The introduction of newer technology and its perpetual innovations has entwined this scientific advancement exponentially into our lives especially in the past decade.
“The advance of technology is based on making it fit in so that you don’t really even notice it, so it’s part of everyday life.” – Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft.
How precise his assertion is! Isn’t it?
Now, envisage a world five to ten years from now. Your thoughts would have definitely been influenced by Sci-fi movies like Iron man, Robocop, Matrix and many more. Well, that’s the kind of world we are stepping towards, it’s definitely the near future of the workforce.This decade will produce a significant amount of disruptive technology adoptions compared to the past.
With technology incorporated in every aspect of life, we see Extended Reality (XR) has taken the leap forward as they signify the extension of the real world with the right blend of immersive virtual elements. This is where Augray springs to action!
The world is seeing challenging times in the COVID-19 pandemic, but as every cloud has a silver lining, the pandemic has helped catalyze the domain of Extended Reality to a huge extent.
Let’s find out what Extended Reality can bring to all the marketers and businesses out there in the words of Mr Suresh Thankavel, the founder of Augray.
Augray is an organization founded 7 years ago in the year 2013 as he was intrigued by this potential technology and believed it to be the real game-changer. Also if efficiently used, this particular technology can solve the customer’s problems not just for Sales and Marketing but in all aspects of life.
“The possible’s slow fuse is lit by the Imagination.”― Emily Dickinson.
This is beautifully emphasized by our founder who iterates that imagination is the root that builds slowly to desire and develops into the interest which eventually leads to action when using the right technology.
When imagination meets reality, we witness the dawn of a new revolution named the “Extended Reality”!
He amusingly states that what once was unimaginable now is reality, be it telegrams, televisions, mobile phones, internet or any technological evolution and the advancement mankind has seen to date. Similarly, ‘The Augmented Reality’ is going to be the next inevitable.
So, what’s Extended Reality? Let’s find out!
The Marvel of Extended Reality (XR)
Extended Reality (XR) is the umbrella term for the existing immersive technologies namely Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR), and Virtual reality (VR).
Augmented Reality (AR) – Augmenting the real world with digital information like images, texts, and animation without isolating the users from the real world.
The most popular examples are your very own gaming series – the Pokemon Go and Snapchat filters that placed digital pictures of hats and glasses on your head.
Virtual reality (VR) – Immersing the user completely in a simulated digital environment, by putting on a VR headset or head-mounted display to experience the complete 360-degree view of an artificial world. The early adaptors were the gaming and the entertainment industry.
Mixed Reality (MR) – Also called Hybrid technology, this creates an environment where the digital and real-world objects can co-exist.
The best example would be Microsoft’s Hololens that allows the user to place digital objects in the room where you are standing and you can actually spin them or interact with the digital object according to your will or purpose. In a way, ‘Pokemon Go’ is also a mixed reality in mixing digital (pokes) into real world appearance.
What can the common man gain from this advanced technology?
Mr Thankavel tells us how the advent of 4G as a base and now the 5G can significantly help the common man out there.
Consumption of information is immense with the help of mobile phones, as we are in a constant search for new information instantly.
The technology would create new ways to experience a new world with digital artifacts in real time unlike downloading with time delays to experience .
The Impact of XR on Industries!
Our founder gives us insights on the level of penetration of these technologies in every potential industry highlighting the efficacy and maturity of content they can offer.
Necessity leads to innovation and adoption. The current COVID crisis presents the opportunity for an accelerated XR adoption across industries.
They help in diverse application settings delivering services in the fields of fitness, health care, manufacturing, communication, retail, realestate, entertainment, media, education, gaming, tourism knowledge demonstration, art and performing arts, sales and marketing in almost all the sectors.
Quoting the example of how a manufacturer who has the lowest marketing spend and slower technology adoption now is forced to look for alternates and divert the Sales and increase Marketing spend for a technology enablement. Businesses are looking for ways to conduct business virtually.
Mission critical scenarios, such as a remote surgeon from one part of the world to guide surgery, emphasizes that this technology largely helps the right information to be shared at the right time from any part of the world.
Depending on the convenience, affordability, and adaptability of the sector, the choice of digital content should be chosen by the industries.
Every trade needs a virtual and comfort zone to carry out their work, and thus Mr Thankavel explains how there is a boom in the percentage of early adaptors of this technology from a mere 20% to 60% after the onset of the present-day pandemic.
As the digital noise grows louder, the social media spenders have to look for something new to get the attention. The trend is XR! Businesses that embrace XR would take advantage by reaping the benefits on their marketing spend until XR becomes normal in a few years.
The new innovative products next in line to be pioneered by Augray;
Augray is working tirelessly conducting new products that can help a wide variety of business sectors. You could expect the below.
- Manufacturing helps manufacturers of all types, deliver and demonstrate products virtually (Web VR – Virtual Showroom, App-based Experience, Web AR Experience, Print Augmentation, Virtual Expo, Virtual Showroom, VR Deployment, Virtual Troubleshooting and XR Training) are other cost-effective solutions.
- Convert an e-commerce website into an AR Commerce by providing instant product experience and virtual product fit, increasing the conversions using cloud-based SAS solutions.
- Web based XR experience to enable various touchpoints using XR that amplifies ROI on most of the traditional Sales & Marketing investments over 30%.
- During the virtual working scenarios, it’s important to provide a personal and emotional connection with employees. We will be releasing an employee engagement – reward & recognition platform that helps leaders be at employees place virtually in a 3Dimensional phase.
- AR Business cards – Convert your existing business cards into an AR experience business card or just an AR enabled e-business card. With just a point and experience using a mobile camera and no mobile app needed. This provides a higher recall factor, and delivers visual product/ service information instantly and tracks the views that are not possible otherwise.
As the famous Football coach Jimmy Johnson rightly said “The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra”, and that extra is the “Extended reality” that’s going to make a world of difference now.
