Augmented Reality for Enterprise Alliance Announces the AR Security Infographic

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The infographic has ten sections for AR Security. The sections contain the risks and considerations related to the topic within AR. Each section has a summary to the left when it is clicked on. There is a detailed page for the section when clicking the ‘LEARN MORE’ button.

“AR headsets pose unique security risks for businesses. Traditional mobile security isn’t enough,” said Mark Sage, Executive Director of the AREA. “Vendors, IT departments, and users share responsibility for securing AR.”

The sections include:

Attack Surface—Pathways to infiltrate and corrupt data.

  • Connection Abuse—Enterprises contain AR devices that connect many mobile devices. Understanding the network connections and potential threats at all levels is essential.
  • Physical Breach—AR devices pose unique security risks because they collect real-world data (audio, video, location), unlike traditional IT systems.
  • System Breach—AR devices introduce new security risks beyond those of mobile devices.

Data Domains – Nefarious agents use these domains to eavesdrop, pilfer, and exploit enterprises.

  • Trust Exploitation/Data Extraction—AR devices pose unique security challenges due to their ability to interact with the physical world.
  • External Services/Physical World Data—AR devices collect vast user data through cameras, sensors, and microphones.
  • Environment/Object/Visual Manipulation—AR devices introduce unique security risks for businesses. Unlike traditional IT systems, AR devices collect real-world data (audio, video, location) that attackers can exploit.

Considerations

  • Configuration & Management/Integrity Protection—AR devices face mobile device security challenges, including logging, malware detection, and incident response.
  • Root of Trust/Physical Security—AR devices require a hardware root of trust for core security functions due to their unique hardware and complexity.
  • I/O Security/Identity—AR’s unique hardware and data collection require careful security assessment of all components to minimize confidentiality, integrity, and availability risks.
  • Access Control/Monitoring & Analysis—AR’s new voice, gesture, and gaze controls make strong passwords difficult for secure access. Biometrics offers a solution, but integrating them securely company-wide is complex.

The AREA Security Committee member companies and Brainwaive LLC contributed expert insight to completing the AR Security Infographic.

 

About the AR for Enterprise Alliance (AREA)

The AR for Enterprise Alliance (AREA) is the only global membership-funded alliance helping to accelerate the adoption of enterprise AR by supporting the growth of a comprehensive ecosystem. The AREA accelerates AR adoption by creating a comprehensive ecosystem for enterprises, providers, and research institutions. AREA is a program of Object Management Group® (OMG®). For more information, visit the AREA website.

Object Management Group and OMG are registered trademarks of the Object Management Group. For a listing of all OMG trademarks, visit https://www.omg.org/legal/tm_list.htm. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.




Augmented Reality for Enterprise Alliance Elects New President

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As President, Ryan will serve as the organization’s primary advocate, fostering partnerships, driving strategic direction, and ensuring the successful execution of programs and initiatives. Ryan replaces Boeing Technical Fellow Paul Davies, who served as AREA President for more than eight years, and continues as part of the AREA Executive Committee and as Vice President of the AREA Enterprise Segment.

At Collins Aerospace, Ryan leads the RTX XR Working Group, helps lead the RTX XR Community of Practice, and co-chairs the RTX Immersive & Interactive Visualizations Technology Interest Group. Ryan has also led teams that have invented numerous visual analytics and virtual reality-enabled applications.

“We’re excited to announce Ryan Wheeler as President of the AREA,” said AREA Executive Director Mark Sage. “With his technical background in AR/XR technologies and proven track record of working with AR/XR communities, we are certain he will steer the organization’s efforts to make it easier for enterprises to adopt interoperable AR-enabled systems that fully deliver on their promises. I would also like to thank Paul Davies, Technical Fellow at Boeing, who has served as President for many years, and he will continue to actively be involved in the AREA.”

 

About the AREA

The Augmented Reality for Enterprise Alliance (AREA) is the only global non-profit member organization. Whether you view it as the next computing paradigm, the key to breakthroughs in manufacturing and service efficiencies, or the door to unimagined applications, AR will have an unprecedented impact on enterprises of all kinds. AREA is a program of Object Management Group®. Visit https://thearea.org for more information.

Note to editors: AREA is a program of Object Management Group® (OMG®). See the listing of all OMG trademarks. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.




Augmented Reality for Enterprise Alliance Publishes Latest Research on the Adoption of Real-Time AR-assisted Inspections for Quality and Compliance

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“AR-assisted inspections can greatly benefit aerospace and defense, oil and gas, and healthcare industries due to intricate processes and inspection protocols, strict safety and quality compliance guidelines, and the high cost of downtime,” said AREA Executive Director Mark Sage. “AR solutions enhance task performance, reduce mental workload for frontline users, minimize errors, and allow for better utilization of resources.”

Common barriers to the adoption of AR-assisted inspections include:

  • Technological barriers can be mitigated by establishing innovation hubs outside of their IT infrastructure to enable close evaluation of potential AR solutions for quality and compliance inspections.
  • Economic barriers can be addressed by implementing scalable proofs-of-concept (POCs) that show tangible ROI for solutions using data and performance-driven KPIs. This showcases the potential savings and efficiency gains and provides flexible pricing models and financial incentives to lower the initial investment barrier.
  • Organizational barriers require effective change management strategies. These include engaging stakeholders at all levels, providing comprehensive training programs, and designing intuitive, user-friendly AR solutions.
  • Collaboration with governing and compliance bodies to establish clear guidelines and standards for AR-assisted inspections can mitigate regulatory and compliance barriers.

Please view an executive summary of the research report on The Adoption of Real-Time AR-assisted Inspections for Quality and Compliance from the AREA website. Vertical Realities completed the research report on behalf of the AREA.

The full report includes a comprehensive view of the factors affecting the adoption and implementation of AR solutions for inspection use cases and a template for measuring the direct impact of AR-assisted inspections (available to AREA members).

Please also consider the website’s executive summaries of other AREA resources and enterprise guidance. To learn about AREA membership, visit the AREA website.

About the AR for Enterprise Alliance (AREA)

The AR for Enterprise Alliance (AREA) is the only global membership-funded alliance helping to accelerate the adoption of enterprise AR by supporting the growth of a comprehensive ecosystem. The AREA accelerates AR adoption by creating a comprehensive ecosystem for enterprises, providers, and research institutions. AREA is a program of Object Management Group® (OMG®). For more information, visit the AREA website.

 

Object Management Group and OMG are registered trademarks of the Object Management Group. For a listing of all OMG trademarks, visit https://www.omg.org/legal/tm_list.htm. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

 




The AREA Welcomes Net4 Connect as a Member

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We are delighted to join the AREA community. Becoming part of a network sharing our enthusiasm and passion for augmented reality was easy. The opportunity to share and gain knowledge with fellow members will be invaluable, benefiting us and our clients,” said Alex Taylor, CEO of Net4 Connect. “Through our membership, we hope to gain new insights, foster innovative collaborations, and stay at the forefront of industry advancements, ultimately enhancing our service offerings and driving success for our clients. We look forward to contributing to and growing with this vibrant community.”

“Net4 Connect is a welcome addition to the AREA,” said Mark Sage, AREA’s Executive Director. “We look forward to the contributions they will make to our alliance in the use of augmented reality and their knowledge and expertise in AI, IoT, and 5G.”

About Net4 Connect

Empowering Innovation with Cutting-Edge Technology Solutions. Visit our website: https://net4connect.com/.

About the AR for Enterprise Alliance (AREA)

The AR for Enterprise Alliance (AREA) is the only global membership-funded alliance helping to accelerate the adoption of enterprise AR by supporting the growth of a comprehensive ecosystem. The AREA accelerates AR adoption by creating a comprehensive ecosystem for enterprises, providers, and research institutions. AREA is a program of Object Management Group® (OMG®). For more information, visit the AREA website.

 

Object Management Group and OMG are registered trademarks of the Object Management Group. For a listing of all OMG trademarks, visit https://www.omg.org/legal/tm_list.htm. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

 




The AREA Welcomes HTC VIVE as a Member

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ORAU awards 35 research grants totalling $175,000 to junior faculty at its member universities; GDIT and the AREA fund single grants in new specialty areas

ORAU Award

The awards recognize faculty members for their work in any of five science and technology disciplines: engineering and applied science; life sciences; mathematics and computer science; physical sciences; and policy, management or education. GDIT’s award funds research in supply chain innovation while The AREA’s award focuses on augmented reality in the workplace.

“Each year, ORAU supports the research and professional development of emerging leaders at the universities who are members of our consortium,” said Ken Tobin, ORAU chief research and university partnerships officer. “The Powe Award program is always extremely popular and very competitive. We are grateful to join with GDIT and The AREA in expanding the research focus of these awards.”

“The AREA is excited about supporting faculty research in higher education to support the use of AR in the enterprise,” said Mark Sage, AREA executive director. “Our mission is to further the adoption of interoperable AR-enabled enterprise systems.”

Alex McGuire, GDIT’s vice president and supply chain officer, added, “As a supply chain innovator, we’re honored to support ORAU grant recipients and their research to advance and apply next-generation science and technology.”

The Powe recipients, each of whom is in the first two years of a tenure track position, will receive $5,000 in seed money for the 2024-25 academic year to enhance their research during the early stages of their careers. Each recipient’s institution matches the Powe award with an additional $5,000, making the total prize worth $10,000 for each winner. Winners may use the grants to purchase equipment, continue research or travel to professional meetings and conferences.

Since the program’s inception, ORAU has awarded 910 grants totaling more than $4.55 million. Including the matching funds from member institutions, ORAU has facilitated grants worth more than $9 million.

The awards, now in their 34th year, are named for Ralph E. Powe, who served as the ORAU councilor from Mississippi State University for 16 years. Powe participated in numerous committees and special projects during his tenure and was elected chair of ORAU’s Council of Sponsoring Institutions. He died in 1996.

 

Recipients of the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards for the 2024-2025 academic year are listed below:

 

 ORAU Award Recipient Member Institution
Augusta University Evan Goldstein
Catholic University of America Dominick Rizk [GDIT Award]
Duke University Di Fang
Fayetteville State University Chandra Adhikari
Florida International University Asa Bluck
Iowa State University Esmat Farzana
Iowa State University Qiang Zhong
Louisiana State University Sviatoslav Baranets
Michigan Technological University Tan Chen
Oakland University Alycen Wiacek [The AREA Award]
Ohio State University Zhihui Zhu
Penn State University Tao Zhou
Purdue University Justin Andrews
Tulane University Daniel Howsmon
University of Alabama at Birmingham Rachel June Smith
University of Alabama in Huntsville Agnieszka Truszkowska
University of Arizona Kenry
University of Arizona Shang Song
University of Colorado Denver Stephanie Gilley
University of Colorado Denver Linyue Gao
University of Delaware Yan Yang
University of Florida Angelika Neitzel
University of Houston Ming Zhong
University of Memphis Yuan Gao
University of Mississippi Yi Hua
University of New Mexico Madura Pathirage
University of North Carolina at Charlotte Lin Ma
University of North Texas Linlang He
University of Oklahoma Kasun Kalhara Gunasooriya
University of Texas at El Paso Eda Koculi
University of Utah Qilei Zhu
University of Wisconsin-Madison Whitney Loo
Vanderbilt University Alexander Schuppe
Vanderbilt University Lin Meng
Virginia Tech Jingqiu Liao
Washington University in St. Louis Xi Wang
Yale University Huaijin Ken Leon Loh

 

For more information on ORAU member grant programs, visit https://orau.org/partnerships/grant-programs/index.html.

ORAU provides innovative scientific and technical solutions to advance national priorities in science, education, security and health. Through specialized teams of experts, unique laboratory capabilities and access to a consortium of more than 150 colleges and universities, ORAU works with federal, state, local and commercial customers to advance national priorities and serve the public interest. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation and federal contractor, ORAU manages the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education for the U.S. Department of Energy. Learn more about ORAU at www.orau.org.

 

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About the AR for Enterprise Alliance (AREA)
The AR for Enterprise Alliance (AREA) is the only global membership-funded alliance helping to accelerate the adoption of enterprise AR by supporting the growth of a comprehensive ecosystem. The AREA accelerates AR adoption by creating a comprehensive ecosystem for enterprises, providers, and research institutions. AREA is a program of Object Management Group® (OMG®). For more information, visit the AREA website. Object Management Group and OMG are registered trademarks of the Object Management Group. For a listing of all OMG trademarks, visit https://www.omg.org/legal/tm_list.htm. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

 




Augmented Reality for Enterprise Alliance Announces the AR Safety Infographic

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BOSTON, MA – MAY  9, 2024 – Today, the Augmented Reality for Enterprise Alliance (AREA) announced the AR Safety Infographic, a new tool that explores the benefits and potential safety risks of using AR in the workplace. By carefully considering safety before deploying AR solutions, organizations may be able to avoid issues before they occur.

Each section contains the benefits and challenges of using AR and includes a summary to the left when it is clicked on. There is also a detailed page for the section when clicking the ‘LEARN MORE’ button to help you understand the benefits and potential risks and how to manage them.

“Our mission is to help companies in all parts of the AR ecosystem achieve greater operational efficiency through the smooth introduction and widespread adoption of interoperable AR-assisted enterprise systems,” said Mark Sage, Executive Director of the AREA. “Our AR Safety Infographic provides reliable guidance that makes the path to AR adoption surer, shorter, and smoother.”

The sections include:

AR Experience – integrates the digital and physical worlds seamlessly, and any interactions should feel like you are interacting within a real-world environment.

Cognition – Effective use of technology-based environments and augmented reality reduces cognitive load by scaffolding information and lessons’ contents

Sensory – Engaging in immersive experiences can offer many benefits, catering to personal growth, entertainment, education, and even therapeutic purposes.

Environmental – Augmented Reality has all the trapping to encourage sustainability in the energy sector; AR is being used to power renewable energy systems by providing a more detailed understanding of energy sources and their potential.

Physical – The most prevalent benefit is the AR headset experience, enabling users to see their physical surroundings while interacting with virtual assets. This allows not only safety for the user by seeing their surroundings but also mobility.

Devices & Accessories – Augmented Reality Devices encompass various hardware, each offering unique immersive experiences.

See the AREA website for member companies contributing to the AR Safety Infographic.

 

About the AR for Enterprise Alliance (AREA)
The AR for Enterprise Alliance (AREA) is the only global membership-funded alliance helping to accelerate the adoption of enterprise AR by supporting the growth of a comprehensive ecosystem. The AREA accelerates AR adoption by creating a comprehensive ecosystem for enterprises, providers, and research institutions. AREA is a program of Object Management Group® (OMG®). For more information, visit the AREA website.

Object Management Group and OMG are registered trademarks of the Object Management Group. For a listing of all OMG trademarks, visit https://www.omg.org/legal/tm_list.htm. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.




Augmented Reality for Enterprise Alliance Announces its Statement of Needs Requirements Platform

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BOSTON, MA – APRIL 10, 2024 – Today, the Augmented Reality for Enterprise Alliance (AREA) announced a new tool called the AREA Statement of Needs (ASON) online platform. The ASON tool empowers enterprise users and AR solution providers to define and refine requirements collaboratively, ensuring alignment with industry best practices and specific use cases.

“AR is a technology that poses challenges enterprises must address to have successful project implementation,” said Mark Sage, Executive Director of AREA. “We’re offering enterprise users and AR solution providers an innovative tool they can use to streamline their planning and execution of AR implementations.”

Key Benefits:

  • Streamlined research and planning to simplify scoping AR projects with ready-built, actionable use cases and requirements.
  • Accelerated development allows users to generate RFP/RFQ proposals faster and more efficiently, speeding up the development lifecycle.
  • Enhanced collaboration: users can work seamlessly with stakeholders, suppliers, and team members.
  • Search and reporting functionalities to streamline workflows.

Try the free ASON tool today.

About the AR for Enterprise Alliance (AREA)

The AR for Enterprise Alliance (AREA) is the only global membership-funded alliance helping to accelerate the adoption of enterprise AR by supporting the growth of a comprehensive ecosystem. The AREA accelerates AR adoption by creating a comprehensive ecosystem for enterprises, providers, and research institutions. AREA is a program of Object Management Group® (OMG®). For more information, visit the AREA website.

Object Management Group and OMG are registered trademarks of the Object Management Group. For a listing of all OMG trademarks, visit https://www.omg.org/legal/tm_list.htm. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.




The evolution of delivering immersive media over 5G/Cloud

Guest blog from AREA member, Ericsson

This blog post introduces a white paper from Ericsson, an AREA Member. The full paper can be read here.

Introduction

With the availability of more Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) headsets, people are starting to experience more realistic and interactive immersive services. Thanks to the advanced technology embedded into the headset we are getting more powerful devices, able to compute and render images of increasing resolution and quality. Yet the development of longer and more realistic experiences is progressing slowly, limited by battery consumption, device form factor, and heat dissipation constraints. Many service providers have started to deploy services in the cloud to address these issues. However, running the application in the cloud imposes additional challenges: latency, bandwidth, reliability, and availability of the service. 5G cloud architecture can overcome those issues with solutions that can be applied incrementally, each differently affecting the complexity of the application, but each improving the ultimate experience for the user. Additionally, the ultimate vision for 5G architecture as applies to immersive experiences calls for new relationships among the ecosystem members – the consumer, communications service provider, hyperscale cloud provider, and developer/service provider.

This paper examines key aspects to launch an immersive service using 5G cloud infrastructure. First, reviewing recent offerings and developments, then walking through a set of use cases each exploiting more and more offload to the cloud. We follow with a description of 5G technologies that satisfy the use cases, and finally, reflect on the evolution of the stakeholders’ ecosystem in relation to their technical and commercial relationships to establish an immersive service using 5G.




Object Management Group Hosts Event on the Impact of Digital Transformation across Industries

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“Leading organizations across all industries are advancing their digital transformation efforts with cutting-edge technologies in Gen AI, digital twins, IoT, AR/XR, 5G, and more,” said Bill Hoffman, Chairman and CEO of OMG. “The OMG family of consortia offers an event filled with insightful presentations, interactive panel discussions, workshops, and live demos. You will meet executives from leading companies who share stories about their deployments, use cases, experiences, and challenges.”

Agenda

  • 8:30 am – 9:30 am – Exhibit Hall – Cross-consortia Demo Sessions. Demos feature Security and Trust, Immersive Factory of the Future, AI Infused-Compliance and Assurance, Multi-Agent Modeling, Smart City Microcosm, Intelligent Transportation, Fintech, and Smart Assets.
  • 9:30 am – 10:00 am – Keynote: Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence; The Coming Wave of Radical Upheaval in Industry and Manufacturing. The impact of humans and new technologies on the world in the present and long term.
    Keynote speakers: Dr. Adam Drobot, President and Chairman, Open Tech Work, and guest.
  • 10:15 am – 10:45 am – OMG Community of Consortia; Advancing Value through Digital Transformation. With a cross-consortia focus on Generative AI and enabling technologies, Consortia leaders talk about areas you can influence and become part of developing best practices driving the next digital transformation era.
    Presenters: Mike Bennett, CTO, Object Management Group SDO; Dan Isaacs, CTO & GM, Digital Twin Consortium; Mark Sage, Executive Director, AREA.
  • 10:45 am – 11:15 am – Panel: Unlocking Growth: The Value of Digital Transformation in Today’s Landscape. Industry experts and thought leaders discuss the impact of digital transformation across various sectors.
    Panelists: Claudio Soarzo Cataldo, Director, Head of Digital Technology (Chile) at NTT DATA; Bassam Zarkout, Founder, IGnPower; Bob Martin, Senior Principal Software and Supply Chain Assurance Engineer, MITRE; Daniel Young, Senior Manager Product Standards, Toshiba America.
  • 11:15 am – 11:45 am – Panel: Dynamics of AI: Exploring the Benefits and Challenges. Explores topics related to AI adoption, including enhanced operational efficiency, intelligent decision-making, data-driven strategies, implementation, interoperability, regulatory challenges, and responsible computing.
    Panelists: Dr. Adam Drobot, President and Chairman, Open Tech Work; Eric Stahlberg, Director of Cancer Data Science Initiatives, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research; Pieter Van Schalkwyk, CEO, XMPro; and Marlon Rodgers, Software Engineer, IT Lead, Lockheed Martin.
  • 11:45am – 12:15pm Enhancing Realties: The Integration of AR/XR & Digital Twins. This panel brings together experts at the intersection of AR/XR and digital twins to discuss the transformative potential of their integration. From leveraging real-time data visualization through spatial computing capabilities, the discussion will explore innovative applications, challenges, and future trends. Join us as we uncover the synergies between AR/XR and digital twins and their role in shaping the future of immersive realities.
    Panelists: Carlos Toro, Head of Data and Analytics (Chile) at NTT DATA, Digital Twin Coordinator LATAM (Global Innovation Center); Justin Piwetz, Asset Management Lead – Research and Innovation in Virtual Technologies, BP; Ursla Vold, XR Engineer, Lockheed Martin; and Ashley Stowe, Director, Oak Ridge Enhanced Technology and Training Center
  • 1:00 pm – 1:30 pm – Panel: Navigating the Interplay of 5G and XR Technologies. Explore the complexities of connecting various devices through advanced networks, including mobile, portable, and wearable XR devices.
    Panelists: Christine Perey, Founder, Perey Research and Consulting; Aristides Staikos, 5G and XR Industry Expert, Former Verizon/US Navy/US Army; and Tangi Meyer, DELMIA Augmented Experience Strategic Planning, Dassault Systemes.
  • 1:30 – 2:30 pm – Workshop: Demystifying Digital Twins: Practical Approach for Digital Twin Development. Learn about the Composable Framework, including the Digital Twin Capabilities Toolkit and Reference Architecture Platform Stack from the Digital Twin Consortium Ambassadors driving the next digital transformation era.
    DTC Ambassadors: Pieter Van Schalkwyk, CEO, XMPro; David McKee, CEO, Counterpoint Technologies; Carlos Toro, Head of Data and Analytics (Chile) at NTT DATA, Digital Twin Coordinator LATAM (Global Innovation Center).
  • 2:30 pm – 2:45 pm – Upcoming Member Engagement Opportunities and Wrap-Up. Learn about Consortia events and activities.

Register today for the event. The price is $99.

About Object Management Group
When tech organizations, governments, and academia must solve discrete pieces of a technology puzzle or discuss matters of common interest, they often seek to join or form a consortium. Since 1989, Object Management Group® (OMG®) has created and nurtured a productive community with common technology interests and problems to resolve. OMG is global, not-for-profit, and vendor-neutral. For more information, visit the OMG website.

About the AREA

The Augmented Reality for Enterprise Alliance (AREA) is the only global non-profit member organization. Whether you view it as the next computing paradigm, the key to breakthroughs in manufacturing and service efficiencies, or the door to unimagined applications, AR will have an unprecedented impact on enterprises of all kinds. AREA is a program of Object Management Group®. Visit https://thearea.org for more information.

Note to editors: AREA is a program of Object Management Group® (OMG®). See the listing of all OMG trademarks. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.