5 Ways that VR evolves business as we know it

Virtual reality (VR), or using a head-mounted display to simulate the experience of being in a virtual world, is more than just a way to consume media. Adding VR head-mounted displays (HMDs) to pre-existing networks of devices might seem like a daunting task, but the potential benefits are great. Let’s consider some methods that VR-savvy companies have already used to enhance their workspaces with VR, and even learn a few tips for your company to do so too. 

Employee Training

VR training exercises provide an inexpensive and safe way to train new employees for a range of difficult situations. Wal*Mart bought into this concept in a big way, implementing VR-based training in every American store at the end of 2018. 

When implementing VR training across so many devices, employers may struggle to ensure that all trainees have access to the most up-to-date software. Companies can overcome this potential challenge using SureMDM by 42Gears, which allows for central management to push the same content to all VR devices in the network. 

VR Product Demos

VR enables companies to offer immersive product demos; for example, potential clients might enter virtual homes outfitted with a company’s appliances. One important note: good VR demos require experiences built from the ground to support VR. Transplanting pre-existing digital content into VR is easier and cheaper than creating new content, but can be risky. Entertaining first-person games on traditional video game consoles, for example, can be nauseating when ported to VR devices without substantial modification.

Taking Team Building to the Next Level

By allowing creativity to flow in three dimensions, VR team building allows employees to brainstorm in new ways. Employees around the world can convene in a virtual hub, prototyping products and concepts in a dynamic and adaptable environment. VR firm The Void has created experiences wherein multiple VR users may manifest as avatars within each other’s headsets.  Other team-building VR exercises, like the game Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes rely on someone outside the helmet to relay instructions to the person inside the helmet, strengthening communication skills.

Compelling Virtual Storefronts

Companies without a brick-and-mortar presence can use VR to create memorable and aesthetically-pleasing shopping spaces. Amazon India’s VR kiosks, for instance, transport users to a festive shopping center via hot air balloon. Few shoppers can afford dedicated VR headsets at home, but many have access to Google Cardboard, a phone accessory that turns a phone into a VR head-mounted display (HMD). Google Cardboard users can only interact with the VR world in very basic ways, but clever applications can still provide an immersive experience.

Given that the power of VR comes largely from the immersive environments it creates, businesses should make sure that virtual-reality shoppers cannot open other applications within the VR headset. SureMDM by 42Gears ensures that VR devices can only be used for their intended purpose (sometimes referred to as a kiosk mode), preserving an immersive and exciting experience for consumers. 

Empathy Training

Empathy training in VR can allow employees to gain new perspectives. Simulations exist to allow users to live as a member of a different race, endure prison detainment, or explore refugee camps; these experiences can inspire a business’ socially conscious initiatives. Key to this implementation of VR, however, is guaranteeing that the VR experiences are depicted in an appropriately solemn fashion. Mark Zuckerberg once attracted criticism for taking a VR tour around hurricane-stricken Puerto Rico by means of a cheerful cartoon avatar. 

Conclusion

VR technology and enterprise have evolved in parallel over the last few decades: after all, VR now allows people to meet and exchange ideas in a constantly interconnected and changing virtual world, mirroring the fast pace of modern enterprise. Now is the time for the two to combine, and for you and your business to plot a course for the future. 42Gears’ SureMDM management solution is a comprehensive, efficient, and easy-to-use first step for those looking to join the VR revolution.