RealWear, a provider of wearable computing for industrial applications, has today announced the acquisition of Almer Technologies, a Swiss provider of augmented reality (AR) headsets. The acquisition was strategically and financially backed by TeamViewer, a provider of enterprise AR software.
According to RealWear, the acquisition aims to make advanced technology more accessible and user-friendly for frontline workers across the globe and “marks a significant leap forward in the mission to empower frontline workers worldwide with cutting-edge AR technology.” As part of the acquisition, Almer’s co-founders will join RealWear’s executive team and will help the company focus on accelerating global AR adoption.
RealWear noted that as the industrial sector turns more to digital solutions to enhance productivity and safety, the demand for intuitive, wearable AR devices has increased. The acquisition aims to meet this increased demand by bringing together RealWear’s existing presence across the industrial wearables market with Almer’s subscription-based AR headsets.
Designed to be compact and user-friendly, Almer’s focus has been on execution and customer-centric solutions, which has helped the company to gain recognition as a disruptive force in enterprise AR, according to RealWear.
Commenting on the acquisition, Dr. Chris Parkinson, CEO of RealWear, said: “I’m extremely excited to welcome Almer and its founders, Timon Binder and Sebastian Beetschen to RealWear. Their successes in Europe are paralleled with a vision to drive AR adoption worldwide. This impact can now be brought to the global market as part of the RealWear ecosystem.”
“Almer’s innovative subscription-based hardware renting model will enhance our existing portfolio to offer more flexible and scalable solutions for our partners and customers. And we have secured TeamViewer’s renewed commitment and backing, strengthening our longstanding collaboration with the leading software company in the enterprise AR industry.”
Sebastian Beetschen, CEO of Almer Technologies, added: “Almer’s innovative approach for frontline workers has enabled us to deliver industrial AR solutions that are the most intuitive and most effortless to use. We’re excited to bring in our expertise and speed of execution to RealWear and push the boundaries of frontline worker solutions.”
RealWear noted that global companies such as Coca-Cola HBC, Ford, Samsung SDS and more have experienced “significant efficiency gains and cost reductions” by leveraging a combination of TeamViewer’s software, along with RealWear’s and Almer’s wearable technology. The company added that TeamViewer has been a key partner and a strategic minority investor to both RealWear and Almer prior to the acquisition, and that it will maintain this role moving forward. Additionally, TeamViewer’s CEO Oliver Steil has now joined RealWear’s Board of Directors.
Commenting on today’s announcement, Steil said: “RealWear and Almer together unite the brightest minds in wearable computing to shape the future of the industry. Investing in RealWear and supporting their growth is a strategic move for us and a stride into the future of industrial digital transformation. Our shared vision is to continue to integrate software and hardware innovatively, delivering world-class industrial productivity solutions for maximum customer value.”
The companies did not disclose the acquisition amount in their announcement.
To learn more about RealWear and its industrial wearables, click here. To learn more about Almer Technologies and its AR headsets for industry, click here. To learn more about TeamViewer and its enterprise AR software solutions, click here.
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Image credit: RealWear / Almer Technologies / TeamViewer