Tech Companies Go All in on Enterprise AR/VR

Research firm IDC estimates that spending on AR and VR will grow 54% annually, from $12 billion in 2020 to around $73 billion in 2024, with most of the growth driven by training and industrial maintenance.

Microsoft and Facebook are both rolling out their XR platforms. Facebook released Horizon Workrooms into open beta and Microsoft released a preview of Mesh. 

Industry observers point out that it will be years before the technology is refined enough for widespread enterprise use. When it is, though, companies could use virtual collaboration to save on office real estate and travel, while retaining some of the benefits of meeting in person.

Accenture is one of many large enterprises using XR for training, collaboration, and socialization. For example, it uses Microsoft's AltspaceVR platform to create the "Nth Floor," a simulated office space. Employees can interact with each other “in person,” regardless of geographic separation. Accenture explains some of the reasoning behind its early adoption of AR/VR technology when it says, "We know we have to do it first so we can help our clients do it."

While there are many options for porting into the Nth Floor, wearing a VR headset provides a fully immersive experience that allows people to effectively teleport into the world. VR headsets, however, are expensive. Facebook charges $799 for the enterprise version of its Oculus VR headset, while Microsoft's Hololens 2 starts at $3,500. 

From Search Unified Communications

It's questionable whether businesses will buy VR devices on a large scale. Microsoft is committed to bringing VR and AR to multiple device types, including smartphones and tablets, but it acknowledges that the experience would not necessarily be equivalent.

XR and immersive collaboration aren’t set to replace 2D technologies like video conferencing and chat anytime soon—or maybe ever. Gartner analyst Tuong Nguyen said he expects virtual collaboration to supplement, not replace, other enterprise communications tools. In time, employees will pick up a headset and choose to meet in a virtual space when it best suits their needs.

Seeing XR completely removed from enterprises is not in tech companies’ forecast. They’re headset against it.