Based on past experience of AR entertainment and marketing applications, the analyst for IT Business Edge portal who covered AWE, Rob Enderle, didn’t have high expectations for Augmented Reality. He shares in his review of AWE 2015 how he came away with a different and much higher opinion of the technology as a whole and of its utility, in particular.

Enderle reports that he found the applications for Augmented Reality in business described on the stage and in the exhibition hall are closer and more practical than he had imagined. In particular, Enderle recommends that his readers begin thinking of the benefits of having a remote expert assisting users with a variety of unfamiliar tasks. Remote assistance with the help of a local set of eyes and hands on tools could reduce costs and time by getting a task completed correctly more quickly by an inexperienced worker.

Augmented Reality has long been proposed as a way to reduce costs and improve the quality of care and patient outcomes in healthcare. Some companies are introducing services and solutions that support medical training and education and even to deliver care differently. In this article on the Tech Republic web site, the author summarizes six talks that were presented as part of the Augmented World Expo (AWE) 2015. Speakers included physicians, academic researchers and providers of commercial solutions.

By showing the range of possibilities this article helps practitioners and those new to Augmented Reality better appreciate the potential benefits.

It’s important for business leaders and decision makers to learn of Augmented Reality’s potential to impact the workplace from many different sources. In this post on the Millenial CEO blog, Daniel Newman highlights the ability to streamline workflows, lessen decision-making time and enable seamless communications when AR-assisted smart glasses are widely available. As Newman points out, the questions being raised among those in the know are less about the potential impacts these technologies will provide once mature. Topics that remain very poorly studied or documented, and on which the AREA members are working together, are how to choose or build the best systems, which vendors to work with, and where and when introduction will be cost effective.

On the opening day of Augmented World Expo, invited speakers and AREA members provided the day-long AWE AR in Enterprise (AWARE) sessions. A short synopsis of the presentation made by Paul Davies, representative of Boeing, an AREA Founding Sponsor member, was featured in this post on the Recode blog. According to Davies, trainees performed tasks using either a PDF displayed on a desktop computer, a PDF displayed on a tablet or animated Augmented Reality-assisted instructions. Trainees using the AR-assisted system were 30 % faster and 90 % more accurate on their first tries than the other groups.

NEW YORK — June 8, 2015 — Augmate (www.augmate.com), an enterprise wearable technology company, announced today the launch of a Wearable Environment (WE) platform to enable the deployment of wearable devices like smart watches and smart glasses at scale. Augmate’s management platform provides a secure network for facilitating and managing the distribution of information across a workforce, which allows organizations to develop endpoint solutions for a myriad of industries.

“The launch of Augmate’s suite of tools for WE is a huge milestone for us,” said Pete Wassell, co-founder and CEO of Augmate. “With this platform, companies can quickly deploy wearable devices and gather insights on their deskless workforce while connecting employees to business-critical information. It enables companies to derive real value from implementing wearables and reduces the friction of introducing new technologies into the workplace.”

In addition to ensuring the secure deployment of wearable devices, the Augmate WE platform also provides customers and partners with actionable insights related to workforce behavior and performance. To optimize accessibility to information, operational workflows, and work safety, Augmate WE platform consists of a suite of tools including Augmate WE(Manage) and Augmate Client for Wearables that enables for provisioning, accessing, and managing smart devices that are being used in the workplace.

Augmate WE platform allows enterprises to manage wearable devices through the web on desktops, smartphones and tablets, collect and analyze data, and author new rules. With the data, Augmate WE visualizes insights from devices, users, and app metrics. The WE platform also supports the loading of the Augmate Client on multiple smart devices simultaneously, connects to third party software in real-time, and features the ability to add smart devices and beacons to the WE dashboard.

Augmate Client securely launches WE on smart devices, connecting directly to Augmate’s backend for live sensor data feeds to access pre-approved applications and databases; it also delivers system-wide messaging and notification capabilities and supports Over the Air (OTA) app updates directly to the wearable device.

Market research firm Tractica predicts the deployment of more than 75 million enterprise and industrial wearable devices over the next five years. Currently, the most widely adopted are the enterprise implementation of biometric wrist bands and activity trackers. However, these wearable devices alone are not enough. Augmate’s WE platform allows enterprises to seamlessly connect and manage every deployed device simultaneously, so enterprises can introduce rewards based employee wellness programs as well as dynamic safety training programs to reduce workplace injuries.

Screenshots of Augmate’s WE Platform: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/xmd0goitb7mrq7k/AAAXm1ngRD3TiVUh830WwH4la?oref=e&n=350859465

About Augmate

Augmate was founded in 2013 to empower the deskless workforce with real-time, hands-free information on the job. Augmate offers a Wearable Environment (WE) platform that enables enterprises to deploy wearable devices at scale, providing a suite of tools for provisioning, accessing, and managing smart devices in the workplace.

For more information, please visit: www.augmate.com.

NGRAIN Announces Industrial Application Suite for Transformative AR Deployment in Enterprise

Powerful Interactive AR Tools Include Inspection and Damage Assessment, Field Support, and Manufacturing Analytics

Augmented World Expo – San Francisco – June 8, 2015 – Combining the power of augmented reality (AR) with the industrial Internet of Things, NGRAIN today announced its comprehensive suite of industrial applications – NGRAIN Scout, NGRAIN Consort and NGRAIN Envoy – firmly placing the organization at the forefront of deploying AR technologies across the data-intensive enterprise. Each industrial application focuses on a specific business use case and helps businesses maximize productivity, manage risk, and prevent costly mistakes before they happen.

“The importance of integrated augmented reality capabilities in industrial settings continues to grow. With customers across the Global 2000 in aerospace, defense and manufacturing already using NGRAIN technology, we are making it possible for the enterprise to obtain unprecedented levels of performance” said Barry Po, Director of Product Management. “The power of the NGRAIN industrial application suite is that it provides businesses with an innovative technology and deployment platform that leverages big data investments, visual elements, and AR to deliver critical information to enterprise workers at the point of need.”

The NGRAIN industrial application suite includes:

NGRAIN Consort An interactive 3D application that powers streamlined design inspections, quality control reviews, repair planning, and sustainment activities across an organization. NGRAIN Consort allows organizations to combine digital information about an assembly, vehicle, or other complex equipment with the actual machinery. Using innovative interactive augmented reality and virtual 3D, inspectors and technicians can directly annotate areas of concern, review maintenance histories, and plan for repairs on the spot.

Lockheed Martin is using NGRAIN Consort to effectively assess airframe damage and increase technician efficiency. Learn more about how NGRAIN and Lockheed worked together to solve these challenges.

NGRAIN Envoy A virtual 3D and augmented reality application that eliminates inefficiencies in field-based operations. By providing on-demand access to crucial equipment information and field-based data, specialists in the field can make critical decisions in real-time and collaborate with other field teams and colleagues remotely. Live updates to operational variables can be monitored at all times. Valuable knowledge captured in the field can be instantly assessed and disseminated to others, improving operational efficiency, asset management, and logistics planning.

NGRAIN Scout A 3D visual analytics application that supports real-time visual analysis and real-time decision making in manufacturing execution environments. Floor supervisors can access data at a glance, including current state, product lifecycle data, supply chain, and inventory information. Through a combination of augmented reality and interactive 3D experiences, every worker on the shop floor is always ready to act on work orders and rapidly changing operating conditions, to ensure that manufacturing activities are operating at maximum effectiveness.

For more information on NGRAIN and its products, please visit www.ngrain.com.

Visit NGRAIN at booth #14 this week at Augmented World Expo in Santa Clara to see NGRAIN industrial applications in action.

About NGRAIN

NGRAIN allows the world to see beyond reality. Our innovative, interactive 3D technologies empower decision makers in the most challenging markets around the globe, building a world where the enterprise workforce is always connected to the right information, at the right time, on the right device — maximizing operational uptime and eliminating costly mistakes.

NGRAIN’s patented virtual reality and augmented reality software is used by leading Fortune 500 organizations in aerospace, defense, energy, healthcare, and heavy industry; transforming the way they communicate, collaborate, and understand the world around them.

Through industry-first 3D development platforms, authoring tools, and industrial applications, NGRAIN enables organizations to accelerate decisions by interacting with the world’s data in 3D. For more information, visit www.ngrain.com.

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NGRAIN Media Contact:

Victoria Berry
King & Weber Communications
[email protected]
+1 519 362 5347

New version of Skylight features voice command and support for smart watches among other new capabilities enabling hands-free work

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 9, 2015 – APX Labs, the developer of the Skylight platform for enterprise wearable technology, today announced the availability of Skylight R5. The latest version of the business software product features important new capabilities including voice command and control, a unique work management system called Workstreams, claims-based Active Directory authentication and improved high-resolution photo capture. The new release also extends the Skylight platform to support smart watches.

“With this new version, Skylight extends our comprehensive platform for enterprise wearable technology,” said Brian Ballard, CEO and co-founder, APX Labs. “Using Skylight to support smart watches is a natural progression for our customers and fits our mission to give millions of people the tools to do their work using whatever wearable device best suit their needs.”  Skylight R5 supports Android Wear devices with a planned software update for Apple Watch.

Skylight enables hands-on workers to access the information, applications and systems necessary for their jobs, without the interruption of turning away to use computers, phones or paper manuals. The new voice enabled interface in Skylight R5 allows workers wearing smart glasses and smart watches to speak commands and communicate in a simple and natural way. The addition of Workstreams in Skylight R5 allows companies to create very powerful workflows where their users can quickly see and interact with their daily work and drill down to get help whenever they need it.

By supporting a wide range of devices, Skylight R5 provides companies with a common user experience and a single, manageable back-end across their entire mobile operations. For the first time, businesses can leverage the full ecosystem of wearable technologies and outfit workers with whatever combination of smart glasses, smart watches and other devices best fit their needs.

Attendees at the Augmented World Expo (AWE) 2015 can see a live demo of Skylight R5 on smart glasses and smart watches at the APX Labs booth (#15) on the exhibitor floor, or by contacting [email protected].

To learn more about APX Labs and the Skylight platform, please visit http://www.apx-labs.com/products/skylight/

About APX Labs

Since 2010, APX Labs has been the market leader in developing wearable technology for the hands-on workforce. APX Labs’ Skylight software product runs on many types of devices, integrates with existing business systems, and is used today in a wide range of industrial operations including manufacturing, field service, repair, training, and compliance. For additional information, visit www.apx-labs.com.

Media Contact

Katherine Verducci
MIX Public Relations
[email protected]

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At this early stage in smart glasses introduction there’s room for a great deal of experimentation with different interaction modes. What works for one use case or feature may not be suitable for another. In all likelihood it will be possible for users to switch modes, depending on the nature of a task, the need for editing or other input options and support from a remote expert.

Quantum Interface has announced in this press release that it is offering an alternative to the user experience provided out of the box by Epson for the Moverio smart glasses. Quantum Interface is the name of both the company and the new software technology which can be integrated optionally to provide low power and intuitive options for controlling digital objects in the user line of site.

While many articles about Augmented Reality take a strict technological viewpoint, this article on Seeking Alpha web site looks at the investment opportunities in the domain. In the author’s assessment, the most exciting opportunities are in smart glasses. He highlights the investment that Intel made in Vuzix and suggests that there are many companies providing technologies that will display smart phones in the future. It’s also exciting that this author believes the first wave of AR adoption will come be in enterprise and industrial use cases, followed by mass consumer adoption.

Rolls-Royce is a leader in automotive, aviation and space, providing components and finished products to consumers, and components to airplane manufacturers and military. In this article on the Dell Partners web site is an in-depth look at how Rolls-Royce is using big data. An important aspect limiting the impact of big data is the options for visualization. As this article points out, Augmented Reality provides a way for the information to appear in context, thereby improving the efficiency of tasks such as design, manufacturing and repair.