Microsoft's Hololens has been available to early adopters for a while now – with a hefty $3,000 price tag to boot. Now though it's set for commercial availability, with Microsoft shipping it out to business as part of its new “Commercial Suite” package, which a number of new features designed with business users in mind.
Unlike the virtual reality headsets from the likes of Oculus and HTC, Microsoft's Hololens promises a different future: the world, but augmented with digital overlays. That's what Hololens makes happen and it's now set to do so as a more rounded commercial product.
The new, business ready Hololens package comes with a number of modes and features to make it easier for businesses to adopt the technology:
- Kiosk mode: making it easier to showcase or demo certain technologies to users.
- Mobile Device Management lets your IT department manage a number of Hololens from a single location, letting companies control the use of AR in the work place.
- Personalised pin codes and unlock features for the headsets.
- Windows Update for business keeps the software up to date and the headset working with all of the latest features.
- Bitlocker data encryption and secure boot to prevent the hardware from being infected with malware.
- Remote connection to work networks through a Hololens, letting someone work from a distance if needed.
- Windows store for business integration, letting developers come up with digital store fronts for their Hololens apps, within the Hololens experience.
But that's not all. As RoadtoVR points out, in the Hololens box you get the developer edition headset, a clicker, carry case, microfiber cloth, charger and a micro-USB 2.0 cable.
KitGuru Says: We've yet to see much of a drive in the commercial space for augmented reality technology, but the potential is certainly there. The next few years are going to be very interesting.