HTC today announced that it would be launching the HTC Vive Business Edition, offering the same hardware as the consumer version but with a dedicated support line and the option to buy units in bulk, for $1200 rather than the usual $799 price.
The timing of this makes sense, as HTC has managed to get ahead of the curve in terms of stock, with all Vive orders now shipping within 72 hours, meaning opening the doors to bulk orders shouldn't disrupt things too much.
Right now, businesses that own a Vive don't have their units covered under warranty. The consumer headset warranty doesn't cover anything that happens while being used for ‘commercial purposes'. Consumers are also limited to one Vive each in their orders.
Aside from the expanded warranty, the Vive business edition also comes with a dedicated support line, which would be more beneficial to businesses if they run into issues as right now, this new technology can be fairly difficult to troubleshoot.
KitGuru Says: While spending the extra $400 on a Vive business edition might not seem like a smart idea to most consumers, the extra warranty cover, ability to buy in bulk and dedicated support could all be very valuable in enterprise, where a Vive going down could potentially cost both time and money.