VR Intelligence – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

February 24, 2020

XR Europe 2020 Returns to London in April – Save £100 With VRFocus

Because the worlds of virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) are changing at such pace, it can be difficult at times for both consumers as well as professionals in the space to keep up with everything going on. While the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in March will offer news of upcoming titles, XR Intelligence’s XR Europe 2020 event in London, UK is purely business-focused.

It’s like this for good reason, offering guests the chance to network and attend talks across a range of vital business verticals for consumer and enterprise ecosystems. Talks will be held to demonstrate return on investment (ROI), cracking optimum user experience, and integrating immersive technology for productivity, efficiency and profit among others.

Over 300 attendees are expected with 70+ speakers holding 30+ sessions dedicated to XR. Some of these speakers include:

Patrick O’Luanaigh, CEO, nDreams
Dave Haynes, Director of Developer Ecosystem & Vive X EMEA, HTC Vive
Rafi Nizam, Vice President Creative, NBC Universal Media
Stephanie Llamas, Head of Research, Strategy and VR / AR, SuperData, a Nielsen company
Pablo Marcos Ferre, Mixed Reality Projects Coordinator, Airbus
Cecile Tezenas du Montcel, Future Compute Business Development Manager, HP
Paulo, Global Digital Enablement IT Lead, Siemens
Miguel Martin, Secretary General of Global Startups Committee, World Business Angels Investment Forum
Jill Spaeh, Global Virtual Design & Construction Management: BIM Integration & Training, BASF

“XR Europe is a great opportunity to gain insights and learn from leading XR practitioners across the continent, as well as network and do business with a such a wide variety of professionals,” says Mark Sage, Executive Director, AR for Enterprise Alliance.

For this year new features include an Investor Zone where startups can hear some of the key aspects investment organisations look for and TED-style presentations offering memorable and inspiring insights.

XR Europe 2020 takes place in the heart of the city at the Hotel Park Plaza Victoria London from 28th – 29th April 2020. Standard passes cost £1399 GBP while Startup/NGO tickets are a little cheaper at £999 (terms apply). Additionally, claim a £100 discount now with code: VRFocus100. You’ll need to register before 29th February to guarantee your place. VRFocus will continue its coverage of the conference, reporting back with any further updates.

September 30, 2019

VR Intelligence XR Industry Insight Report Finds Enterprise Adoption Out Ways Consumer

Every year VR Intelligence – the organiser of the VRX conference – publishes a report on the XR industry, detailing growth and other trends in both the consumer and enterprise sectors. The XR Industry Insight Report 2019-2020 has recently been released, finding that enterprise use of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) is far exceeding consumer adoption.

The report compiles information from interviews and surveys of more than 750 XR professionals to gauge the state of the XR industry as a whole. In an ever-growing trend, the report finds that most businesses involved in VR or AR development support themselves through corporate work, with almost half (49.2%) of respondents reporting that growth on the consumer side was weaker than expected, as opposed to just 25.7% in the VR for enterprise segment.

Naturally, developers are chasing this growth, with 73% of companies working on VR for enterprise functions while under 65% doing the same for AR/MR. When it comes to the consumer market less than half of these companies are working on VR and 37.4% working on AR/MR notes the report.

“One explanation of dip in XR for consumer applications may be the gaming industry; a significant source of early growth for XR, this years’ survey shows far less interest in gaming from XR technology companies: in 2018, 50% of respondents said that they intended to work within the gaming industry over the next 12 months, but this had fallen to just a third of respondents from the supply side of XR in the 2019 results,” notes Kathryn Bloxham, Events Director & Head of Innovation, VR Intelligence / VRX, in a statement.

VRX Europe 2018

On a more positive note, the report found that 93% of enterprise users said VR had had a positive impact on their business and 88.4% said the same for AR/MR. The next year may see an uptick in consumer XR thanks to new VR hardware being released in 2019, and a wider variety of AR content now available.

The VRX Conference & Expo will be returning for another year in December, held in San Francisco from 12th – 13th December 2019. There’s a strong lineup of speakers this year and tickets are still available starting at $399 USD for the Exhibition Floor pass. To save a bit more off the normal price use this VRFocus exclusive code – 5049VRFOCUS100. For further updates on VRX 2019, keep reading VRFocus.

February 11, 2019

VRX Europe Early Bird Tickets Ending Soon, Get a Further 15% off With VRFocus

Whether you’re already in the virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) industry, or looking to get involved, VR Intelligence’s annual VRX Europe event which takes place during April in Amsterdam, is one of the best industry-focused events to attend. With the conference only a couple of months away, Early Bird tickets will be coming to a close at the end of the week. At the same time, VRFocus can also offer its readers a further discount.

VRX Europe 2019 banner

Just as in previous years, VRX Europe 2019 is a B2B tech event bringing together 300+ senior business leaders across enterprise, consumer entertainment, technology and investment. A massive list of speakers has already been confirmed, such as:

Aleissia Laidacker, Interaction Director – Magic Leap
Greg Ivanov, Head of AR/VR/Lens Partnerships (EMEA) – Google
Felicia Williams, Head of Product Design – Social VR London – Facebook
Amber Alexander, Visualisation Specialist – Aecom
Tim Scanlon, Vice President Customer Experience & Innovation – ABB
Jan Pflueger, Center of Competence for Augmented and Virtual Reality – Audi
Kim-Leigh Pontin, Creative Interaction Director – Sky VR
Herve Fontaine, Vice President Virtual Reality B2B and Business Development – HTC Vive
Erkut Ekinci, Head of Information Technologies – Hugo Boss
Terry Schussler, Director, Immersive Technology – Deutsche Telecom

VR Intelligence - Logo

The two-day event will be covering a range of topics that are important to the immersive industry

State of the XR Industry and outlook to 2024
Navigating the European market – Investment and funding
Barriers to entering mainstream: What’s halting consumer adoption of XR
Where are the biggest opportunities in enterprise XR?
5G is coming, but what does it mean for XR?
The socialisation of XR: What does it mean for the industry?
Convergence of the XR market – Is mixed reality the future?
Smartphone versus headset: Where is the market going?

If you’re interested in attending then the basic early bird rate knocks €300 off the regular price, dropping a Basic Pass down to €999 and a Business Pass down to €1199 until 15th February 2019. To save a further 15% off these prices simply enter discount code FOCUS15.

VRX Europe 2019 will take place from 10-11 April 2019 at Hotel Novotel Amsterdam City, The Netherlands. VRFocus will continue its coverage of the conference, reporting back with any further updates.

November 4, 2018

Full VRX 2018 Agenda Released Ahead of December Event

Last month VR Intelligence revealed the full speaker lineup for its upcoming event in San Francisco, the VRX Conference & Expo 2018. Now for those attending in December, the full agenda has now been posted so you can work out a plan of action for the two days.

The first day will be focused on outlining the market trends and key challenges and opportunities in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) across enterprise, entertainment, and tech. Attendees will hear from senior business leaders at companies such as HTC Vive, HP, Oculus, Google, Qualcomm, SuperData, Digi-Capital, Unity, Bose, Comcast Ventures, General Motors, Dreamscape Immersive, Lowe’s, The VOID and many more.

While on the second day there will be deep dive insights on both the consumer and business facing VR and AR markets, with case studies and panels looking at how immersive technologies are gaining major traction. Taking part in these sessions will be companies like Merck, Nestle, Jacobs, Cadillac, BASF, Johnson & Johnson, Audi, GE and dozens more on how they’re using immersive technologies for real business improvement.

Day 2 will have its own separate tracks Consumer XR, Enterprise XR, and Startup Development. In the consumer track, for example, entertainment innovators and powerhouses like Paramount, Cloudhead Games, MediaMonks, Felix & Paul, Penrose Studios, Skydance Interactive, Dave & Busters, nDreams, and Digital Domain will discuss how they’re capturing consumer attention across the globe with amazing content.

VRX Europe 2018

Alongside all the talks the event will feature 40 of the latest technological innovations and business solutions from across the industry, including sponsors and exhibitors such as HP, Siemens, ZeroLight, Varjo, Bose, Happy Finish, Qualcomm and many more.

As an event partner VRFocus can offer its readers a 15 percent discount on all ticket types, including full 2-day passes and 1-day start-up passes. To claim your discount, enter the code FOCUS15 when you register at https://events.vr-intelligence.com/vrx/register.php. VRX 2018 will be taking place between 6th – 7th December, for any further updates keep reading VRFocus.

October 14, 2018

New Report By VR Intelligence & ZeroLight Shows Immersive Experiences Are Working

Following the news in August that ZeroLight and StarVR had provided Porsche showrooms with a virtual reality (VR) makeover, ZeroLight has announced the release of a new report by VR Intelligence. The report shows that VR and augmented reality (AR) retail experiences are making an impact with consumers and that the majority would like to use the immersive technology to help them make purchasing decisions in the automotive sector.

ZeroLight

Automotive companies have been using VR and AR for some time now both in the design but thanks to the improved availability and more affordable headsets coming to market, the use of the technology for then consumer facing sectors has been increasing rapidly in recent months. This means that more showroom floors are seeing the use of VR for consumers to use and becoming immersed in a new kind of shopping experience.

According to the report by VR Intelligence and ZeroLight, in a survey of 1,000 consumers across Europe, over 80% claimed they’d like to see, design and select preferences for their car using VR. Of the same 1,000 consumers, 64.7% would be prompted to visit a dealership if it offered an immersive experience.

“Our goal at ZeroLight is to harness new technologies to deliver experiences that complement the overall relationship between brands and their customers. This research validates the use of immersive technologies as a unique touchpoint within the automotive purchase journey, facilitating the overall sales process whilst positively impacting brand perception.” said Joseph Artgole, Associate Marketing Director, ZeroLight.

ZeroLight

The report goes in depth on both the consumer perceptions of immersive technology such as VR and AR within the automotive retail experience, as well as those of the car brands currently implementing the technology. The report notes that two brands leading sector at the moment are Audi and MBW, who are both featured in the report providing insights into their own case studios and the impact the technology has had on their businesses.

“The flagship project, which we delivered through our Audi Cities dealerships, was extremely visible within the company. The success of that project has really helped everyone in the company, from the top down, to understand VR, how it works and crucially why it’s important for the company.” explains Marcus Kuehne, Audi: “Once you have that foundation, you move beyond having to explain why it makes sense and instead move towards a space where different business units are thinking about how they can use the technology to benefit their own business needs.”

The full report is available to download for free here and is 24 pages in length. For more on all things immersive technology within the automotive industry and elsewhere, keep reading VRFocus.

September 18, 2018

VR shows value in enterprises

(Image courtesy VR Intelligence.)

Survey: Enterprise Companies Seeing Strong Return on Investment in VR & AR

LONDON – Businesses working in areas such as automotive, construction, manufacturing and retail are seeing a good return on their investment in virtual and augmented reality, according to an industry survey by VR Intelligence. The survey targeted senior-level business execs in VR & AR, aiming to filter through the hype and get to the core of what’s really happening in immersive tech.

As VR and AR continues to break down the barriers to mass consumer adoption, it’s in enterprise where the technology is seeing the most immediate growth. This has been a widely reported trend, backed up by this new survey – where 83 percent of current enterprise end-users say they see benefits in VR, 69 percent say they see benefits in AR, and 86 percent plan to invest more.

(Image courtesy VR Intelligence.)

The survey interviewed almost 600 VR and AR professionals, giving insights into where companies are seeing growth, where they intend to invest next, the challenges towards mass adoption and the industries integrating most effectively.

Some key survey findings include:

The majority of current enterprise VR & AR end-users report that the technologies are having a positive impact on their business, with 86% claiming they’ll be investing more in immersive tech
Enterprise businesses already using XR technologies are much more likely to invest more than businesses yet to start using XR technologies (86% versus 46%), suggesting ROI is strong.
67% of enterprise VR solution providers and 70% AR providers report stable and strong growth. However, growth on the consumer side was slightly less, with 42% (VR) and 36% (AR) reporting results that were weaker than hoped.
Education is showing the most growth – both in demand for immersive tech and supply of immersive services
Price and lack of content still seen as the major barriers to consumer adoption – but less of a concern than they were in 2017
Field of View, Motion Tracking and Eye Tracking are deemed some of the most important technologies needing to be developed – yet also some of the least currently being invested in

“Consumer uptake is yet to fully take off and the results highlight some of the areas needed to improve, in order for it to do so,” said VR Intelligence director Rich Goddard. “But the overwhelmingly positive feedback from enterprise is encouraging for everyone and shows strong signs of immersive tech beginning to truly fulfill its potential.”

(Image courtesy VR Intelligence.)

The survey was produced in conjunction with VRX 2018, the senior-level B2B event for VR & AR execs, in San Francisco this December 6-7.

About VRX and VR Intelligence

The VRX event series launched in 2015 and focuses on strategic business and tech opportunities as virtual reality takes hold in gaming, consumer entertainment and enterprise. It is specifically designed as a high-level networking environment for senior-level decision makers to connect and do business.

VR Intelligence is the world’s leading network of senior level decision makers in VR, AR and immersive tech, brought together at the annual VRX events in San Francisco (December) and Amsterdam (April). The company’s year-round dialog with the industry’s biggest tech innovators and forward-thinking strategists, allows for the production of market leading events, insights from industry thought leaders and game-changing business connections.

August 13, 2018

Pricing and lack of content are still barriers against the adoption of VR

A recent survey questioned 595 VR and AR professionals about business growth in the consumer and enterprise markets. Only 24 percent report strong sales in the enterprise while 18 percent show strong sales in the consumer market.

The post Pricing and lack of content are still barriers against the adoption of VR appeared first on Digital Trends.

July 12, 2018

Google, HTC and SuperData to Discuss Current State of VR & AR in Free Webinar

Twice a year VR Intelligence holds its flagship VRX events, one in San Francisco during December and VRX Europe in May. Occasionally the company holds small events concerning virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies, one of which will be taking place next week featuring Google, HTC and SuperData.

VRX Webinar

The free webinar will see representatives from Google, HTC and SuperData, discuss the latest trends, current challenges and biggest opportunities in VR and AR. They are Vinay Narayan, Vice President, Product and Operations (Americas), HTC Vive; Steven Kan, Head of Global Strategy, AR and VR, Google; and Stephanie Llamas, VP of Strategy and Head of XR, SuperData Research. The webinar will be moderated by Amy Peck, Founder & CEO, EndeavorVR.

There have been a lot of highs and lows of the past 12 months which the group will discuss. From more aggressive sales tactics which has seen VR hardware prices dropped and sales increase, to the increased uptake of AR by developers thanks to open platform releases of ARKit and ARCore.

On the flip side user adoption is still low which is a concern for developers looking to make a profit. CCP Games, an early adopter of VR and one of the most high profile thanks to multiplayer title EVE: Valkyrie made a shock announcement in 2017 that saw the studio leave VR development and close studios.

If you want to check it out the webinar will take place on 19th July at 11am PDT/ 7pm BST. To register for the one hour webinar you’ll need to register here.

Last month saw the final speakers confirmed for the VRX Immersive Enterprise conference, designed for senior business leaders from across the immersive tech industry to come together and focus on opportunities and challenges in enterprise companies. As for the main VRX 2018 event, that’ll take place from 6th-7th December, 2018 at Hilton Union Square, San Francisco. Super Early Bird tickets are still currently available on the official website.

For any further updates from VR Intelligence on future events, keep reading VRFocus.

March 31, 2018

VR Intelligence Hosts ‘Drive Enterprise Transformation with VR & AR’ Talk Next Week

In recent months on VRFocus we, and a number of our guest writers from other companies, have often discussed how immersive technology – be that virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) or mixed reality (MR) – can be used in conjunction with the world of business. Either as an organisational tool or as a means to transform their product or service, reducing costs or increasing what can be offered.

VR Intelligence - Logo It’s being seen and felt across all manner of and sectors of industry. From retail to manufacturing and from the design of buildings to cars. With this in mind, our friends at VR Intelligence are hosting a webinar where representatives from three companies will be discussing how they themselves adopted VR and the changes it has brought their various internal processes.

This coming Thursday, April 5^th2018, VR Intelligence plays will be welcoming representatives from Ford, CDM Smith and from Schneider Electric, all of whom are immersive tech specialists. They’ll be discussing at length how companies from any industry can learn how to use both VR and AR in order to to improve their productivity and the performance of their business.

The discussion will be moderated by Amy Peck, the Founder & CEO of EndeavorVR and will feature Ford’s VR & Advanced Visualization Tech Specialist Elizabeth Baron. As well as Scott Aldridge, Innovation & Disruptive Technology Leader of CDM Smith and Michael Fallon, Director, Digital Business Design, Schneider Electric.

Ncam Key discussion points are:

Understanding the big opportunities: Hear how immersive tech is revolutionising product design and manufacturing, worker collaboration and training across industry
Pick the right use cases: Understand which technologies and platforms suit which purposes. And how to make sure you always pick the right applications for your business
AR, VR – or both? Learn which is right for which applications – and how to make sure you don’t waste time and money finding out
Where’s the ROI? Hear case examples of where VR & AR implementation is helping a whole variety of businesses improve productivity and drive efficiency gains

Interested parties can register here for the webinar which will take place at 2PM EDT, registration will also allow access to receive the recordings of the webinar at a later date. For more information on this webinar, or the upcoming VRX events can contact Pete Carkeek at pcarkeek@vr-intelligence.com.

VRFocus is a media partner of VRX Europe 2018, you can find more about it – and get a discount on passes as a VRFocus reader – here.

March 31, 2018

VR Intelligence Hosts ‘Drive Enterprise Transformation with VR & AR’ Talk Next Week

Ncam Key discussion points are:

Understanding the big opportunities: Hear how immersive tech is revolutionising product design and manufacturing, worker collaboration and training across industry
Pick the right use cases: Understand which technologies and platforms suit which purposes. And how to make sure you always pick the right applications for your business
AR, VR – or both? Learn which is right for which applications – and how to make sure you don’t waste time and money finding out
Where’s the ROI? Hear case examples of where VR & AR implementation is helping a whole variety of businesses improve productivity and drive efficiency gains

VRFocus is a media partner of VRX Europe 2018, you can find more about it – and get a discount on passes as a VRFocus reader – here.