Technological development has led to innovative changes in society, which has helped individuals as well as businesses in different operations. Augmented reality is one such technological development. Augmented reality is termed as the technology which helps blend real life and the technological world with the help of interactive digital elements such as sensory projections (Brito & Stoyanova, 2017). The interactive digital elements are blended into the real-world environment to assist in matters like warfare and medicine. The augmented reality market is becoming a significant part of different industries ranging from education to the entertainment industry (Campbell, Stafford, Holz & O’Hare, 2013). High-tech companies like Microsoft are coming up with AR-based devices that can assist individuals in having an improved working experience. In this essay, the impact of augmented reality on Microsoft’s operations from people, processes, and performance perspectives will be discussed. Although Microsoft has come up with various technologies for the overall development of the company, however, augmented reality has helped Microsoft remain a completive organization while resolving the possible obstacles faced in a modern workplace. Hence, augmented reality is an innovation that is transforming the way Microsoft is working.
With the introduction of Microsoft HoloLens, Microsoft came with an unleashed device that worked according to AR-based industry trends. At present, augmented reality is more frequently utilized in gaming as well as in the smartphone industry (Devereaux, 2017). Most people have their first experience with augmented reality in the gaming and entertainment sector. However, the research states that the development of AR is becoming influential in consumer solutions. More than 65% of the AR companies are working on industrial applications (Lamb, 2019). Even though present augmented reality is limited to the use of headsets and display units, however, AR companies are working on coming up with hardware devices that are more portable. Though Microsoft HoloLens is an unleashed device with numerous applications and solutions, however, this device offers a solution for businesses to communicate and collaborate effectively. Hence, Microsoft HoloLens is designed to help individuals lead their industry in the future (Neely, 2018).
One of the major trends that emerged as the use of augmented reality devices is to make the modern work environment feasible for employees (Peach, 2018). In a world where businesses have five different generations of diverse working employees around the globe, the question of bringing people together with possible gaps can be overcome with the blend of technology and the right culture. Microsoft HoloLens and other augmented reality devices offer a way of merging the physical and digital worlds, which potentially helps customers and businesses across the globe (Devereaux, 2017). The potential impact of Microsoft HoloLens and other augmented reality devices has been found to be positive as people are able to progress their business by a potential increase of customers. The technology has improved business processes by allowing employees and businesses to complete important tasks in a fast and safe manner with new means to connect with their customers and other executives of the company.
Augmented reality devices introduced by Microsoft have helped the company in gaining a competitive advantage. Microsoft HoloLens and other augmented reality devices combined with Microsoft 365 and other tools such as machine learning have given rise to improving the employee experience for ease in the modern workplace. Some other practical application of Microsoft HoloLens involves the use by Field technicians and engineers in different industries. These engineers and technicians use Microsoft HoloLens combined with Microsoft’s Remote Assist preview app to communicate with experts working remotely, despite their location or device used (Brito & Stoyanova, 2017). Moreover, the combination of Microsoft HoloLens with Microsoft’s Remote Assist preview app has helped in repairing and maintenance of complex machinery. Remote technicians are able to view 3D annotation of the relevant physical parts and suggest the repairing technique accordingly, even in remote locations. Other than this, the combination of Microsoft HoloLens with other Microsoft 365 applications has helped in the construction of 3D models and their scaling, placing them in a real-world environment to give a better understanding of space and scale (Devereaux, 2017). However, certain challenges are posed by the excessive use of Microsoft HoloLens and other AR-based devices. Limited information is available for the development of Microsoft HoloLens. Moreover, developing Microsoft HoloLens comes with its own deployment, debugging, and environment. The possible delay in the development of the augmented reality devices by Microsoft can affect the revenue of the organization in this sector.
Even though some of the researchers believe that devices like Microsoft HoloLens offered by the organization are still in their infant phase, however, these devices have improved the communication of the organization with internal stakeholders specifically with the employees. The organization was able to gather employees from a diverse working environment on a single platform (Brito & Stoyanova, 2017). The planning and development phases have improved as the employees are able to communicate and interact in real-world environments. In the near future, the potential development of devices like Microsoft HoloLens will prove profitable if their portability is improved and made open for personal use as well. However, at present, on a social level, devices like Microsoft HoloLens offer an effective and improved interaction environment even for remote locations. With a wide range of control gestures in augmented-reality-based devices, the potential profit from the device can be improved along with the guaranteed growth of the organization in this sector.
To conclude, augmented reality is turning into the future of the technology industry by providing an experience of real and digital world mergers. Many organizations are working on introducing AR as a part of their working environment (Campbell, Stafford, Holz & O’Hare, 2013). The entertainment and gaming industry has more prevalence of AR-based implementations. However, companies like Microsoft are coming up with AR-based devices that can be used in different industries, such as medicine and complex machinery development. One such device is Microsoft HoloLens, which has helped the organization in improving the modern workplace experience and communication among their employees.
References
Brito, P., & Stoyanova, J. (2017). Marker versus Markerless Augmented Reality. Which Has More Impact on Users?. International Journal Of Human-Computer Interaction, 34(9), 819-833. doi: 10.1080/10447318.2017.1393974
Campbell, A., Stafford, J., Holz, T., & O’Hare, G. (2013). Why, when and how to use augmented reality agents (AuRAs). Virtual Reality, 18(2), 139-159. doi: 10.1007/s10055-013-0239-4
Devereaux, A. (2017). The Augmented Commons: How Augmented Reality Aids Agile Self-Organization. SSRN Electronic Journal. doi: 10.2139/ssrn.2956718
Lamb, H. (2019). Technology: Mixed reality is ‘third paradigm of computing’, Microsoft claims. Engineering & Technology, 14(4), 9-9. doi: 10.1049/et.2019.0414
Neely, E. (2018). Augmented reality, augmented ethics: who has the right to augment a particular physical space?. Ethics And Information Technology, 21(1), 11-18. doi: 10.1007/s10676-018-9484-2
Peach, M. (2018). Optics the key challenge for AR, VR and mixed reality evolution At Microsoft. SPIE Newsroom. doi: 10.1117/2.2201802.03
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