Virtual Reality in Business
Today the business is 100% dependent on computer applications. It is hard to imagine that it would have existed, let alone prosper in isolation. All business today is based, on the one hand, around users (both internal and external), and on the other hand - around some internal infrastructure. Accordingly, the tendency can be divided into user-related and infrastructure relations (Ducker). Business applications, and especially business infrastructure are influenced by the current trend of consolidation, which involves the centralization of resources - all the intellectual power of the company is gathered in data centers. Secondly, more attention is now given to business continuity issues. This is particularly evident, for example, in the banking sector, where even an hour of "downtime" is a threat of multimillion losses. A further aspect - is security and security in the data center level (Ducker). Security of some business applications is much easier to achieve here - to protect the information on the perimeter, to organize controlled access to it. In addition, more and more influence is associated with the upkeep of standards adopted by the international community, for example, Basel II, which companies strive to match (Ducker). This is where virtual reality is seen by some as a solution. IT industry experts suggest that virtual reality will become a new tool to interact with the audience. However, as with any new technology, it is not clear how VR can be used for business purposes.
Today not only the developers and manufacturers of games believe in VR, but also various companies, at first glance unrelated to this trend. Virtual reality is already being used for the creation of products aimed to attract customers. People like to know and tell new stories, be part of them, to feel that they belong to a particular movement. Therefore, it is so important for the companies to be able to tell stories, to form a loyal audience. To do this, they use a variety of tools for effectiveness, and quite recently their gaze has turned to the virtual reality tool (Rasmus).
It is difficult to compare the level of involvement with something else. VR is a real catalyst of experiences, where you can realize any imagination, which is very important to tell your story. However, it is yet not possible to tell whether VR will bring a tangible effect, whether it is feasible to spend resources on research and development. Ideas about virtual worlds appeared long ago, but specific platforms were necessary for their implementation. Now the technological base has appeared, but one cannot use it for specific tasks, but only as part of a long experimental research.
Developers and content creators still do not fully understand what they are dealing with, and where it would lead them. Development of VR is now largely dependent on the gaming industry as the main areas of application, but the tools are suitable for a wider field of action (Rasmus). The market of VR-devices is divided into three areas: traditional computer systems for hardcore users, systems for gaming consoles such as Sony and Microsoft, and mobile systems. According BI Intelligence, the world has 1.2 billion gamers, of which 1 billion are mobile users. Not surprisingly, in the development of VR-technology the main direction is likely to become mobile. However the market of game consoles will also bring tangible income (Brandon).
According to various forecasts, virtual reality will become mainstream after 4-5 years. By 2020, low-cost mobile VR-system will be owned by many and they will expand the use of virtual reality in business, get more accurate data and be able to adapt to the different categories of users. More and more applications will use the possibilities of virtual worlds. For serious success in this area we need to be prepared now, as do companies in various industries.
It is clear that the company has some data they want to share, and there is a certain employee or customer, who must have access to these applications. Companies have earlier invested in servers, workstations, and the organization of communication channels. However, if we consider the life cycle of such infrastructure, it may not always be optimal (Ducker). The emergence of new business applications and market demands means new investments, and there is a risk that at some point the company will not find funds for necessary modernization. Therefore, a more efficient infrastructure is not considered from the perspective of IT but from a business perspective, i.e. we mean not "installation" but "delivery" (Ducker).
The business decision to implement or not to implement any technology depends on how the technology is mature. If you come in and start offering something new, among the companies, as well as among individual users, there are at once highlighted three groups. Some will say: "No, we'll wait," the other - "Interestingly, we'll see," and others that are trying to quickly say: "Yes, we are implementing." People in most cases are passive and they tend to test novelties and innovations (Ducker). Thus, for VR to become mainstream people have to get used to it. Some pioneering company will show the world that VR is something they should not be afraid of, that it works, and only then people will rush to buy these devices. Currently Facebook I in such a position having purchased the OCULUS RIFT. The VR technology cannot yet be called mature. Despite the presence of many VR devices on the market developers re simply trying to sell them so as to be able to invest into more research. The R&D in this sphere is very costly.
Cedar Point
In 2016 in the amusement park, Cedar Point opens a new version of the "roller coaster” Valravn, surprising for its height and speed (as well as the pitch of screaming) (Cedar Point). To attract visitors Cedar Point uploaded an application in which one can already try to take a ride on the virtual version. Here we see that VR technology is successfully being used in marketing.
DIRTT
Company DIRTT (Doing It Right This Time), is working on the design and construction of living premises and uses Oculus Rift for the virtual showcase of their projects for clients (Gaudiosi). This allows them to make decisions before the start of construction and to avoid possible errors or inconveniences, which are usually too hard to detect on the planning stage (Gaudiosi).
Experts believe that the logical area of VR will also be an architectural visualization (as already performed by DIRTT). Virtual reality will allow to evaluate the structure and design in the online form. In addition, the virtual reality will allow organizers to hold various events - concerts and film screenings. VR is a useful basis training to work in life-threatening conditions and in medicine.
As we see now VR is a concept, idea and innovation which have broken into our life and seems to stay. However, people have to accept it as it is and learn to use it. The world is constantly developing and sooner or later the VR technology will be implemented everywhere. People must get used to it.
Works Cited
Brandon, John. Is virtual reality finally ready for business use? CIO. 2015. Web. Retrieved from http://www.cio.com/article/2983679/it-industry/is-virtual-reality-finally-ready-for-business-use.html
Cedar Point. Cedar Point VR. Google Play. 2016. VR Application. Retrieved from https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.CedarFair.CedarPointVR
Ducker, Chris C. Virtual Freedom How to Work with Virtual Staff to Buy More Time, Become More Productive, and Build Your Dream Business. New York: BenBella Books, Inc, 2014. Print.
Gaudiosi, John. This company is redesigning how it works with virtual reality. Fortune. 2015. Web. Retrieved from http://fortune.com/2015/09/02/virtual-reality-interior-design/
Rasmus, Daniel. Virtual reality will transform business — if developers can address these 7 key issues. GeekWires. 2015. Web. Retrieved from http://www.geekwire.com/2015/how-virtual-reality-will-transform-business-if-developers-can-address-these-7-key-issues/
