Microsoft just inched ahead in the race to bring holograms to businesses (MSFT)
YouTube/Microsoft
In the office of the not-too-distant future, we will all be sitting around, wearing special eyewear that projects holograms and information into the room around us.
That is, if companies like Microsoft, and Magic Leap have their way.
While most of the world is still waiting to try the Magic Leap tech, (the company has sworn to secrecy the thousands of people who have demoed its device, its CEO says), Microsoft is zooming ahead with its augmented reality glasses, HoloLens.
On Tuesday, Microsoft made HoloLens available to anyone who wants to pay $3,000 per device to buy one. That's probably a bit steep for consumers but Microsoft has always geared the device towards business use.
In this next, open phase, Microsoft is courting corporate developers – programmers writing custom apps for use inside their own companies, rather than for sale to others.
Anyone can now purchase up to five devices, no application required.
Plus, Microsoft has released software that allows companies to track these devices, to let employees use them with a corporate VPN (the passwords and security that let employees log onto their company's private networks) and companies can also set up private app stores for them.
Microsoft is putting all the pieces in play to bring these devices into your work world. It sees augmented reality and virtual reality as the next big trend beyond mobile and it's not going to be accused of missing this like it did on mobile.
Here's the video detailing all the new features available now for business use of HoloLens.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/tNd0e2CiAkE
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