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A short time ago, Keypoint Intelligence did a brief examination of how virtual reality could be used for remote collaboration. Since then, the COVID-19 pandemic has only continued, with many organizations now painfully aware that months of remote work will be needed to survive the crisis. The case totals have increased, and results from China look complex. It appears that the coronavirus (or some close mutation) may be a reality until a vaccine is developed and distributed. Businesses must take any and all steps to ensure their remote workflow procedures are cutting edge.
To better inform our clients, Keypoint Intelligence sat down for a podcast with Jussi Havu, Founder and CEO of Glue, a promising VR remote collaboration software provider. Havu explained the particulars of the Glue solution as well as how it can help improve the meeting experience overall.
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| Source: Glue |
The Importance of a Scalable Solution
One of the features Havu stressed was a need for solution scalability. This is frequently discussed in VR and augmented reality. Since headsets are still building up their install base, many software providers design solutions that are hardware-agnostic. For Glue, this means operating with a VR headset as well as allowing users to run it with a PC or smartphone OS. It also means Glue is not bound to any one headset.
Companies wishing to adopt the platform have several contenders to choose from, including Oculus, the HP Reverb, and HTC models. One important thing to note, however, is that users will not get the benefits of VR on other hardware. Glue is designed to take advantage of facial mapping and other features that come with many modern headsets. The web camera on the average laptop lags far behind this kind of technology, as does the screen capture capability of the modern smartphone. While Glue is hardware-agnostic, it was created with VR in mind and, thus, needs the technology to achieve maximum effectiveness.
Pushing the Potential of VR in Workflow Collaboration
Glue is still actively refining its software. In mid-March 2020, it unveiled new features, including a touchscreen optimized to allow users to specify different tasks in the virtual world, such as creating whiteboards, leaving comments, and writing notes. The new update also created Team Files, a feature that lets users share 3D and 2D images as well as presentations. The new features expand language variety, improve keyboard ability, and generally make for a more robust experience (click here to watch a video on the New Glue Platform).
Havu was quick to say that he believes Glue must keep innovating. While proud of the experience in its current form, the company has a vision and every team member is dedicated toward moving the software forward until VR meetings are preferable to in-person collaboration.
Beyond COVID-19
While Glue is seeing an uptick in user interest, certain barriers hold it back from exploding in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Headsets are in short supply, with many brands sold out for the near future. As manufacturing struggles to catch up to the new demand for VR hardware, Glue looks ahead to proposed features that will help improve the experience further.
Havu mentioned automatic notetaking as one item he would like to see added in future patches. As the solution grows more robust, Havu hopes to have Glue become a more appealing alternative for companies looking to travel. As he points out, a $400 headset costs roughly the price of one business trip (and that is on the cheap side).
To this end, Glue presents itself as a sustainable solution. Reducing air travel will have benefits for the global ecosystem, and companies that adopt the software can rightly claim to be taking positive action to reduce their carbon footprint. Even after this crisis is over, Havu is confident the platform has the features and flexibility to remain competitive in a world that will be physically reconnecting.
Keypoint Intelligence believes companies can improve remote collaboration capabilities by adopting VR solutions like Glue. While the hype of VR has died down, it has already become a useful technology that is seeing continued innovation and business application. In a time of forced isolation, VR is able to bring employees together in a way that no other technology can.
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