Last month, Microsoft introduced new mixed reality (MR) applications to Dynamics 365 including Remote Assist for working with someone via MR and Dynamics 365 Layout for designing workspaces. While these apps are seen as a huge boost to productivity in industries when paired with the HoloLens, Microsoft hopes to expand the enterprise use cases for the MR headset with the launch of Skylight.
Today, AR software company Upskill announced that early access to Skylight for HoloLens is now open to enterprise customers in the U.S. For the uninitiated, Skylight serves as an operating system that is compatible with all devices including smart glasses and MR headsets.
The application is designed to help workers complete various tasks in manufacturing, maintenance, and repair works through an immersive digital experience. Terry Farrell, Director of Product Marketing for Mixed Reality at Microsoft, emphasized the importance of mixed reality to various industries, noting:
"As adoption of Microsoft HoloLens continues to rapidly increase in industrial settings, Skylight offers a software platform that is flexible and can scale to meet any number of applications well suited for mixed reality experiences. With Skylight for HoloLens, hands-on workers are provided with the ability to interact with content and information in the most natural ways possible, leading to a safer, more efficient workplace."
With Skylight for HoloLens, users will be able to interact with digital content in HoloLens hands-free and access various reference materials from different sources across multiple windows simultaneously. Workers can also navigate applications or move content within a workspace by simply using hand gestures or head gazes.
With Microsoft reportedly launching the next HoloLens in the first quarter of 2019, it remains to be seen whether the integration of Skylight into the MR glasses will help bolster its adoption, let alone in industrial settings.
