10 Reasons Why HoloLens Will Succeed in the Enterprise

HoloLens, Microsoft’s augmented-reality headset that will be available to developers next year, could end up being an enterprise favorite. Here’s why.

After Google Glass failed to take off and was taken off store shelves, some believed eyewear was dead. However, just about every major market researcher and analyst believes that wearables are destined for success in the corporate world, as enterprise users will be able to take advantage of the devices’ key features. The enterprise, in other words, is ready for wearables, and HoloLens should be able to cash in on that.

Many of the headsets coming to the market will focus on gaming, including Facebook’s Oculus Rift. They will also put people into a virtual environment. HoloLens doesn’t focus on gaming and instead places visual elements over the real world. While gaming-focused devices are unlikely to appeal to the enterprise, those that come with more corporate-friendly features, like HoloLens, will prove popular.

As Microsoft noted during its Oct. 6 press event, Windows 10 is becoming increasingly popular, running on millions of corporate computers around the world. HoloLens is built on Windows 10, which will make it easier for corporate developers to build apps. The Windows 10 integration also means people will feel at home with the software built into HoloLens, flattening the learning curve. Windows 10 is a key ingredient to HoloLens’ success.

Microsoft’s decision to open HoloLens to developers was a smart one. To be successful, HoloLens needs a slew of enterprise-focused apps that meet the needs of corporate customers. Thanks to the development device coming to Windows partners, there’s a good chance that several useful, enterprise-focused apps will be in the market in the coming year.

One of the nice things about HoloLens is that it places holograms over the user’s external environment. So, rather than bring people into a virtual world that is completely computer-generated, HoloLens places visual elements atop the standard environment. That makes for a more feature-rich and appealing experience for enterprise users who need to be aware of their surroundings while working.

Communication is central to the HoloLens experience. Microsoft hopes to deliver better communications by making it easy for users to have video conferences. Chances are, that integration will come via platforms such as Skype and third-party apps. Regardless, HoloLens promises a new way to communicate with others that so far has not been accomplished through the same technological method.

HoloLens gives users the ability to see things in 3D, and that could be a major selling point for the enterprise. In the current environment, everything on a computer is in 2D, and so it’s impossible to see scale or how a particular item may look in the real world. With HoloLens, it’s now possible to see a virtual item in all its 3D glory, thanks to the modeling feature.

HoloLens can also take 2D renderings already constructed on PCs and let users see what they would look like in 3D. The option connects to an app running on Windows 10 PCs and can bring creations to (virtual) life. One can imagine it being used by any kind of device-maker.

Microsoft argues that while HoloLens appears to be a self-contained, personal device at first blush, it’s actually a collaborative product. Microsoft claims the device allows one person wearing HoloLens in a particular area to connect with another and look at the same item at once. Collaboration is critical to the enterprise and is undoubtedly going to be a driving force behind HoloLens’ adoption.

While the $3,000 price tag on the development edition of Microsoft’s HoloLens seems a bit lofty, the device is designed for the enterprise first. And the corporate world is more than happy to pay $3,000 for a device if it can deliver an appealing experience. There’s no telling whether HoloLens will ultimately be successful, but it won’t be its price that scares off enterprise customers.