This week, Research and Markets released an additional report named “Immersive Connected Experience (ICE) Computing Market: By Type (Simulating Environments, Augmented Reality) & By Region – Forecast (2014 – 2021)”, which includes the market size of global Immersive Connected Experience (ICE) in 2014 to 2016, and predicts market growth for 2021.

Topics in the report include:

• Market overview
• Market landscape
• Market forces
• Market by type / geography
• Market entropy
• Executive summary
• Company profiles

Opportunities for market growth are also discussed, in addition to drivers and challenges of the market. Despite North America being a key geographical market which is forecast to maintain the highest share, it is predicted that Asia Pacific will have the greatest growth from 2014 to 2021 due to increased population and awareness of ICE.
Companies discussed in detail in the report include:

• Samsung
• Microsoft
• Intel
• Verizon
• Huawei

Summary information on a new report entitled The Global Smart Augmented Reality Glasses Market Research Report can be found at the following link and is summarized below. This is described as a thorough study on the current condition of the AR Smart Glasses industry. The report is said to contain and discuss the following:

•  Development plans and policies
•  Cost structures
•  Manufacturing processes
•  Import/export
•  Supply and consumption figures
•  Cost, price, revenue and gross margin by regions
•  Basic overview of the industry (definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure)
•  Upstream raw materials, equipment and downstream consumers analysis
• The Smart AR Glasses Market development trends and marketing channels analysis

The report focuses on Global leading industry names, giving information such as company profiles, product picture, product specification, capacity, price, cost, revenue, production and contact information. Providing major statistics of the AR Smart Glasses industry, the report presents a bounty of guidance and information for those in or interested in the market.

In an interview with BuzzFeed News, Apple CEO Tim Cook has yet again divulged his thoughts on Augmented Reality, according to a post on 9to5mac.com. There’s “no substitute for human contact” explains Cook in the interview, “And so you want the technology to encourage that”. This is the ultimate benefit of Augmented Reality in Tim Cook’s eyes, says the article.

Although Cook indicates in the original interview that it may take some time to get Augmented Reality right, he describes it as “profound”. Cook has previously mentioned during an Apple earnings call that he views Apple as being in the Augmented Reality race for the “long run”.
9to5mac.com adds that Apple has recently been holding meetings with immersive content companies such as Jaunt, according to BuzzFeed News. Although Apple has remained quiet about what it’s got planned with AR, Cook’s comments on the technology certainly implicate the company’s vested interest in Augmented Reality.

Vuzix Corporation has welcomed four new partners to their Vuzix Industrial Partner (VIP) program, announces a post on prnewswire.com. US based Apprentice Field Suite and Third Eye Health and Germany based ESSERT GmbH and Picavi have evolved from AR partners in Vuzix’s original M100 smart glasses to VIPs.

Supplier of Smart Glasses, AR and VR technologies and products for consumer and enterprise markets, Vuzix has won numerous Electronics and Technology awards, which are named in the article. Founded in 1997, products from the company include personal display and wearable computing devices, offering a portable high quality viewing experience along with mobility solutions, wearable displays and VR and AR.

Early access to Vuzix M300 Smart Glasses is one of the benefits all four companies will have as Vuzix VIPs. The state-of-the-art M300 platform is designed to address customer feedback from more than two years of use of the M100. The advanced ergonomic design and feature set of the M300 allows enterprise users to operate in an increasing number of situations. For more information on how their latest partners will benefit from Vuzix M300, refer to the original article.
“We are thrilled to have these partners join our VIP program,” says President and Chief Executive Officer of Vuzix, Paul Travers.

Earlier this week, an article on Equities.com discussed the role of Vuzix within the smart glasses market. The leading company is soon releasing the M300 Smart Glasses model worldwide, which is predicted to give the market a boost.

Key points in the article include:

•  This year, the wearables market is predicted to generate $15 billion
•  In 2020, the wearables market is anticipated to reach $34 billion
•  Global sales of head-mounted displays are expected to quadruple next year according to Gartner, Inc.
•  The M300 Smart Glasses run on Android but can pair with iOS devices, and have built-in GPS and Bluetooth
•  The M300 Smart Glasses are also voice activated, have a built-in camera, and can scan bar codes
•  Vuzix generated $560,000 revenue in the second quarter of this year

A recent post on The Detroit Bureau reported on the future of BMW, based on comments that the company’s CEO, Harald Krueger, made in Los Angeles during a media gathering. Augmented Reality is playing a big part in new BMW products.

Significant points mentioned by Krueger include:

•  New technology, regulations, and competitors will change the way in which cars are designed
•  Augmented Reality displays and other technologies will be integrated into more BMW products in the near future
•  Consumers are becoming more interested in technology as prices reduce, range develops, and charging vehicles becomes easier
•  The four areas of change will be: zero-emissions vehicles, connectivity, autonomous driving, and vehicle sharing
•  Giving drivers the option to switch the technology on and off is important

Other key points mentioned in the article include:

•  The BMW Vision Next 100 motorcycle has been introduced to emphasise BMW’s plans. This consists of Augmented Reality goggles to replace displays and dials, in addition to other high tech features
•  Other concepts were a BMW sedan with an Augmented Reality windscreen, an all-electric Mini with AR technology, and the Rolls-Royce Vision Next 100
•  BMW is committed to hydrogen power as well as zero-emissions

SeekingAlpha recently released an article discussing the smart glasses industry and its potential due to the launch of Vuzix Corporation’s new M300 smart glasses.

Applications for smart glasses in the enterprise include:

•  Industrial
•  Off-shore heavy equipment operations
•  Medical/healthcare
•  Automotive
•  Aerospace
•  Customer service
•  Remote support
•  Warehouse logistics
•  Utility/field service
•  Manufacturing
• Training

Advantages of smart glasses listed include:

•  Hands-free so can continue working while using the device
•  Augments the real world for accuracy
• Can share the view of the wearer

Details of Vuzix are stated in the article, including statistics about its net cash balance, market capitalization, and Intel’s involvement with the company. The Vuzix corporate presentation has also forecast that 14.4 million US workers will use smart glasses by 2025, compared to an anticipated 400,000 next year.

The article concludes by suggesting that investors should keep track of the smart glasses industry, as it holds promise for the future.

A statement recently published on PR Wire details a discussion with Dr Rab Scott, Head of Virtual Reality and Modelling Group at the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing, who are an AREA Member.

Dr Rab Scott is set to deliver a case study presentation at the GCC Manufacturing Excellence and Technology Summit November 14-15 2016 in Dubai. Ahead of this, he discusses a number of interesting topics, telling how he was one of the 8 founding members of the AMRC with Boeing in 2001. Dr Rab Scott works on Virtual and Augmented Reality projects. He discusses the advantages of incorporating VR into manufacturing processes to test scenarios, designs and factory layouts before actual implementation. He also talks about modelling, simulation and visualization as critical technologies as tools for increasing value on projects, specifically in manufacturing contexts.

Dr Rab Scott will be presenting an overview of the history and culture behind one of the UK’s leading manufacturing research centres and case studies on how VR and AR provide value for the partners of the AMRC with Boeing.

An article recently set out some implications of security surrounding wearables in the workplace. Moving on from BYOD and CYOD, the article suggests that it’s likely we will hear more about Wear Your Own Device (WYOD) and how this will impact data security.

Wearables up until now, have not been part of a company’s risk management strategy, however, as more devices become connected, security implications will grow. Smart watches, glasses and TVs are all potential entry points to an organisation’s infrastructure and could represent a hacker’s dream. The article speaks of finding a balance between the advantages that wearables bring to a business and its employees, and data protection needs.

Organizations can take practical steps to minimise security risks:

•  Putting risks into context
•  Implementing necessary policies (potentially as an extension of BYOD)
•  Enforcing policies with network and access control systems
•  Extending protection to wearable devices (typically connected via Bluetooth or wireless)
•  Analysing logs effectively and efficiently
•  Working with a Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP) to monitor the increase in data / traffic
•  Ultimately the security policy must be both robust and flexible

An item on PR Newswire recently reported that Strata, a major developer of 3D design technology, has begun first round funding for Augmented and Virtual Reality for the enterprise. The company will be able to assist in creating AR/VR experiences from 3D projects as well as from scratch, and is offering custom AR/VR development.
Areas of industry which can benefit from AR/VR include:

• Interior design
• Architecture
• Exhibit
• Store layout
• Product
• Packaging

The manager of the Strata funding is Greg Kofford, the co-founder of Lanstead Investors PTY Ltd., who is quoted to have said that AR/VR have significant potential for investment, and Strata’s funding will enable them to get ahead in the new technology market. John Wright, the new President/Managing Director for Strata, is also quoted to have said that AR/VR tech will have a profound impact on people’s lives.