Microsoft is a multi-faceted company. Its implications in the world of tech are vast and varied. Yes, it provides the Windows operating system used by corporations conducting multinational business and children researching their term papers. But what does Microsoft’s role in the metaverse look like? This is also multi-faceted. We’ll discuss why here.
It’s a Longtime Vision
Even before The Facebook Company’s name change brought mainstream attention to the metaverse, Microsoft had already been working to develop it. Their vision has been to build a convergence of the physical and digital worlds. Along the way, Microsoft has realized that many of its tools are already well-suited for metaverse success. This also proves that Microsoft already has the workforce to develop its vision, although this may or may not remain the case (more on that later).
But that’s not all Microsoft has in store for the metaverse. The tech giant plans to implement augmented reality shopping. This will, for example, allow consumers to “see” an item in their living room before they actually buy it. They can decide exactly how it will look and whether it will fit their decor without possessing the actual product.
Microsoft is a Gateway
For many, Microsoft provides the means for people to access the metaverse. Obviously, this can be done through Windows applications on computers powerful enough to handle a virtual world’s client.
However, Microsoft also provides access to the metaverse through its Xbox gaming system and software. For example, if you want to access Roblox via Windows, you’ll need to install it on your computer through the Xbox Games app.
It’s a Personel Challenge
The Great Resignation continues to plague employers, and the tech world has not been immune. Even as Microsoft considers its vision for the metaverse, it has lost 100 of its most promising employees in the field to Meta.
These team members were working on Microsoft’s HoloLens, a headset designed to provide augmented-reality experiences. AR is expected to play a crucial role in the metaverse, especially in the efforts to shift the collective focus from gaming to business applications. The potential for AR, VR, and metaverses to extend beyond entertainment is striking, yet the general perception hasn’t quite caught up.
The staff turnover also hints at another challenge. Meta is taking drastic steps to grow quickly, and its poaching of other tech giants’ employees serves as a startling testament to that. In many cases, they are offering higher salaries that even Microsoft struggles to compete with.
It’s a Business Collaboration Tool (or a Set of Tools)
Earlier, we mentioned the opportunities that the metaverse holds for businesses. Microsoft is hoping to raise awareness of these opportunities through its popular Teams collaboration tool. While there have been many collaboration tools for years, they don’t provide the interaction that many workers craved while working from home during the pandemic.
Microsoft hopes to change this with a revolutionary update to Teams called Mesh. Once the update rolls out later this year, users will be able to not only collaborate but also socialize in a 3D environment. It’s designed to work with both webcams and VR headsets. It’ll also have augmented reality functionality.
Microsoft can Host the Metaverse (its Own and Others’)
Hosting virtual worlds and providing access to them is a monumental task. This is largely why past attempts at creating metaverses have never achieved the likes of “Oasis” in “Ready Player One.” It takes significant resources and computing power to provide a seamless, global experience in a 3D world.
Luckily for Microsoft, they already have much of that infrastructure in place. The powerful data centers that power Microsoft Cloud already have the capabilities to begin building and hosting metaverse apps. Sure, it’ll take a little innovation and experimentation, but Microsoft is already well ahead of the curve.
Microsoft Provides Valuable Analytics
While metaverses tend to remind many people of video games, they are not games at all; they’re platforms. Just like the Internet, they serve as platforms for people and businesses to create, build, and promote. However, these efforts are often most effective when their success can be measured.
Microsoft’s collaboration tools already excel at analytics, and its vision for the metaverse is no different. They promise to offer analytics tools that will help users measure the success of their efforts and properly plan for future virtual endeavors. Analytics information has always been a valuable tool for marketers, and the metaverse is no exception.
Microsoft Will Use the Metaverse as a Tool for Innovation
The metaverse isn’t just about business and entertainment; it also offers opportunities to learn, refine, and improve. In other words, it’s a place to innovate. In fact, it’s already being used in medicine.
The metaverse is helping doctors and healthcare facilities connect with patients and provide training virtually. This includes Microsoft’s HoloLens. This headset allows AR capabilities, which can help simulate medical procedures and equipment usage at a time when social distancing has taken society by storm. The more successful these and other applications prove to be, the more they will contribute to the innovations possible through virtual collaboration.
Earlier, we mentioned Microsoft’s vision of using AR and the metaverse to improve the online retail experience. Beyond the medical world, Microsoft is also partnering with retailers to see study how this experience can be best delivered to consumers. Initial results from this collaboration proved highly successful during Microsoft’s Hackathon event. They’re also exploring ways that AR can improve in-store experiences.
What Does Microsoft’s Metaverse Vision Mean for You?
With the metaverse still in its infancy, it can be difficult to fully predict its opportunities and implications for society. But the glimpse that we’ve been offered so far looks promising. In fact, if Microsoft manages to bring its virtual world visions to life, it could be as much of a game-changer as the Internet. This means new ways of conducting business and connecting with others. It also means a host of jobs relying on specialties that don’t even exist yet. And with nearly 100 new openings available in Microsoft’s HoloLens and metaverse efforts, developers, designers, and marketers are uniquely positioned to put themselves at the forefront of this new revolution.
