At the start of 2020 (remember those giddy, carefree times before the pandemic struck?) Unity asked more than a dozen industry experts – including yours truly – to share their thoughts on how immersive technologies would be embraced for a report entitled Top 2020 Trends: Enterprise AR & VR.

All signs were pointing to 2020 being a breakout year for immersive tech, and, as it turned out, this was one of the few things not to have been derailed by COVID-19.

With the widespread need for social distancing and shift towards remote work, companies turned to immersive technology tools such as real-time 3D, AR, and VR to connect employees for remote collaboration, replace events and exhibitions, and allow teams to work in offices, labs, and sites from afar. As the need to support employees remotely grew more urgent, this was reflected in the accelerated adoption of XR across the board.

Microsoft, for example, has seen a 13x increase in remote assistance usage over the past 12 months, and Unity believes that this general trend is likely to continue in 2021.

All signs were pointing to 2020 being a breakout year for immersive tech, and, as it turned out, this was one of the few things not to have been derailed by COVID-19
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Some of the key findings from the report include:

The use of mixed reality will expand to enable more human connections

Mixed reality has traditionally been used to aid in task completion, however, the pandemic has sparked the need for tools that mimic human connection and proximity to create more productive work environments and collaboration.

Cross-functional collaboration across immersive media will grow

2020 has seen more users looking for ways to collaborate remotely from multiple geographic locations, using media that mimic real life. Expect that to continue into 2021.

VR will prove even more useful in the workplace

The disruptions of COVID-19 have led many to look for creative ways to solve new and old problems across the workplace, such as keeping skills fresh, engaging learners without in-person training, improving employee productivity, and fostering collaboration and connection among teams.

Jeremy Dalton, Head of AR/VR PwC believes that in 2021 and beyond we will see a wider range of businesses across numerous industries become more comfortable with emerging technologies that they would otherwise have left on the sideline until pressured to innovate.

While computers will never fully replace the value of in-person connection, Fleckenstein believes there is a tremendous opportunity for more immersive collaboration, and 2021 will see mixed reality evolve beyond task completion and emerge as the ideal medium for human connection.

As the need to support employees remotely grew more urgent, this was reflected in the accelerated adoption of XR across the board
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Futurist and author Cathy Hackl, predicts volumetric video will be a key factor in sustaining this evolution and widespread adoption.

Volumetric video, she explains, can help companies overcome pain points caused by the sudden shift to remote work, since the technology makes it possible to record employees, projects, or scenarios in three dimensions, instead of digitally rebuilding them from scratch for virtual reality simulations.

“The digital video can then be edited and manipulated to be viewed on everything from flat screens to virtual reality simulations,” she explains, adding that experiencing something in 3D with real-life physical movement is shown to increase viewers’ retention of the information being taught.

According to Matt Fleckenstein Senior Director, Mixed Reality at Microsoft, the ROI for firstline workers when adopting mixed reality in enterprise has been significant:

“We’ve seen 90% of touch labor eliminated, errors reduced to zero, and increased employee satisfaction.”

Elizabeth Baron, Enterprise Solutions Executive at Unity Technologies, says “Immersive realities provide probability spaces for enterprises to study any potential reality, or the art of the (im)possible,” with a host of relevant data that is brought to life and experienced rather than merely presented.

“Storytelling with immersive XR can simultaneously bring a spreadsheet to life for an artist and bring a design to life for an engineer,” she explains.

You can access the e-book for free here

For companies looking to get into Immersive technologies our VR Consultancy service offers comprehensive support in strategic deployment of Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality

Alice Bonasio is a VR Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio on Twitter.

The post 2021 Immersive Tech Trends appeared first on Tech Trends.

By Laura Kobylecky

At this 2021 online edition of CES, AMD won an Award and the CEO gave a keynote speech. It’s a big year for the company.

AMD’s “Ryzen 5000 Series desktop processors” won one of this year’s CES “Best of Innovation” Awards. The Innovation Awards are part of an annual competition “honoring outstanding design and engineering in consumer technology products.” The processor is “built on cutting edge ‘Zen 3’ technology, providing unmatched compute power and exceptional performance-per-watt thanks to its ground-breaking 7nm architecture,” according to their CES Innovation Award Profile.

2020 was perhaps one of the most productive years for AMD
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Dr. Lisa Su, President and Chief Executive Officer of AMD (Advanced Micro Devices), showed up to give the keynote speech. She spoke about how technology has been changed by the pandemic, as well as AMD’s newest projects and some of their collaborations with other companies.

Dr. Lisa Su’s presentation started with the standard “Dramatic Tech Video” of a diverse group of people using AMD technology for work and play.

Zoom users are approaching three and a half trillion minutes of meetings per year
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Her intro touches base with the current state of the world. She says that “2020 was perhaps one of our most productive years.” The increased dependence on technology in a socially-distant world accelerated “the pace of our digital transformation.” We have “transitioned to the new normal.”

One example she presents is the rise in video collaboration. She explains that “Zoom users are approaching three and a half trillion minutes of meetings per year. Cisco Webex meeting participants recently hit 600 million per month and Microsoft Teams is now supporting 115 million daily users.” This is only one example of many, but it showcases how “the pandemic has elevated technology to become an essential part of how we live, work, play and communicate.”

Naturally, this transformation has placed “significantly higher demands on our digital infrastructure.” She explains that “at the center of all this technology is high-performance computing”

Microsoft and Gaming

She brings up a live video of Panos Panay, chief product officer of Microsoft. She mentions that they have been collaborating over Microsoft Teams and so he seems very familiar to her, despite having not met in “real life” during this time. Panay talks about how he has been “learning to work differently” in a world where a meeting might include the sound of his dogs “barking in the background.”

He believes that “PC is becoming more essential.” It has expanded beyond “a productivity tool” into something that is used “to connect with other humans and people in general.” He aspires to “help tech disappear into the background,” as they move forward and “continue to push the boundaries.”

Cisco Webex meeting participants recently hit 600 million per month and Microsoft Teams is now supporting 115 million daily users
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The increased dependence on technology in a socially-distant world accelerated the pace of digital transformation as we have transitioned to the new normal
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They also discuss Microsoft’s gaming partnership with AMD. Panay states that “AMD’s momentum right now is incredible” and he describes their partnership as “two teams coming together.” AMD has created “high-performace CPUS and GPUs for the x box series x and series S.”

Another AMD innovation that will be helpful to gaming is the “AMD ryzen 5000 series mobile processors powered by our new zen 3 core.” AMD Zen 3 Ryzen 5000 “increases our lead in overall performance and energy efficiency and also delivers the best single threaded performance,” according to Su. This should lead to more powerful laptop gaming or any other creative uses.

AMD expects “more than 150 ultrathin gaming and professional notebooks powered by Ryzen 5000 series to launch this year.” The first are anticipated to go on sale in February. As a result, AMD will have “ultrathin notebooks all the way up to super computers” with extremely high levels of performance.

Lucasfilm and AMD

The next guest to appear on a video screen is Francois Chardavoine, VP of Technology at Lucasfilm. Su explains that that Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), Lucasfilm and AMD have worked together “for more than a decade” and that they were “an early adopter of AMD EPYC ThreadRipper.”

Chardavoine says that, recently, demand has been on the rise for video entertainment so “content creation is through the roof.” They have “built an entirely new studio from scratch in Sydney, Australia.” One very important part of the facility is “the render farm.” The render farm is where they have the computing “firepower that creates all of the images that you see on screen.”

The pandemic has elevated technology to become an essential part of how we live, work, play and communicate
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Software is being designed to take full advantage of processing “firepower in a way that software never has before
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The Sydney, facility will be exclusively AMD. Chardavoine explains that they chose AMD because “we just need as much firepower as possible” and “the amount of threads and cores that you have available is unprecedented and this really helps us deliver the content that we have.” He explains that current software is being designed to take full advantage of that “firepower” “in a way that software never has before.” The artists can make changes and see immediate results leading to a more “intuitive sense of what they are working on.

Overall, there’s a lot happening for this company. People are increasingly dependent on their home computer setup and that benefits companies like this. Their Innovation Award and partnerships may be good signs for their immediate future. It seems like they have an interesting year coming up and it should be exciting to see how that works out for them and what they bring to the table next year.

Tech Trends’ Digital Consultancy services offer support for companies looking to enhance brand strategy with immersive technologies such as Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality

Laura Kobylecky is a contributing writer to Tech Trends. She is particularly interested in new and emerging technology and culture. Connect with her on LinkedIn 

The post AMD Keynote at #CES2021 appeared first on Tech Trends.

This looks to be the year where we move beyond tentative experimentation into scalable deployment of immersive tech in the workplace. That’s the consensus that seems to emerge from “Top 2020 Trends: Enterprise AR & VR” a report published today by Unity Technologies, where 15 industry experts (yours truly among them) outlined how Mixed Reality (or XR depending on what flavor acronym you favor) will supercharge and transform the world of work.

XR has proven to be a paradigm shift for enterprise in terms of boosting productivity, cost-savings, and learning and development
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According to the report, we can expect even cautious companies to finally follow in the footsteps of their pioneering counterparts as XR becomes more accessible and mainstream, driven by a wave of new and improved HMDs, mobile AR and standalone VR, and the onset of 5G networks.

This looks to be the year where we move beyond tentative experimentation into scalable deployment of immersive tech in the workplace
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XR has proven to be a paradigm shift for enterprise in terms of boosting productivity, cost-savings, and learning and development, particularly in relation to highly skilled and specialized areas ranging from surgery to spacecraft engineering. Yet where so far we have seen pioneering companies work largely on an experimental trial-and-error basis, this next decade will see research catching up to meaningfully support this deployment on the ground.

We can expect even cautious companies to finally follow in the footsteps of their pioneering counterparts as XR becomes more accessible and mainstream
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Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, enterprise stakeholders will increasingly have the information and expert guidance at their disposal to tailor and customize solutions optimized for their specific industry, goals, and needs.

A recent Harvard Business Review Analytic Services study found that 87% of large companies are currently exploring, piloting, or deploying Mixed Reality, but the vast majority of those are still in the exploratory or proof-of-concept stages.

Academic research is now being conducted all over the world to investigate not if XR works but how it works and what considerations must be taken into account when designing content. One recent example is this article published on Frontiers in Psychology, which identifies significant differences in how people retain information in the short and long term depending on whether content is delivered in “active” or “passive” VR modes.

In the last couple of years, major companies everywhere ran proof-of-concept XR projects with uniformly positive results
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As more such studies are conducted, and more use cases are shared among enterprise stakeholders across an expanding ecosystem of different industries, we will move on from the heady days of experimental exploration and marveling at the power of immersive technologies towards more targeted, considered, evidence-based and industry-specific approaches. In other words, enterprise XR is about to enter its grown-up phase.

A Harvard Business Review Analytic Services study found that 87% of large companies are currently exploring, piloting, or deploying Mixed Reality
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“After a few years of testing applications, many verticals and use cases have proven ROI. The perception of gimmickry has given way to real business value,” says Maria Fernandez Guajardo, Facebook’s Director of Enterprise AR/VR, adding that 2020 is going to be a critical, if not glamorous, time for enterprise VR. “The industry will need to put in the arduous work of scale: establishing infrastructure, integrating workflows and connecting a comprehensive ecosystem,” she says.

With its effectiveness well established, the time has come for XR to move beyond “fancy demos, proof-of-concepts and pilots” to become “an indispensable digital productivity tool” used across the entire product lifecycle, from R&D to marketing to maintenance the report reads.

Academic research is now being conducted all over the world to investigate not if XR works but how it works and what considerations must be taken into account when designing content
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Yet these new opportunities also bring new challenges. Timoni West, Director of XR Research Unity Labs says UX designers will have to adjust in order to meet the demand for these new kinds of experiences. “Instead of making responsive design just for different devices, they’ll have to start thinking about responsive design as computers react to everything in the real world. Gestures, voice, gaze, time of day, how many people are in the room, and where you are: all of these variables are now new user inputs that have to be taken into account,” she explains.

According to Vinay Narayan VP, Platform Strategy and Developer Community HTC VIVE, this upcoming year will present the most robust ecosystem of innovations yet. “Technological innovations will make XR experiences a widely accessible tool for industrial enterprises of any scope and size,” he says.

There is also a lot of hard work to be done on the infrastructure and connectivity side for this promise to be delivered: “We can expect that enterprises will be spending less time on UX experiments and more time on designing a solid infrastructure around the data,” says Andreea Raducan, Head of Marketing at Innoactive, adding that whether we’re looking at 3D assets, VR apps, internal processes information, or lines of code, data needs to flow across platforms and reach various locations in real-time.

“As 5G networks come online, graphics and compute will increasingly be served from the network edge,” adds NVIDIA’s Director of Virtual Reality David Weinstein. “In the last couple of years, major companies everywhere ran proof-of-concept XR projects. The results were uniformly positive: faster time to market, lower total costs, better trained employees, happier customers, healthier patients. These early results will drive a virtuous cycle of growth and innovation,” he concludes.

Enterprise XR is about to enter its grown-up phase
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You can download the full report for free here

Want the latest insights from industry experts in enterprise AR & VR? Look no further!

Read our blog to see how 2020 will be a defining year https://t.co/zyibVIsMR8

— Unity (@unity3d) February 12, 2020

Tech Trends offers a broad range of Digital Consultancy services to guide companies, individuals and brands in effectively leveraging existing and emerging technologies in their business strategy.

Alice Bonasio is a XR and Digital Transformation Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio on Twitter.

The post Enterprise XR is Coming of Age appeared first on Tech Trends.

A newly published white paper investigates the pedagogical theory and use cases for deploying mixed reality in the classroom.

It is easy to get excited about the possibilities the Mixed Reality spectrum brings to education. Humans are essentially programmed to learn best through experience, and that is just what immersive technologies enable: we’re not just learning it, we’re living it.

Humans are essentially programmed to learn best through experience, and that is just what immersive technologies enable
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And exploring a few of those possibilities is what I had the chance to do when I collaborated with Microsoft Education to write the Immersive Experiences in Education white paper we’ve published at the ISTE 2019 conference a few weeks ago.

Methodology

Now, I’m very much a technology enthusiast. I’ve been called a futurist, evangelist, influencer, all those really annoying trendy buzzwords… But at heart I am also an educator. I worked in academia, I taught English as a second language, I’ve mentored people and for many years I worked in the EdTech sector, so I speak truthfully when I say I’m forever in awe of teachers and mindful of the importance of education in society.

Mixed Reality technology is amazing but is it really useful to educators? Does it actually influence learning outcomes, and if so, how?
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This is why when Microsoft approached me to collaborate with them in researching and writing this white paper, I wanted to take a step back and ensure that we weren’t just flashing a shiny pretty tech trinket around. The technology is amazing, there’s no doubt about that, but is it really useful to educators? Does it actually influence learning outcomes, and if so, how?

When deploying any technology in the classroom, success depends on engaging educators and building a responsive feedback loop that prioritizes learning outcomes rather than the technology itself
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Through our research and interviews, a picture of the concrete pedagogical benefits of using Mixed Reality in the classroom emerged
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I was keen to ensure that our methodology really reflected this educator-led focus as much as possible, and was happy to find that the team at Microsoft Education very much shared that vision.

The paper cross-referenced pedagogical theory with case studies obtained through personalized email interviews with teachers, students, researchers, and technologists who have successfully deployed such technology within various learning environments and contexts, and the bulk of my time was indeed spent on an extensive literature review and on gathering and processing the data from those testimonials to try and gleam insights that could be useful for educators.

I will let you judge for yourselves whether we’ve succeeded – you can read and download a free copy of the white paper here –  but our guiding principle was very much that when deploying technology in the classroom, success is dependent on engagement with educators, and on building a responsive feedback loop that prioritizes learning outcomes rather than the technology itself.

The paper cross-referenced pedagogical theory with case studies of teachers, students, researchers, and technologists who have deployed such technology
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Through our research and interviews, an overall picture of the concrete pedagogical benefits of using Mixed Reality in the classroom did start to emerge, and although further research is certainly needed and I wouldn’t dream to claim that this is the definitive document on the subject, it manages, in my humble opinion, to tease out some really important findings and a lot of interesting questions. I, for one, always think the most successful research is the one where you end up with a lot more questions than when you started, which is why I hope to hear lots of questions from the community (you can always send a tweet my way @alicebonasio or connect on LinkedIn). Below are some of our key research findings:

Immersive digital simulations allow learners to absorb knowledge within a realistic context through experiential learning

Our research indicated that the most effective educational experiences often involve mastering tasks within context of personally relevant, realistic situations. Situated learning in well-designed digital environments actually leads to the replication of those behaviours in the real world.

The key differentiator in using Mixed Reality is that it seems to dramatically increase the rate of transfer – in other words, our ability to apply and adapt learning to different real-world situations.It Mixed Reality facilitates transfer by simulating realistic scenarios within specific pedagogical contests. It literally can bring a curriculum to life for students. This means we not only can create more effective learning experiences, but also expand the range of available experiences, since we can simulate scenarios that would be too difficult, too expensive, or too dangerous for students to experience in real life.

Mixed Reality helps to prevent Cognitive overload.

This second finding probably comes as no surprise to most educators, in that trying to visualize and assimilate large amounts of complex information is HARD. It can literally trigger a bottleneck within the limited working memory of the brain, and we soon become tired of it. Attention and interest lags, and it becomes harder to engage students in the subject.

Our research indicates that the most effective educational experiences involve mastering tasks within personally relevant, realistic context
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Mixed Reality, however, can help reduce this cognitive load by allowing learners to directly visualize, manipulate, and interact with complex structures, so that the brain is not so busy trying to visualize the data, but instead engaged in understanding, assimilating, recalling, and applying it.

Test scores among students using immersive technologies improved by as much as 22%

Now, those two findings we looked at are crucial in improving learning outcomes such as test scores, increased performance of skills-based tasks, abtract reasoning, and critical thinking. It also had positive effects on retention of knowledge.

Most interestingly, however, we found indications that this technology was particularly helpful in improving learning conditions for learners with conditions such as dyslexia, autism, and ADHD.

Mixed Reality can help reduce the cognitive load on the brain by allowing learners to visualize, manipulate, and interact with complex structures
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Here, immersive technologies have been shown to assist previously low-achieving students in overcoming learning challenges to the point where there was no longer any statistical difference in test scores between them and high achieving students.

Mixed Reality 
in the classroom fosters self-directed learning

Teachers reported that using MR in the classroom promoted a more inquiry-based environment that maximized learning opportunities by instilling a greater sense of autonomy, encouraging students to creatively engage with the subject beyond the pedagogical task at hand.

“Students report a greater understanding and appreciation for the development of VR content after engaging in 3D animation and/or game design projects. In particular, students are able to see the connection between the engineering of a virtual world, and the virtual world’s role as an element of digital storytelling.” Paul Turnbull 
President Mid-Pacific Institute

Co-created content fosters a more meaningful connection by generating something in which the student has a personal emotional investment. Extended experiences that immerse students in rich contexts with strong narratives, authentic practices, and links to real-world outcomes are what truly unleash the transformational power of immersive experiences.

Co-created content fosters a more meaningful connection by generating something in which the student has a personal emotional investment
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“We led a lesson with an English class, where students designed a safe and scary space, then were able to experience them both in Virtual Reality. The lesson brought technology in the context of an English lesson by creating a spark for students to translate into their writing exercises.” Cody Karutz
Founder and CEO of Blue Trot

Like all technologies adopted within a pedagogical classroom setting, MR should remain supplementary to in-person academic programming, allowing for human relations and interactions to ultimately guide the social- emotional learning experience.For me, the biggest takeaway from this is that for Mixed Reality to be effectively implemented in the classroom we must ensure that the technology is integrated into pedagogical theory and best practice.

Immersive technologies have been shown to assist previously low-achieving students in overcoming learning challenges
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Tech Trends offers a broad range of Digital Consultancy services to guide companies, individuals and brands in effectively leveraging existing and emerging technologies in their business strategy.

Alice Bonasio is a VR and Digital Transformation Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio on Twitter.

The post Report: Immersive Experiences in Education appeared first on Tech Trends.

That’s the million-dollar question. Or near enough. There is $750,000 in funding on offer for arts institutions – as well as technologists, companies and artists partnering with arts institutions – looking to answer it.

There is $750,000 in funding on offer by the Knight Foundation for ideas that demonstrate the ability of immersive technologies such as VR and AR to strengthen audience engagement
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The grants are being put forward by the Knight Foundation for ideas that demonstrate the ability of immersive technologies, such as virtual and mixed reality, to strengthen audience engagement.

“Arts institutions need more knowledge to move beyond just experimenting with these technologies to becoming proficient in leveraging their full potential.”  Says Knight director Chris Barr.

To help them do this, winners will receive a share of the $750,000 in funding, and optional technical support from Microsoft, including mixed-reality coaching, mentorship and technology access and training, as well as the opportunity to be featured across Microsoft marketing channels.

“We’re incredibly excited to support this open call for ways in which technology can help art institutions engage new audiences,” says Mira Lane, Partner Director Ethics & Society at Microsoft.  “We strongly believe that immersive technology can enhance the ability for richer experiences, deeper storytelling, and broader engagement.”

The new call for ideas is part of Knight Foundation’s arts and technology focus, which aims to help arts institutions better meet changing audience expectations and use digital tools to help people better experience and delight in the arts.

“When done right, life-changing experiences can happen at the intersection of arts and technology,” said Victoria Rogers, Knight Foundation vice president for arts speaking at the initiative’s launch at the Gray Area Festival in San Francisco. “Our goal through this call is to help cultural institutions develop informed and refined practices for using new technologies, equipping them to better navigate and thrive in the digital age.”

The Foundation’s goal is to foster informed and engaged communities, something it believes is essential in a healthy democracy. To achieve this, they invest in journalism, in the arts, and in the success of cities where brothers John S. and James L. Knight once published newspapers.

Winners will receive a share of the $750,000 in funding, and optional technical support from Microsoft, including mixed-reality coaching, mentorship and technology access and training
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Last year, Knight made a $600,000 investment in twelve projects designed to harness the power of technology to engage people with the arts. Most recently, Knight launched the “On View” podcast, which examines how museums and cultural institutions are evolving to keep pace with a changing world.

In the week since the announcement, the call has attracted quite a lot of attention
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“In just one week’s time, the call for ideas has already garnered immense interest in the arts and technology fields. Our initial informational webinar was booked to capacity – 200 attendees – in just a day,” says Barr. This positive response reflects the momentum around exciting opportunities happening at the intersection of culture and tech. We’re thrilled by this interest and hope to see a wide-range of projects equipping arts institutions to better engage audiences with new technologies.”

Successful projects will address one of the following areas or related concepts:

• Engaging new audiences: How might arts institutions use immersive experiences to better welcome and engage new and diverse audiences?
• Building new service models: How can institutions design pleasant and efficient audience experiences that avoid clunky interactions with technology?
• Expanding beyond walls: In what new ways can arts institutions use immersive immersive technology to reach people beyond their physical space?
• Distribution to multiple institutions: How can immersive experiences become more portable and be presented easily at multiple institutions?

Those interested in applying can do so until August 12 and learn more about it here. Recipients will be announced in late fall 2019.

Those interested in applying can do so until August 12
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Tech Trends offers a broad range of Digital Consultancy services to guide companies, individuals and brands in effectively leveraging existing and emerging technologies in their business strategy.

Alice Bonasio is a VR and Digital Transformation Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio on Twitter.

The post Engaging Audiences With Immersive Technology appeared first on Tech Trends.

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is a nonprofit organization that serves over 100,000 education stakeholders throughout the world.

At the session hosted by Microsoft @ISTE, Alice will outline how immersive technologies such as Mixed Reality are being used by innovative educators around the world
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This year their annual conference and expo happens in Philadelphia from June 23rd to the 26th, and Tech Trends will be there as our Editor-in-Chief Alice Bonasio takes part in a session hosted by Microsoft entitled Mixed Reality: New Places and Spaces for Learning.

ISTE19 is the place where educator-tested strategies come together with proven resources for transforming learning and teaching. It’s also the place to get connected to the brightest minds in edtech, then network with them all year long.

The session will outline how immersive technologies such as Mixed Reality are being used by innovative educators around the world. During her talk, Alice will share the results of some exciting research that resulted in a white paper: Immersive Experiences in Education, which will also be unveiled at the event.

The session will outline how immersive technologies such as Mixed Reality are being used by innovative educators around the world
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Tech Trends Editor-in-Chief @alicebonasio collaborated with @MicrosoftEDU to write a white paper on immersive experiences in education. Check out the #ISTE2019 unveiling! “Mixed reality: New places and spaces for learning” 24th June 2019 @ISTE with @Danayoub @ansonhsho @sparvell pic.twitter.com/C0SrcB2ghZ

— TechTrends (@techtrends_tech) June 7, 2019

Immersive technologies are becoming more popular and accessible in the classroom, and when these technologies are deployed correctly and in a pedagogically consistent manner, they have the potential to support and expand the curriculum, enhancing learning outcomes in ways that haven’t been previously possible, affordable or scalable.

If you are at ISTE be sure to drop by, but otherwise follow the latest news from our twitter @techtrends_tech and we will also be sharing white paper and post-conference news here, stay tuned!

If used in a pedagogically consistent manner, Immersive Technologies have the potential to support and expand the curriculum, enhancing learning outcomes.
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For companies looking to get into Immersive technologies, our Immersive Technology Consultancy service offers comprehensive support in the strategic deployment of Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality

The post Tech Trends at #ISTE2019 appeared first on Tech Trends.

The fundamental question we should be asking children as they grow up is no longer what they want to “be” but rather what they would like to “do.” What problems are they passionate about solving, and what are the skills that will enable them to achieve their goals.

Traditional education models are at odds with this type of thinking, however, as they are still built largely around the mythology of finite goals. The concept that there are clear milestones and an eventual finishing line to learning was never ideal, but it is even more woefully inadequate in a technology-enabled world. To thrive in volatile environments, we must embrace life-long learning.

Traditional education is still built upon the mythology of finite goals
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One solution that educators are deploying to bridge that gap between traditional learning delivery systems and newer workflows and expectations, is the use of gamified learning platforms. Gamified learning is very helpful in cultivating a mind-set where problem-solving becomes a fun activity, and failure is seen as a stepping stone.

If, like myself, you’re old enough to have earned your gaming chops alongside Mario or Sonic, you’re unlikely to recall exactly how many times you “died” along the way, or exactly how you adapted your strategy incrementally after each setback. The moments when you beat that boss and rescue the princess, however, tend to stick with you.

Vice President of Education at Microsoft Anthony Salcito spoke with me during this week’s Education Exchange conference (E2 in Paris), which brought together a diverse group of educators from all over the world to discuss how best to leverage technology such as Minecraft to deliver better learning outcomes for students.

One solution that educators are deploying to bridge that gap between traditional learning delivery systems and newer workflows and expectations, is the use of gamified learning platforms
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For those unfamiliar with Minecraft, it is a game that allows players to construct 3D worlds out of textured cubes, but players must explore and gather resources in order to do so. There are individual and collaborative multi-player modes. It was originally published in 2011 before being acquired by Microsoft in 2014. To date it has sold over 121 million copies making it second only to Tetris in terms of popularity. Microsoft has since developed Minecraft: Education Edition which is used in schools and has additional pedagogical tools and functionalities.

Learning by Teaching

“When you find something joyful, you will discover that fully. I learn more from students than the people actually coding the game in Redmond, says Meenoo Rami ,Educator Advocate at Minecraft and Microsoft.

Since many students are already familiar with the platform from playing the game at home, educators are able to draw upon the student’s own expertise and to focus on the learning aspects rather than covering the mechanics of the technology itself. It also prompts situations where “expert” users mentor younger learners and also help teachers who might not be as familiar with the platform as their students, further fostering a collaborative ethos in the classroom.

When you find something joyful, you will discover that fully
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Building Modular Skillsets

Another advantage of Minecraft is that it helps to encourage a modular approach to building skillsets. When each new problem demands you to find and leverage different resources, materials and collaborations, you start to envisage those as pieces of a puzzle, for which there are multiple possible solutions. This is why LEGO and Minecraft have proven so popular and effective in those contexts, as their core design is in itself modular.

A recently published survey polled teachers across 11 countries and four continents. It revealed that students’ decision-making and communication ability were positively impacted by the time they spent playing Minecraft, and that it cultivated a creative problem-solving mind-set.

In Minecraft, starting over represents a new opportunity rather than a regrettable ordeal. Remaining calm and focusing on solving a problem is a skill that is likely to serve students well throughout their academic and professional careers.

Another advantage of Minecraft is that it helps to encourage a modular approach to building skillsets
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Growth Mind-set

Surveyed teachers reported that students using the platform were confident interacting freely during lessons, exercising agency often without prompts from teachers and overcoming challenges as teams. They found that working through the game made it easier to bridge accessibility issues, in that students with different learning styles and abilities were more easily able to find common ground, and to share what they discover in multiple formats.

Surveyed teachers reported that students using Minecraft were confident interacting freely during lessons, exercising agency often without prompts from teachers and overcoming challenges as teams.
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They also felt comfortable experimenting, and perceived failure as part of the creative learning process. This resilience and growth mind-set is very much recognized as a key desirable trait by employers, specially in innovative industries such as technology.

Paradoxically, however, the more teachers and students utilized the Minecraft platform to deliver pedagogical content and improve learning outcomes, the less emphasis they placed on the game itself. As is often the case with successful technology solutions, the measure of their success hinges on how invisible they become, allowing the content to shine through.

Social Emotional Learning

Considering how videogaming is often perceived as being socially isolating , it is somewhat surprising that one of the areas that was most dramatically improved by engagement with the Minecraft for Education platform was social and emotional learning (SEL).

A study conducted by Microsoft has shown that an increasing number of schools across the SEL, an approach that builds skills and competencies that help students be successful in school, work, and life.

In the context of K–12 education, SEL is the process through which students acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.

SEL initiatives thrive when woven into subjects across the curriculum throughout the traditional school day, tackling real-world problems, or at the very least problems that “feel” real to students.

Research has shown that students exposed to SEL are better equipped to manage themselves and exhibit agency over their own academic experience, have a greater understanding of the perspectives of others and a better ability to relate effectively to them, and are able to make sound choices about personal and social decisions.

Social emotional learning comes to life when knowledge is applied to solving relevant problems, whether in the context of real-world scenarios or disguised as play. One of the best examples that Rami showed me was how students needed to leverage basic chemistry to obtain materials such as latex. This could in turn can be used to make balloons. And those balloons can be attached to the whimsical pigs that populate the game (once you manage to catch them, that is). I have a feeling that applying chemistry to make pigs fly is the sort of thing that might make a student remember what that chemical components of latex are far better than memorizing the periodic table ever could. I know the image of those floating square pigs stuck in my mind.

Social emotional learning comes to life when knowledge is applied to solving relevant problems, whether in the context of real-world scenarios or disguised as play
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Educators have the opportunity to help students develop empathy through gaming and imagine how they’d like to be treated
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Comprehensive SEL goals include developmental benchmarks across five key social and emotional competency domains, encompassing self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making skills.

Minecraft creates opportunities for transformational learning experiences. says Dr. Michelle Zimmerman, an educational researcher who works at Renton Prep Christian School, an institution which makes extensive use of the platform in delivering its curriculum.

Educators have the opportunity to help students develop empathy through gaming and imagine how they’d like to be treated, talk through scenarios in gaming and in their personal lives, and discuss how they would do something differently (or have wanted to be treated differently), then practice those skills. Technology doesn’t impede our ability to build relationships; conversely, with regard to gaming in the classroom, it can serve to further bolster them. We know that human connection can be powerful in many settings and environments. Gaming is no exception, Zimmerman concludes.

I have a feeling that applying chemistry to make pigs fly is the sort of thing that might make a student remember what that chemical components of latex are far better than memorizing the periodic table ever could
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Educators are champions, without them we can’t do this
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It’s somewhat ironic, Salcito says, that as the world becomes ever more digital, companies like Microsoft are more than ever in need of hiring people with interpersonal skills. As artificial intelligence transforms the labour market, the importance of human skills like creativity, interpersonal understanding, and empathy becomes exponentially more valuable.

Therefore, those who can make connections and foster collaboration in globally distributed teams, who are capable of relating to, empathise with, and inspire their peers. And that valuing of so-called “soft skills” in the workplace is far from a trend that’s unique to Microsoft. Because more companies are demanding this, universities are also pivoting towards offering “mission based” degrees. In other words, you enrol in order to explore how to solve a problem rather than to “become” something.

It’s somewhat ironic that as the world becomes ever more digital, companies like Microsoft are more than ever in need of hiring people with interpersonal skills
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Stephane Cloatre, Minecraft Global Mentor who works in partnership with Microsoft, says that this flexibility also allows the platform to evolve and incorporate emerging technologies as they become more prevalent for students. Mixed Reality, which is a big focus for Microsoft’s own strategy, is a prime example of this.

Rami adds that students and teachers ask all the time about when immersive functionality will be rolled out on the platform, but for Cloatre, the pieces are in place for that to happen, since Minecraft is pretty much a 3D design platform already. It is easy to see how that could actually become quite an exciting avenue in future, as immersive tech becomes pervasive it will require lot of fresh talent and skilled professionals to develop the ecosystem to its full potential.

Yet none of this, Salcito stresses, can happen without proactive educators leveraging the platform to appropriately support learning outcomes for students. “Educators are champions, without them we can’t do this,” he concludes.

This article was originally published on IDG Connect

Is #Minecraft the future of #education? – https://t.co/ErwDgvXk7Q @alicebonasio @IDGCN @CIOonline#edtech

— IDG Contributor Network (@IDGCN) April 8, 2019

Tech Trends offers a broad range of Digital Consultancy services to guide companies, individuals and brands in effectively leveraging existing and emerging technologies in their business strategy.

Alice Bonasio is a VR and Digital Transformation Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. You can follow @alicebonasio on Twitter, connect with her on LinkedIn or subscribe to her Inside VR/AR Newletter for all the latest curated immersive news.  

The post Building the Future of Education appeared first on Tech Trends.

In a beautifully kitted out room in central Paris, Colin Fillaudeau is teaching a group of youngsters how to build in Mixed Reality.

Even though my French is far from perfect and I’m unfamiliar with the program he’s using, I’m able to follow along quite well, and the same is certainly true for the 14 year olds in the room, who have come here for the day from a deprived area on the outskirts of Paris.

This room – which resembles an open-plan tech start-up office with its multiple screens, robots, VR headsets and Minecraft plush toys and LEGO – and the 3D design concepts they are learning, literally represent a gateway into another world for these students.

This room represents a gateway into another world for these students #E2 #MicrosoftEDU
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It is often said that in order to address the world’s chronic digital skills problem we need to address an endemic gap in access and opportunity rather than talent or skills. The truth of that becomes abundantly clear when you observe the eagerness and engagement with which these students embrace the opportunity extended to them by such initiatives.

Microsoft's immersive classroom sits within the company’s French Headquarters in Paris #E2 #MicrosoftEDU
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Favreau is a Learning Consultant working with Microsoft, and this “immersive classroom” sits within the company’s French Headquarters. It is open for schools to experiment with incorporating digital tools in learning, and has facilitated the delivery of more than 60 free workshops for over 1000 students since opening in 2018.

These digital tools, they’re keen to emphasize, are not just the company’s own, as only about 20% of the tech in the room is Microsoft’s.

The class I was observing was called 3D conception & Mixed Reality, and it incorporates Paint 3D, HoloLens and other Mixed Reality headsets, and 3D printing. Other activities also explore coding and robotics using tools such as Minecraft and Artificial intelligence, where students get to build their own chatbot.

The immersive classroom is open for schools to experiment with incorporating digital tools in learning, and has facilitated the delivery of more than 60 free workshops for over 1000 students since opening in 2018 #E2 #MicrosoftEDU
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The class I was observing was called 3D conception & Mixed Reality #E2 #MicrosoftEDU
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As the market for immersive technology continues to grow in the coming years, the already existing issues around a shortage of creative and skilled tech talent is only going to be compounded unless we start building purposeful learning pipelines that start teaching students like the ones I met in Paris not only the relevant skills, but the right mindset.

What it comes down to is that it’s very much in the interest of companies like Microsoft to foster such initiatives, as they are reliant on building and expanding that talent pipeline for their future survival #E2 #MicrosoftEDU
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To create compelling content in a fast-evolving new medium such as Mixed Reality, you need what’s called a “growth mindset” that builds grit and a tolerance for failure. This does not mean ignoring your mistakes or being blind to shortcomings, but recognizing that success is incremental, and that iterating and improving your approach is an essential part of building a successful product. That means finding out what doesn’t work can be as (or more) valuable than finding out what does.

This broader trend is sometimes also referred to as Social Emotional Learning – an emphasis on the whole package of preparing a human being for work and society. Looking around at a room where young people who were handling these tools for the first time managed to produce interesting and workable content, it’s clear that the approach is one that is much more suitable for getting them ready to tackle the challenges of a modern workplace than traditional schooling.

To create compelling content in a fast-evolving new medium such as Mixed Reality, you need to cultivate a growth mindset #E2 #MicrosoftEDU
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What it comes down to is that it’s very much in the interest of companies like Microsoft to foster such initiatives, as they are reliant on building and expanding that talent pipeline for their future survival. But in doing so they can also help to address many of the issues around access and inequality that have long plagued the tech industry, even if it’s just because – as a CEO once told me at a conference – “there just aren’t enough white guys in the world to do all these jobs.”

This article originally appeared on The Next Web

Stepping into the immersive classroom https://t.co/j82tCZOPjF

— TNWRSS (@tnwrss) April 3, 2019

Tech Trends offers a broad range of Digital Consultancy services to guide companies, individuals and brands in effectively leveraging existing and emerging technologies in their business strategy.

Alice Bonasio is a VR and Digital Transformation Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. You can follow @alicebonasio on Twitter, connect with her on LinkedIn or subscribe to her Inside VR/AR Newletter for all the latest curated immersive news.  

The post The Mixed Reality Classroom appeared first on Tech Trends.

Vice President of Education at Microsoft Anthony Salcito will talk about the future of education, AI and how Microsoft wants to support the critical role of educators. #E2 #MicrosoftEdu
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It’s always a delight to come back to the City of Lights, but Tech Trends are also excited to check out some really interesting EdTech discussions which will take place this week in the annual global showcase hosted by Microsoft.

It's always a delight to come back to the City of Lights #E2 #MicrosoftEdu
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Jean-Phillipe Courtois, EVP and President, Microsoft Global Sales, Marketing & Operations at Microsoft will welcome attendees to Paris #E2 #MicrosoftEdu
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The keynote session will kick off with marvel and funfair with world-renowned Parisian performance artists.  Then,Jean-Phillipe Courtois, EVP and President, Microsoft Global Sales, Marketing & Operations at Microsoft will welcome attendees to Paris.  Next,Gabriel Attal(@GabrielAttal), the Secretary of State for Education and Youth will share what our host country, France, is focused on.

We’re ready for #E2 #Road2E2 #MicrosoftEdu @MicrosoftEDU pic.twitter.com/hGQlivBVLy

— Nam Ngo Thanh (@mrnamvas) March 31, 2019

We will also join Vice President of Education at Microsoft Anthony Salcito as he talks about the future of education, AI and how Microsoft wants to support you in your critical role as educators. Joey Taralson, Flipgrid, will explore the power of community as he shares the story of educators empowering learners.

In lovely Paris for this year’s #E2 by #MicrosoftEdu #Microsoft pic.twitter.com/weFXSg7nMr

— Alice Bonasio (@alicebonasio) April 1, 2019

Tech Trends are excited to check out some really interesting EdTech discussions which will take place this week in the annual global showcase hosted by Microsoft #E2 #MicrosoftEdu
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Anthony Salcito authors Daily Edventures , highlighting inspiring stories of educators, students, education thought leaders and school leaders from around the world.

Karey Killian, Teacher-Librarian from Pennsylvania will talk about how her role as a school librarian is so critical and how Skype in the Classroom, maker spaces, and Flipgrid, along with many other tools to engage her learners.

Brianna Gopaul, a 15 year old student from Toronto Canada, will dive into her incredible project she developed using AI #E2 #MicrosoftEdu
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Finally, Anthony will reveal some exciting new features coming for Teams and MIE ExpertsVineeta Garg(India), Michael Fleischhacker (Austria), and Steve Crapnell (Australia) will demo the power of VR/MR, Forms and Immersive Reader in the classroom.

@WCED_CTLI @KarenR_Dudley18 @WCED_eCulture @vanvuurenanita @elzetteb Excitement is building as MiE and Leaders are arriving from all over the world attending #E2 event in Paris pic.twitter.com/7oBNC0zcO8

— Christelle (@christellebark) April 1, 2019

Stéphane Cloâtre, French MIE Expert and Global Minecraft Mentor, will share how his students are using Minecraft: Education Edition to study the past and the future of architecture.

Michael Fleischhacker and Steve Crapnell will demo the power of VR/MR, Forms and Immersive Reader in the classroom #E2 #MicrosoftEdu
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Meredith Roe, Virtual School Program Manager of Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA), will discuss how Microsoft Teams has become an integral part of their thriving system of online learning and give you best practices for using Teams to deliver online education experiences.

Well, hello Paris. Such a gorgeous evening here. #Road2E2 #e2 #MIEExpert @TabletAcademyUK pic.twitter.com/wzwE6Zaify

— Samantha O’Leary (@SOLeary_edu) March 31, 2019

Alexa Joyce (Microsoft), will have a conversation with world-leading education thinkers from UNESCO and François Taddei (Centre for Interdisciplinary Research) on transforming education across the world to create a global learning community, able to address the challenges of the future. Carrie Patterson, Chief Operations Director at WE Charity, will reveal how schools have inspired action through service learning through WE.org. (hosted by Christina Thoresen)

Brianna Gopaul, a 15 year old student from Toronto Canada, will dive into her incredible project she developed using AI.

Does Buddy qualify for #E2 in Paris @TinaLEJones …. he is French after all!! Hope you are all having the most incredible time! Congrats @NG_RF_digitech for flying the @LGfL flag pic.twitter.com/MTAlK0ivCj

— Jose Kingsley (@JoseKingsleyEDU) April 1, 2019

Tech Trends offers a broad range of Digital Consultancy services to guide companies, individuals and brands in effectively leveraging existing and emerging technologies in their business strategy.

Alice Bonasio is a VR and Digital Transformation Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. You can follow @alicebonasio on Twitter, connect with her on LinkedIn or subscribe to her Inside VR/AR Newletter for all the latest curated immersive news.  

The post Tech Trends at #E2 2019 appeared first on Tech Trends.

Microsoft’s new piece of kit doesn’t disappoint, but the real excitement of its MWC announcement goes well beyond the hardware.

After unveiling the device at MWC, Microsoft then went on to demo it to a select group of invited media (myself included) and that’s where I finally got the chance to play with what has to be one of the world’s most sophisticated toys, certainly for that price range.

Microsoft is in this for the long haul and will continue cashing in just fine without even touching the consumer market
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I won’t go over the basic specs here. After tons of excited reporting, the device itself – and Microsoft’s strategy for it – have been thoroughly analyzed from every angle. From in-depth technical reviews to accounts of testing the prototype in Redmond prior to the launch, all the way to the nay-sayers who still insist that the whole thing is doomed to fail, take your pick. What I’m interested in, however, is what this means for the broader immersive tech ecosystem.

The HoloLens and I go way back. Ever since I demoed the device in London for the first time back in 2016 I was convinced this was going to be something truly transformational. I went on to report on many different use cases that demonstrated just how much value the Mixed Reality proposition could bring to all sorts of industries.

The HoloLens and I go way back
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While others griped endlessly about the field of view and somewhat stilted gestural interface, I always preferred to focus on the bigger picture. The HoloLens was essentially an excellent proof of concept, and much of its technology was still amazingly ahead of its time even four years after launching. I had the opportunity to deep-dive into how the Microsoft team painstakingly developed the awesome spatial audio feature to heighten immersion, and interview its creator Alex Kipman on his vision for the future of both the device and the tech.

So after hearing all about it at the launch in Barcelona, I was keen to see it with my own eyes. Would it actually deliver on the promises Kipman had made on stage the night before?

While others griped endlessly about the HoloLens field of view and somewhat stilted gestural interface, I'd rather focus on the big picture
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When I first put the headset on, we were off to a good start: Promise number was kept right off the bat. This was vastly more comfortable (I’m not sure if it was exactly “three times more comfortable” like Kipman claimed but it was, well, comfortable!). Whereas I usually came away from HoloLens demos with big red marks on the bridge of my nose, the weight of this new device was elegantly distributed and the center of gravity much further towards the back. Combined with lighter carbon fiber construction, this is something I could happily wear for a while without thinking anything of it.

The second big promise Kipman had made was that this device was much more immersive. The fact the Field of View (FOV) is twice the size of the old HoloLens certainly helps towards that. Although I maintain that even with the original FOV your brain adjusted pretty quickly to it so that you still got an immersive experience, it was nice not to have to adjust. The FOV on the HoloLens 2 does not quite cover your entire line of sight, but it really does come close enough so that it doesn’t interfere with the experience. I spoke to Mark Christian, Global Director of Immersive Learning at Pearson – one of Microsoft’s HoloLens Partners – who told me that after delivering over 200 demos on the first day at MWC (conference attendees were waiting over 3 hours in line for the chance to try the device) not one of them mentioned feeling limited by the FOV.

So now that we got that out of the way, here’s what got me most excited about my own demos: The first couple of minutes in each one, where you’re essentially calibrating the device.

The second big promise Alex Kipman had made was that the HoloLens 2 was much more immersive
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By the third and fourth time I was doing that, I knew what to expect, but it was still magic, and to me it really sums up why this is an awesome leap forward for Microsoft and for Mixed Reality. It works very nicely across the board, but where it comes to eye tracking and voice recognition (and the combination of the two) it delivers in spades. And then some.

The first calibration exercise (after you do the familiar lining up of a holographic box onto the middle of your display so you can see all four edges) has a series of bright spinning jewels pop up in different places in your field of view. I’m instructed to just look at them, without moving my head. As my eyes rest briefly on each jewel, it disappears in turn. The HoloLens 2 knows exactly where I’m looking. After that’s done, a colorful hummingbird materializes in front of me. The device scans my hands (automatically adjusting to their shape and size) and when I move them the tiny bird flies over to hover above it. I change hands and move them around, feeling like Snow White in a Disney film as I make friends with this little guy, who I really feel like naming. By the time we finish calibrating the device, I regretfully watch him disappear.

But the idea behind having me play with this hummingbird is, of course, for the HoloLens to be able to scan your hands and their movement patterns to allow you to interact with the holograms. And that interaction happens in a much more intuitive flow now. Gone are the “pinch” and “bloom” gestures you had to learn and instead you can pretty much grab, stretch, toss and turn your holograms any way you please. You can push buttons, slide sliders, and tell stuff to do things. And because the device always knows where I’m looking, I can often do what I want just by directing my gaze somewhere. The prime use case of that is incredibly simple, and beautiful in its simplicity – reading. Text information was set next to a Hologram, and as my eyes finished reading the last line, that text automatically scrolled up. Not only that, but it did so faster or more slowly depending on my reading speed. It was absolutely seamless, and one example of what Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella referred to in his speech on Sunday at MWC, that the best technology eventually becomes invisible.

The idea behind having me play with this holographic hummingbird was to have the HoLens 2 scan my hands
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And as for value, the price of the HoloLens 2 is actually incredibly cheap for most the large enterprises that have been using it so far. The cost and efficiency savings that introducing Mixed Reality have already brought to companies like Thyssenkrupp and Trimble are nothing short of remarkable, and the possibilities for increasing those returns even further are practically endless. That’s the low-hanging fruit as far as Microsoft is concerned. I have a feeling the only question those companies will be asking themselves is “how many of these will we be allowed to order, and how quickly can you deliver?”

But Microsoft also wants to create this “open ecosystem” around Mixed Reality and expand its appeal to small and medium-sized businesses. And for SMEs, the fact that the HoloLens 2 will also be offered on a lease basis for a few hundred dollars a month is a big attraction. The key, however, is going to be the out-of-the-box content that they will be able to offer those companies. And this is again where Microsoft’s strategy really comes together. For the past four years they have worked with these big corporations and their R&D departments to create valuable use cases, platforms and applications for Mixed Reality. If they’re now able to package that as part of a subscription offering for SMEs it could prompt a lot of smaller business owners to try it out.

Microsoft wants to create an open ecosystem around Mixed Reality
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So from a business perspective, there were very few surprises to come out of these announcements and the launch at MWC. Microsoft has proven itself to be steadfast and consistent in its strategy for the HoloLens and Mixed Reality, sticking to its original pivot towards enterprise.

But at the same time, there is no doubt that this technology will not be pigeonholed in such a way forever. It will evolve, become lighter, cheaper, and ever more intuitive and transparent. And when the time, price, and most importantly, the content ecosystem is right, it will reach that sweet spot where consumers will also embrace it. The HoloLens 2 brings us a big step closer to that, but there’s no rush as far as Microsoft is concerned. They’re in it for the long haul, and in the meantime I have a feeling they will start cashing in just fine without even touching the consumer market, thank you very much.

This article was originally published on VRScout

Hands-On With The HoloLens 2 via @alicebonasio https://t.co/GuvVS1iTvG pic.twitter.com/xpqRWxo6TF

— VRScout (@VRScout) March 3, 2019

Tech Trends’  Virtual Reality Consultancy services offers support for companies looking to enhance brand strategy with immersive technologies such as Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality

Alice Bonasio is a VR and Digital Transformation Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. You can follow @alicebonasio on Twitter, connect with her on LinkedIn or subscribe to her Inside VR/AR Newletter for all the latest curated immersive news.  

The post Getting Hands-On with the New HoloLens appeared first on Tech Trends.