The potential of virtual reality in business is not to be neglected. According to ABI Research, the VR training market will be worth $ 6.3 billion by 2022. Facebook is aware of this and is launching an industry-centric offensive focused on its Oculus Quest and Oculus Go headsets. Fleet Management Software, Fashion kiosk, partner program for developers and resellers ... Nothing was left to chance. Among the pilot customers of this solution: Hilton, Nestlé Purina, and Ford.
The Oculus Connect 6 conference was an opportunity for Facebook to unveil the new version of its business-focused virtual reality offering, Oculus for Business. This program has been launched with Walmart, L'Oreal, Audi or DHL.
But it was limited to the purchase of equipment, without providing support. With the release of the Oculus Go and Oculus Quest headsets, Facebook is moving up a gear. He unveiled on September 25, 2019 more details about his suite of software designed for large-scale deployments in business. It will be available in November.
MAXIMUM SIMPLIFIED FLEET MANAGEMENT
Facebook has developed fleet management tools in the cloud, including an Android application (other OS will be available later) that allows to provision up to 25 headsets at the same time. Only one company account is needed, no need to create one for each device.
A control center accessible via a web browser can then be used to administer the headsets: serial number, status (active, paired with controllers), the group to which they belong, the type of headset, the version of the OS (with possible updates), the battery level, the level of the Wi-Fi connection.
Updates can be automated on all devices (they can also be disabled), as can installing, updating, or uninstalling applications. It is also possible to easily manage groups, which allows for example to deploy massively different applications on different groups of devices.
AN INTERFACE MORE ADAPTED TO THE NEEDS OF PROS
In the same way, it is very easy to add or remove administrators. It will be possible for developers to administer the fleet of their customers' headsets if they do not want to do it themselves. An administrator mode allows access to certain settings on the headphones with a PIN code while keeping them out of reach of users. The software is also compatible with the fleet management solutions of the market, such as MobileIron and VMWare Airwatch.
Another novelty: a simplified home screen in which are displayed only the applications chosen by the company to get to the point. A kiosk mode is also available to start directly in a specific application, without going through the menu.
MORE NEEDED CONTROLLERS
On the interaction side, it is possible to use the controllers, but also to choose a mode that uses only the movements of the head with a pointer effect and timing for the selection of options. And of course, Oculus for Business will benefit from the hand tracking features that will be added to the Oculus Quest early next year.
The possibility of using his hands directly is particularly important in the professional context, the control of controllers by staff often uncomfortable with this type of devices representing a significant friction. "There is a logistical cost to having two controllers, to ensure that their batteries are charged and that they are paired, explains to the Digital Factory Maria Fernandez Guajardo, Head of Enterprise AR / VR at Facebook. Professional training, time is very important, having to learn how to use controllers can be a significant waste of time, and they are often intimidating for people, much more than the helmet."
OCULUS LINK WILL BE SUPPORTED
According to Maria Fernandez Guajardo, Oculus for Business will also support Oculus Link, which turns an Oculus Quest into a PC headset. It should be noted, however, that the professional suite mentioned above does not support PC headsets, which are considered as peripherals for computers.
DATA MANAGEMENT SECURED AND CONTROLLED BY THE CUSTOMER
To reassure its potential customers, Facebook has relied on the experience it has built with its offer Workplace by Facebook. Oculus for Business uses the same infrastructure and the same secure data storage protocols. To top it off, the helmets are guaranteed 24 months and a dedicated customer service is available 24 hours a day by chat, email or phone.
Prices remain $ 599 for an Oculus Go with 64GB of storage and $ 999 for an Oculus Quest with 128GB of storage. This includes a one-year license for the Oculus for Business suite.
