HoloLens shows promise beyond porn
One reseller boss once told me that porn producers would be the only industry to adopt mixed reality - but I am unconvinced
The boss of a Microsoft partner once told me the only commercial industry that will adopt mixed-reality products such as HoloLens will be companies that create porn. I won't go into the details of his theory, but he was certain that the enterprise market for mixed-reality technology would be limited. He was convinced that businesses across the board will not be interested in it, and that only consumers will take advantage of the growing trend, in the form of gaming, as an alternative example.
However, this reseller boss appears to be in the minority, as Microsoft has been promoting the technology heavily in the enterprise space, and recently signed up three HoloLens partners - or agencies, as they prefer to be called - to develop the technology and take it out to customers.
At a demo event today at Microsoft's offices in Paddington, the three agencies - Black Marble, Fundamental VR and Rewind - each showed off an example of how it is working with enterprises on HoloLens technology.
Each of the demos was completely different and addressed a different customer market: Black Marble had developed a HoloLens solution for police forces, which came in two parts. The first, a proof-of-concept which had yet to be rolled out fully, allowed the user - which in this scenario would be a police officer - to view digital assets over the top of a physical crime scene, meaning they could photograph evidence and send details back to base in real time, saving time waiting for backup with specialist kit to arrive. The second offering, related to this, was a mixed-reality dashboard, which could be set up instantly onsite, again removing the need to wait for reinforcements to arrive. All the data could be shared remotely over 3G hotspot technology.
Fundamental VR showed off its HoloLens offering, which was focused on the medical market, allowing users - student surgeons, for example - to practice operating on a mixed-reality knee. Allowing students to practice over and over again using the technology narrowed the margin for error and saved crucial time and cash on operating on a cadaver. Users could walk around the knee to see it in all its glory, as well as zoom in on certain areas.
Finally, Rewind demoed its HoloLens solution, which focused on air racing - the fastest motorsport around, which sees aircraft race at 200mph, the firm said. The HoloLens offering demonstrated the rules for the lesser-known sport and showed the user - a spectator - how it all works.
In this scenario, it is perhaps not difficult to see where the money would come from to fund such an activity, as high-end sporting activities generally attract big-money sponsorships from big brands.
However, in the other two examples of medical and policing, I struggled to see how public bodies would have the cash to splash on such technology, especially now while it is so new.
I put this to the bosses of both Black Marble and Fundamental VR, who explained to me at the event that the transformative nature of HoloLens would save the NHS and police forces a huge amount of time and money. In Fundamental VR's knee surgery example, the firm explained that the cost alone of a corpse can run into thousands of pounds, and once it is used, the operation cannot be repeated - an issue HoloLens solves. In the policing example, I was told that the cost of getting people and equipment physically to a crime scene would be wiped out by this technology.
A compelling case, for sure, and I have no doubt that once these technologies are up and running in the NHS, police forces and beyond, the public sector will want to get on board more widely. But someone has to be the first to take the plunge, and with Trusts strapped for cash and wary of experimental IT projects, I am not sure many will want to be at the front of the queue to give it a go.
I was assured that cost is not too big an issue, in that the price of a HoloLens headset is roughly the same as a high-end laptop. Recent research I carried out for the CRN Healthcare IT Hub shows that more than 80 per cent of NHS Trusts run on Windows 7, and Windows XP is running on more of systems than Windows 8 and Windows 10 combined - which many put down to budget restraints. With this in mind, I worry that disposable income for trials such as this might not be available.
Representatives during the demonstrations explained that developing a HoloLens solution is much more of a collaborative process with customers. While with other technologies, a customer might say they want a certain outcome, with HoloLens, I was told that partners start talking to customers about their issues and challenges, and then they think up a HoloLens solution which might improve the outcome. This, Microsoft told me, is where the big money is for partners, who can charge for their services around the HoloLens technology.
Microsoft added that at the moment, we are just on the "ground floor" of opportunity with mixed reality, and that the best is still yet to come. This pleased me somewhat because I couldn't help but be disappointed with the headset itself. As a glasses wearer with long hair, I found it pretty uncomfortable - the adjustable strap pulled my hair, and the lens itself sat awkwardly on my glasses, which I felt I needed to adjust all the time. But I am sure that short-haired users with 20:20 vision would be blown away!
The technology itself is clearly impressive, and partners have been extremely excited about it when I have seen it demoed at Microsoft events. At a recent Worldwide Partner Conference, HoloLens was given a standing ovation, so the demand and interest in it is clearly there in the partner - or agency - community.
As for the partner who said mixed reality will only work in pornography, it is clear there are many partners out there trying to prove him wrong.