AREA member BrainXChange recently interviewed Sam Murley, Digital Acceleration Designer at General Electric (GE). [Link to full interview].

Key points from the interview include:

•  Wearable technology improves productivity and efficiency
•  Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality, and wearable tech are best applied by streamlining the transfer of knowledge and offering vital information in context
• Anywhere information is accessed has the potential to be transformed by wearable tech
• Reducing risk and adding efficiencies are key focuses for pilot programs
• Main challenges of developing tech include:
• Keeping variables consistent (running a pilot as a scientific experiment)
• Scaling down a project without removing key features
• Meeting procedures and policies (e.g. IT security)
• Figuring out which is the best technology to fit the environment/end user
• Prioritising projects
• Researching emerging tech and partnering with new adopters of technology is important
• Smart glasses are key in transforming and mobilizing the workplace
• In future, we will no longer be limited to communicating, connecting, and creating information via physical screens
• Currently, the main issue with wearables is interoperability
• The change from mobile to digital assistants will soon arrive
• Part of the digital innovation strategy of companies should be to cover aspects beyond the interfaces and take calculated risks
• It is predicted that humans and robots will work in collaboration while using wearables at some point in the future

A press release by ResponseSource reports on a recent Juniper Research Study, which has predicted that enterprise Augmented Reality app revenues will reach $5.7 billion by 2021, compared to approximately $515 million in 2016.
Enterprise interest in AR devices has also increased due to improvements in head mounted displays, future releases of which are said to fuel AR enterprise revenues in the future. However, due to AR content being bespoke, app prices will increase, so that only early adopters of tech will utilise it in coming years.
AR revenues are also forecast to stay on tablet and smartphone devices in the next few years, although head mounted display developers will have the biggest opportunity for revenue from 2020.
To keep users interested, the report also advises continual innovation rather than simply focusing on smartphone development. The novelty of major consumer AR apps such as Pokemon Go wears off after a while, causing a shorter shelf life compared to the wider range of AR apps.
Increased cost of head mounted displays and reluctance of consumers to use them publicly has also been said to reduce smart glass purchases in the short term.

A recent article by PR Newswire reported that the Service Provider Innovation Forum (SPIF) in Silicon Valley presented seven new communications organisations with awards for their technology, management, innovation, and execution.

Over 600 industry experts attended the Telecom Council’s annual SPIFFY Award ceremony, along with the nominees and 50 other global communications companies. Out of 200 startups, 35 were nominated in July earlier this year. Amongst the seven winners was AREA member Atheer, who won the Ground Breaker Award for Engineering Excellence. Other winners include:

• ThinkCX Technologies (the Graham Bell Award for Best Communication Solutions)
• Peel (the Edison Award for Most Innovative Start-Up)
• Loop AI Labs (the San Andreas Award for Most Disruptive Technology)
• CUJO (the Core Award for Best Fixed Telecom Opportunity)
• Simless (the Zephyr Award for Best Mobile Opportunity)
• iControl Networks (the Prodigy Award for the Most Successful SPIF Alumni)
• Telefonica (the Fred and Ginger Award for Most Supportive Carrier)

You can read Atheer’s AREA member profile here.

A recent article by Forbes discusses future opportunities for Augmented Reality in the workplace, and mentions how AR will be a key advantage for organisations in term of competition. The technology brings a potential high level of efficiency and creativity that would greatly benefit companies. Uses of AR in the workplace include:

• Thorough training
• Hands-on experience minus the costs and risks of real life experience
• Placing employees in a virtual situation that can’t be created in real life
• Creating hazardous virtual conditions
• Teaching employees correct protocol
• Preparing employees for real life scenarios
Advantages of using AR as part of your business’ strategy include:
• Saving time and money
• Shorter learning curves
• Better trained employees
• More efficient workplace
• Increasing the power of your remote workforce
• Improving productivity
• Making personal connections
• Gaining a competitive edge
The article concludes by recommending that companies allocate a budget for AR technology, as it will soon become widely accessible for enterprises to use.

An article on Futureofbusinessandtech.com provides a neat summary on enterprise Augmented Reality: mainly that AR can boost operational efficiency, reducing time, costs and mistakes, therefore improving effectiveness of employees.

• Organisations adopting AR may expect procedural steps in order to fix machinery, or check the status of industrial equipment. An operator can see such information by pointing a device at an object and viewing the data overlaid on the object; this could be via hand held equipment or worn on the body. Enabling operators to instantly view instructions in this way without having to refer to a manual allows for greater workplace productivity. AR-enabled devices are subsequently expected to speed up tasks and reduce errors.

• Augmented Reality in the workplace allows companies to deliver real-time and up-to-date information to employees. Devices will recognise a physical target object and display appropriate images and text; this may take 2D or 3D form, and can be either stored on the device or carried through a network. AR may also be embedded into existing workflows, with asset and product life-cycle management systems having the ability to incorporate AR information into streamline presentation and delivery of data on products and parts.

• Production and maintenance costs are assured to be reduced with work being done faster and errors being less frequent. Instructions are displayed immediately, banishing the need for operators to search for manuals or call for help. Cognitive load is reduced, consequently so are mistakes, by having the right information in the right place at the right time.

Recent news has alluded to Tim Cook’s interest in Augmented Reality. This summary article has been taken from a blog on redcode.net regarding plans for the iPhone 7.
Dual-camera technology of the iPhone 7 enables a range of software capabilities which could result in remarkably improved photos for users. Apple, therefore, obtains the ability to use the dual cameras in order to capture information about objects and the space in front of the cameras. Having two cameras will allow devices to capture and create depth-mapping information. This is a step in the right direction in terms of creating an iPhone with AR capabilities.
Apple has recently purchased companies Metaio and PrimeSense, another clue that they may be moving towards a handheld AR future. See original article for more information on the history of these companies.
Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, is an Augmented Reality enthusiast. The most recent Apple earnings call saw Cook stating that there is a massive opportunity in AR, particularly with commercial use cases. His recent interview on “Good Morning America” spelled out his enthusiasm for AR, with Cook putting forward that Augmented Reality allows two people to share a common experience, whereas in VR this may not be so easy.

An article on itnewsafrica.com has provided information on Dell and Intel’s Future Workforce Study, which reported that nearly half of employees in Europe and South African regions feel as though their present employer is not implementing new technology advances.

Research firm PSB used the study to survey almost 4000 fulltime employees from a range of business sizes. Results determined that those polled in the UK, France, Germany and South Africa do not think they will be working in a smart office within the next five years. The article weighs Chris Buchanan, Client Solutions Director at Dell South Africa, in on the subject, “today’s workforce has a growing expectation that their employers integrate the latest technologies seamlessly and securely into their working lives”. Buchanan goes on to say that adding new technologies is, “a business-critical opportunity for companies to be at the forefront of the future workplace and enable the future workforce”.

Itnewsafrica.com names some highlights from the Study:
• Augmented Reality, along with Virtual Reality, may be present in the workplace sooner than expected; with 61% of South Africans stating that they would be willing to use such technologies in their professional lives. Training on new skills in realistic virtual environments, problem solving or coming up with new ideas via 3D visualisation and presenting to clients using immersive technologies are stated as the most frequently cited user cases for new technologies.
• Technology is significant if employers want to keep talented millennial employees, with 1 in 3 South Africans being inclined to leave their jobs if technology provided by their employer is not up to standard.

A recent article by TechCo discusses five key technology trends that should be taken notice of, especially as 2016 has seen a drastic increase in advanced tech development.

These trends are:

• Artificial Intelligence
• Digital health / biotech
• Sports and recreation tech
• Augmented Reality
• The future of transportation

However, the article mainly focuses on Augmented Reality, explaining how its development means it will enable consumers and users to “break out of the confines of our screens.” It goes on to discuss how the increase of AR technology is partially because of our desire to make digital experiences, such as video chats, more human and connected to the real world.
Augmented Reality in comparison Virtual Reality is also briefly mentioned; a range of industries are investing in AR, showing that it has a more promising future than VR. In terms of the healthcare industry, other technologies are being produced, leading to a larger amount of data being collected in order to improve the quality of healthcare.

A report covering the current state and future prospects for the global smart glasses market for the years 2016 to 2020 has been released. It offers an overview of the market as well as opportunities it could bring. Other aspects of smart glasses discussed in the report include:

• Market drivers
• Impact of drivers
• Market challenges
• Market trends
• Vendor landscape analysis
Major vendors of the market are AGC, Corning, DuPont, PPG, and Saint-Gobain. The market is also separated into sections based on geographical location, which are the Americas, APAC, and EMEA.
Important questions addressed in the report include:
• What are the key market trends?
• What are the challenges of the market?
• What are the drivers of the market?
• Who are the key vendors?
• What are the market opportunities?
• What size will the market grow to by 2020?
• What will be the rate of growth?

The French defence and electronics group Safran announced on 19 September that it had acquired a stake in AREA Member Diota. Diota, also a France-based company, specializes in the development of Augmented Reality software for industrial applications.
A link to Diota’s own press release (which is written in French) can be read here. 
The company develops and provides Augmented Reality software solutions for aircraft, automotive, oil & gas, utilities and other heavy industries. The company’s solutions are based on a strong R&D foundation designed to address major technological barriers in the field of Augmented Reality. Diota, established in 2009, has focused on implementing AR-based tools which can be used to improve production processes in a variety of heavy industries, including defence.
Other partners include Dassault Aviation and DCNS Group. Diota also partners with the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives: CEA). Other industry types in which Diota has an established presence include energy, rail, automotive and the chemical industries. More information about Diota can be read on their AREA member profile here.