VR Experiences From Microsoft Ignite 2017 and More In AR/VR This Week

MY FIRST VR EXPERIENCE...WITH A CPQ TOOL?

VR is obviously all over the place in the gaming world, but more and more companies are beginning to explore AR and VR as business solutions (many have been doing this for quite some time).

At one of the many decked-out booths at Microsoft Ignite 2017, I experienced VR for the first time (video below!) from a B2B software company with a CPQ tool. Yes, you read it correctly.

Now, your first thought might be: “Why is a company with CPQ software promoting VR?” But when you think about what a CPQ tool does, coupled with the fact that AR and VR are popping up all over the place in automotive design, product and machine design and construction, it starts to make sense.

A CPQ tool can help successfully configure products, provide transparent pricing and deliver custom quotes to customers based on their specific needs. VR and AR have the means to take this one step further by allowing customers to virtually customize products and have an accurate record of inventory without ever stepping on the product floor. This could lead to even further sales acceleration and massive cost reductions. Pretty neat, huh?

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IF YOU GET A CHANCE, YOU HAVE TO TRY MICROSOFT'S HOLOLENS

After my first VR experience made me slightly nauseated, I knew a HoloLens demo was definitely in order. Out of the four companies doing demos, I went with PTC’s Thingworx Studio, a codeless, drag-and-drop AR authoring tool targeted toward those developing AR experiences. 

The tool itself has the potential to allow anyone, including non-coders, to create immersive AR experiences through a headset like the HoloLens, similar to how WYSIWYG editors work in email marketing tools. The difference, of course, is that a headset is required for AR apps.

My experience with PTC’s Thingworx Studio and the HoloLens strengthened my belief that AR actually does have the potential to impact vertical industries in the near future. With more and more people starting to create AR content, the potential use cases for this technology seem infinite.

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

YOUTUBE | My First VR Experience (Warning: I may or may not get a little freaked out. Excuse my language.)

AR TOOL OF THE WEEK

PTC’s ThingWorx Studio | From PTC, ThingWorks Studio is an IoT AR platform that allows users to build AR applications without the need of coding knowledge, all in a drag-and-drop interface.

 QUICK HITS

• Microsoft Ignite 2017: Everything That Was Just Announced (CNET)
• Microsoft Further Differentiates Itself With Enterprises (Forbes)
• Zoom Brings a Dash of AR and AI to Meetings (TechCrunch)
• Burberry Turns to Apple for AR Fashion App (Bloomberg)
• VR/AR Will Be the Death of Pop-Up Ads and Pre-Roll Videos (Quartz)
• MLB Launching Augmented Reality App in 2018 (The Mercury News)
• All of the Best AR Tricks Your iPhone Can Do Right Now (Gizmodo)

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