Virtual Reality (VR) has been around in some shape or form for years; however, VR has recently become a ‘hit’ for many consumers and gamers at home with recent technology from Samsung, HTC, Google, and Sony putting people right in the middle of the action. If you can stomach being in the middle of these virtual worlds, they can be amazing. With the popularity of VR continuing to develop, there are some new ideas about how virtual reality could function in the business world.
Attending Conferences through Virtual Reality
The first thing to come to mind would be attending conferences, tech-related or not. Each year, Las Vegas hosts the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) where all the latest and great gadgets waiting to come to market are revealed. There’s nothing quite like experiencing everything first hand. But, if all the planning required to make it to Vegas—not to mention how exhausting it can be just to then exist in Vegas—is too daunting for some individuals, many of the experiences at this conference have been and can be had through video teleconferencing and streaming solutions. How nice would it be to avoid the travel, hotels, possible gambling hiccups and expenses in general by putting on a headset and being there on the showroom floor immediately? My guess is technology companies won’t have to do much work to make this method of conference attendance appealing.
Virtual Training Environments
To build on the above, Virtual Reality technology might also make an appearance in the realm of complex training environments. Many classes are already offered online, but studies have shown many people learn quite a bit better through a hands-on approach. Where intricacies are important for learning, virtual reality could place trainees in the classroom, in a hands-on environment and with and instructor, regardless of their physical location.
Attend Meetings Virtually
Finally, Virtual Reality could be a godsend for those ‘All Hands Meetings’ we’ve all been a part of. With more and more businesses adopting the philosophy of having ‘mobile professionals’ out in the field or for those who live a good distance from the office, Virtual Reality would make it possible for the entire team to be at the meeting without needing to BE AT the meeting. Again, current conferencing solutions in recent years have made this a possibility, but all the major conferencing solutions are still missing that human interaction element. There’s much to be gained with being able to see reactions while also hearing tone to help ensure nothing is lost in translation.
Technology has jumped ahead immensely in the last several years compared to the decades before, and this is certainly an exciting time to see what the possibilities can be. Soon enough, we may be able to ‘be’ anywhere we want to be in a moment’s notice.
Alex Hoosz, PEI
