The applications of virtual reality in the industry are many, and the giant tech companies such as Google, Samsung, Microsoft, Sony, HTC and Facebook strongly believe in this technology and they know its applications to the private domain and possibilities in the professional and business field.
The Virtual/Augmented Reality will grow in the coming years at an exponential rate. A study by the consultancy ABI Research affirms that the annual growth rate of the VR will be 106% in the next five years. It is estimated that by 2020, 43 million Virtual Reality devices will be sold worldwide, many of them for business use.
The worldwide virtual reality market is set to be huge
SMEs must analyze in depth if it can be part of their business, with what purpose, with what role and what will it contribute to their final product or service. Today, we still have a very recent perspective of this type of technology, and that is why it is interesting to observe the full spectrum of utilities it can have in the SMEs.
If we refer to the popular image of a person with Virtual Reality glasses that allow them to interact in a parallel digital world with elements that are not part of the real physical space, we will obtain a basic starting point to know the possibilities of this technology in the application development company. We must know that there are three specific virtual reality simulation devices that cover almost the entire market today: PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, and HTC Vive, and although it is expected that many more competitors will appear, these devices have a huge competitive advantage.
On the other hand, there are also other types of devices that take advantage of the great potential of modern smartphones, which work as adapters, and that allows users to enjoy an immersive virtual experience.
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality
Virtual Reality technology is already well known and has been popularized in recent years by new advances and the commercialization of more affordable models, but it is a technology with many years of travel.
The advances in the miniaturization of components have allowed the development of more comfortable systems, less invasive and more economic. The appearance of new competitors will make them more affordable for the general public.
Basically, both Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality are based on very similar technologies. The main difference is that while the Virtual Reality tries to trick our brain to make us believe that we are in a different environment, the Augmented Reality shows us additional information superimposed on the "real" world.
Application in many sectors
If we look at the business sectors, Virtual Reality increases its presence in all and will do so more strongly in the coming years. Sectors such as engineering, health, public sector, retail, video games, events, entertainment or education, among many others, are some the sectors with a huge capacity for
virtual reality app development.
Training with Virtual Reality
From a transversal perspective to all professional sectors, training will be one of the great spaces in which Virtual Reality will continue adding presence. From small SMEs to large corporations like NASA itself, today there are already many companies that have training plans for their employees through Virtual Reality devices.
In addition to offering technology with many possibilities for transmitting knowledge and interacting with it, once the investment in each training plan is made, the cost of training for employees is reduced.
The employee can be trained in the use of heavy or dangerous machinery, or know the occupational risks of certain facilities, without facing the risks associated with their handling during the training period.
The aforementioned example of
NASA has allowed the agency to simulate the International Space Station to train its employees from Earth, in addition to advancing its investigations.
Also in the field of training, its application to the health field is interesting, with the recreation of operating room simulators in which doctors or interns can intervene and learn as if they were facing a real situation.
Virtual Reality at the service of marketing
SMEs look for new strategies every day to reach new customers or retain current ones. In this line, finding innovative, creative or viral marketing actions is one of the main objectives to achieve, with a budget of a small or medium business, a great diffusion. Fortunately, the information and communication era offers us tools with which we can reach many potential clients with a relatively low investment.
In this sense, marketing departments have a great ally if they bet on Virtual Reality. The so-called 'digital natives' or 'Z generation' base their purchase decision on many more elements than before. One of them is the possibility of trying or living a previous experience with the product, something that will help them decide whether or not to buy.
In this way,
SMEs and large companies have already launched marketing actions that allow us to simulate the test of a mobile device, a car or a piece of clothing through Virtual Reality. Undoubtedly, this is a very important added value for brands that are committed to this, and with a very high return on investment possibilities.
Other applications of this technology in the commercial field are, for example, the possibility of teaching or demonstrating products even before they have been manufactured, by means of digital showrooms or even comparing different products in the same location in a virtual way. Sectors such as furniture, ceramics or construction, already make extensive use of the possibilities that this tool can offer them.
This means that certain businesses are going to have to adapt quickly to this technology that will mean a profound change in the way their marketing and sales process is carried out: Trade shows, car and motorcycle dealers, training companies, etc.
Undoubtedly, these are very positive experiences that encourage the purchase, improve the product and customer service and extend the connection time between brand and consumer.