Open for Business: Oculus Enterprise Platform Available Now Oculus-Blog

Last year we announced the new Oculus for Business, an all-in-one enterprise platform to support companies deploying VR in the workplace. Since then, companies have used Oculus for Business to expand training programs, boost productivity, and empower distributed workforces. Today, we’re thrilled to announce the Oculus for Business platform is officially out of closed beta and generally available.

Virtual Experience with Real Results
In just a few years, VR at work has become an everyday reality for companies all over the world. In 2019, shipments of commercial headsets grew 92.5% year over year, with markets set to grow another 70% in 2020, according to IDC*. In 2020, worldwide spending on commercial VR is expected to grow to $7.1B, up from $4.5 B in 2019.* Facebook is working hard to meet the swell in demand to help more companies harness the power of VR.

Companies from across different industries are reimagining day-to-day business through VR and seeing results. The Johnson & Johnson Institute, an early Oculus collaborator, is now working to grow their library of content to train surgeons on even more skills. “We are now able to provide VR surgical training at a scale that we could previously only dream about,” says Tim Mauri, Director, WW Professional Education Technology & Innovation. “Our goal is to train more surgeons in 2020 than we did in the prior three years combined.” With their development partner Osso VR, Mauri plans to roll out 20 new training modules over the next year.

Meanwhile, Nestlé Purina Petcare has used VR to enhance remote collaboration and improve retail planning. The company estimates it saved over $100K on travel and lost productivity by training staff using VR and is planning to expand its VR program further. The team is using VR in conjunction with 3D sales data to visualize retail displays, enabling them to react to visitor behavior faster than ever before. The sales team at Nestlé Purina Petcare also meets in VR to collaborate on projects and train associates using a suite of new tools.

A Holistic and More Secure Platform
Made to support both new and existing workflows, Oculus for Business streamlines scaled deployments and keeps your workflow moving forward. It all starts with Oculus Quest and enterprise-ready software and cloud-based management tools designed to grow alongside the needs of your business. Program admins are aided by the Device Setup app which provisions large numbers of headsets simultaneously, and the Device Manager acts as a control center for headsets, so administrators can update settings and deploy apps remotely to multiple locations.

The Oculus for Business platform is built on Workplace, Facebook’s enterprise collaboration platform. Workplace already delivers security through ID and account management, but that’s just the beginning. Enhancements and new features catering to VR workflows are well underway, and Oculus for Business customers will be among the first to experience them all as they become available.

Alongside Workplace, we’re also focused on making Oculus for Business work easily with your existing IT set up. We already support leading MDMs, like MobileIron and VMware Workspace ONE to make it easy to use workflows you’re used to, and there’s a roadmap of upcoming features and updates on the horizon.

Lastly, the enterprise approach also extends to the in-headset experience for employees and people using the devices. A sleek and comfortable user interface places approved content front-and-center, making VR more approachable and less intimidating, while a new app launcher sends employees directly to the apps and experiences that matter most to the task at hand.

Meeting Demand Through Varied Solutions
Every business is unique, which is why we introduced the Independent Software Vendor program to allow for greater flexibility and collaboration between companies and solutions providers and developers. From hospitality to healthcare and beyond, we have over 400 ISV solution providers working on custom enterprise solutions for clients all over the world. Direct collaboration with these teams means we can help scale their businesses and grow the enterprise ecosystem to meet rising demand.

Oculus for Business is providing an easier way for companies like The Leadership Network to introduce VR into the workforce. “We’re helping our Global Fortune 2000 clients solve complex training challenges, like the roll-out of compelling and cost-effective training at scale,” says Nathan Robinson, CEO of The Leadership Network. “In the last month alone, customer bookings for immersive training experiences have gone up by 150%.”

Companies like InsiteVR, a developer of VR meeting software for architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) project teams, have used Oculus Quest to help their clients connect and collaborate across distance. “Since using Oculus Quest, we’ve seen a surge in interest from clients looking to use VR to help connect their teams working remotely,” says Angel Say, CEO & Co-Founder of InsiteVR. “Quest now accounts for over 50% of our usage and is the only device we consistently see teams using.”

InsiteVR has also unlocked new opportunities for Stantec, a global design and delivery firm. “Designers can move through designs at a personal scale, providing a more immersive experience that helps them identify errors, appraise design decisions, and predict design change impacts,” says Chuck Lounsberry, Principal & Visual Design Leader at Stantec. “We have a rich history with Oculus,” says Rael Romero, Visualization Technology Manager at Stantec. “We’ve used every headset, from DK1 to the Oculus Quest, to help us better support our clients with fresh ideas and personal collaboration. VR is an essential tool that opens all sorts of possibilities.”

Get Started Today
Oculus for Business is helping companies all over the world rethink how work gets done. Whether it’s rethinking automotive design or training a global workforce, choosing the right VR partner is a critical step in expanding markets for business and developers. We’re excited to open the Oculus for Business platform to everyone and to see how companies of all kinds can use VR to fuel growth, reach customers, and build better products. For more information on pricing and how you can get involved, please visit oculus.com/business.

*Source: IDC Market Spotlight, sponsored by Oculus, Technology Evolution and Use Case Expansion Drive Virtual Reality Growth in Enterprise, May 2020