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Talk to workers who’ve returned to the office, and many will tell you they’ve never felt more alone. Scenes of empty cubicle farms are common, especially in buildings in urban centers. Ironically, many who now work from home feel the same way. They talk of a “disconnect effect” — how the experience just isn’t the same with videoconferencing and they miss the office esprit d’ corps.

The limitations of a flat, 2D videoconferencing environment has led to what psychological researchers call “user fatigue,” and it often comes with an associated decline in employee performance. It’s not just a lack of office energy and collegiality, it’s the missing cross-pollination of ideas and working together — a decline in the quality of collaboration.

There’s also a condition called “proximity bias” that’s arisen with the shift from an all-remote workforce to the hybrid model now in use. When everyone was working remotely, the playing field was level — all team members had an equal opportunity to participate. Now, with some employees working together in-office while others join remotely, collaboration sessions aren’t as equal. Remote workers don’t feel they’re as fully a part of the flow of conversation as those sharing the same physical space. This can lead to lower engagement, fewer contributions, and general dissatisfaction for remote workers.

To help improve the quality and equity of collaborative employee interactions, an increasing number of organizations are turning to virtual reality (VR) as a solution. Business leaders are finding that recreating the office experience fosters communication and synergy among employees. While the market is still evolving, the ROI is apparent and the buy-in is real. A majority of business leaders in a recent study felt it was a legitimate solution right now for the enterprise.1

100% of businesses surveyed think VR/AR and other immersive technologies will be mainstream by 2030.1

Stepping up the experience

Virtual reality today is a full-color, high-resolution, immersive experience. With VR collaboration, everyone has an equal and content-rich presence. VR can display non-verbal communication such as body language and gestures for more realistic and engaging collaboration. It even offers six degrees of freedom (6Dof) so users can walk around in their virtual world rather than being fixed in one position.

Another feature that’s increasing the versatility of VR collaboration is passthrough video. Modern VR headsets have forward-facing cameras that allow participants to switch between their virtual and real worlds seamlessly without removing the headset. Passthrough video also enables mixed reality (MR) or augmented reality (AR), where virtual elements can be overlaid on top of real-world environments or situations.

Technological improvements have addressed user issues previously associated with VR, particularly regarding long-term use. For example, early headsets got points off for their size and weight, but with the introduction of “pancake” lenses and better structural designs, headsets feel lighter, more compact, and more comfortable for enterprise applications. Units are durable and wipeable, for hygiene’s sake, as they are often shared between users within a company.

The flip side of the hardware coin is content to support the technology. That’s why innovations from companies such as ENGAGE are so important. ENGAGE has gone to market with what it calls “Plazas,” which are public spaces focused on collaboration for specific groups of users. The Plazas include Enterprise (for corporations), Education, Creative, and Central. “ENGAGE LINK [the company’s metaverse platform] is a valuable opportunity to interact with customers, developers, and leaders from the XR industry to explore and create value together,” says Lenovo Head of Commercial VR Jason McGuigan.2

Redefining what works in the world of collaboration

Aston Martin, one of the world’s premier performance automobile manufacturers, is incorporating VR into its process. “We’re looking at how VR can allow our design teams to collaborate remotely and design our next generation of cars,” says Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Pete Freedman.3

And while collaboration is normally thought of as happening between coworkers, the definition can be expanded to include interactions between brands and prospective buyers. Aston Martin recently partnered with Lenovo to create immersive experiences for its customers where prospects could virtually experiment with different models, colors, and customizations, helping them visualize their options in depth.

Similarly, 3M designed a pilot project to interact and collaborate with prospects virtually. To learn more about this innovative project, view 3M’s promotional video.

Collaborative learning through virtual training

Workplace training is simply collaboration between facilitators and attendees. VR is creating a new pedagogy that allows for greater participation, engagement, and retention than traditional modes. In addition, there are obvious cost and logistics benefits, as organizations don’t have to pay for travel and accommodations or coordinate multiple schedules for onsite sessions.

For example, one global consulting firm recently issued headsets to new employees so they could go through onboarding training virtually, eliminating the need to bring them into headquarters.

An evolving workplace needs next-generation collaboration

No matter what the industry or use case, the underlying benefit is communication. The physical reality is that there’s a new workplace paradigm with a mix of onsite and offsite employees. Virtual reality is ready to fill the collaboration void, as organizations in a wide range of industries embrace its immersive technology.

VR that works for enterprise collaboration needs

The ThinkReality VRX headset is designed specifically for the enterprise, making it an ideal solution for solving collaboration challenges. It has a slim profile and is easily cleanable and durable, which is important as users often pass the headsets around within a company.

The elegant, well-balanced design makes it extremely comfortable, even with extended wear times. Through Lenovo’s Global Services Organization, customers receive end-to-end support for the VRX along with the full suite of services you would expect to see from a global technology leader.

Schedule a demo today to see how ThinkReality VRX from Lenovo can enable productive, inspiring collaboration for your organization.

Click here to request a demo.