TECHNOLOGY
❝
OK, SO THE TECHNOLOGY IS THERE AND
WE HAVE IDENTIFIED THE POSSIBLE
AREAS THAT CAN, AND WILL, BE
DISRUPTED BUT, LIKE ALL AREAS, YOU
NEED CREATIVITY TO THRIVE
audiences in ways that
were unimaginable a
few years ago.
So what is the
difference between
AR and VR?
enable
them to
be viewed
in a VR headset
creating a truly
incredible experience.
Goldman Sachs estimates
the size of the VR/AR market
for hardware and software as between
$80bn and a staggering $182bn by 2025. So,
clearly they don’t see it as a passing fad.
If 2016 was the year when the
general public became aware of the
technology, 2017 is going to be the year
when companies really understand the
opportunities to reach their respective
www.smeweb.com
The dictionary definition
of VR or virtual reality is
“An artificial environment
that is created with software
and presented to the user in such
a way that the user suspends belief
and accepts it as a real environment”.
However, you can also put real 360
video and photography content into a
VR environment so in effect it becomes
“reality reality”. AR or augmented reality is
when you view an imagined or software-
created environment overlaid on a real
one. The best example is the phenomenally
successful Pokémon Go. With the likes
of Facebook (with Oculus) Google (with
Daydream), Sony, HTC, Microsoft and
Apple all spending billions of dollars on
this technology you know that we are at
the start of a new era of engagement.
Communication is key to success
in business – and in life too. If people
understand what you’re doing and why,
what you’re offering and how it can
help, they are more likely to engage with
you. Engagement leads to sales and that
affects the bottom line. But it isn’t just
about retail and that classic B2C play.
Training and productivity are another
two areas that can be enhance d by using
this new communications medium.
More informed colleagues with a better
understanding of strategy and what is
expected of them, will be more engaged.
We’re currently working with a number
of financial institutions and trade bodies
on enhancing and improving their
training experience.
Ok, so the technology is there and we
have identified the possible areas that
can, and will, be disrupted but, like all
areas, you need creativity to thrive. SMEs
are rich in this resource – they have to be.
As the owner of an SME for many years I
know how much we rely on creativity to
drive profitable change within our own
organisation and to produce engaging
content for clients.
I love working with people to solve
their problems through visual media
– we’ve always worked that way.
VR and AR give us professionals at
communications agencies a new tool in
our armoury to help our customers. It’s
always been a creative industry but this
adds to the spectrum of possibilities in
an extraordinarily rich way. It’s more fun
for us and more engaging for you.
SME
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