBC Future blog, Rose Eveleth compiles a few use cases for enterprise Augmented Reality that range from tasks routinely performed in a dentist’s office to those performed on oil sand pipelines and in Lockheed Martin’s fighter jet assembly plants.

Some of the systems described, for example, the use of AR on tablets for installing a clamp onto a pipe without any prior experience, and smart glasses for dentists to use x-rays when examining patients being designed by EyeCAD Connect. Such systems are already available for commercial use.

The post is helpful for those who are unfamiliar with Augmented Reality because it describes use cases, as well as a few of the common obstacles, in a realistic manner. For example, the author points out that use case selection is critical to the success of enterprise AR. Deciding exactly which tasks could benefit from Augmented Reality is not as easy as it might sound. Many tasks are easily performed without technology assistance.

The other obstacle that is raised through an interview with Gabe Batstone, CEO of AREA member Contextere (formerly CEO of NGRAIN, also an AREA member), is the human resistance to change. When it is not clear if the use case can benefit from adding Augmented Reality, it’s difficult to persuade anyone that they need it. On the other hand, when the use case involves highly complex or unique information, such as the x-rays of a patient, the human obstacles are significantly lower.

Perhaps, when enterprise Augmented Realty will be more mature, it will be easier to publish a post listing the jobs that are not changed by Augmented Reality than a list of those the technology has changed.