Latest

Etisalat Group embraces augmented reality

| October 20, 2012

 

Etisalat Group shows of augmented reality telecommunications services

The Etisalat Group, one of the largest telecommunications companies operating in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, has begun embracing augmented reality technology. The company attended the recent Gitex Technology Week 2012 event, where it showed off a new augmented reality platform as part of its digital services. The Etisalat Group has monitored the rampant growth of augmented reality and has begun to consider it valuable for consumers in the various markets in which it holds presence.

Technology may help revolutionize telecommunications

The company is currently developing a range of service that will bring augmented reality into the telecommunications industry. These service range from video conferencing, sharing of digital content, and dynamic engagement with consumers and colleagues. The Etisalat Group notes that augmented reality is growing in popularity amongst consumers because of its ability to provide them with engaging digital content. Thus, many of the services developed by the company will leverage this aspect of the technology in some way.

Applications have made consumers comfortable with augmented reality

Numerous augmented reality applications are quickly flooding the mobile market. These applications have exposed consumers to the technology, creating more familiarity and removing some of the concerns consumers have had regarding augmented reality. The Etisalat Group believes that the time is right to bring the technology into the telecommunications industry and will also be promoting its use in other iAugmented Realityndustries, such as engineering, medicine, advertising, and future sciences.

Etisalat Group pushes for government support

The company is also encouraging governments to take augmented reality more seriously. Government investments could spark significant technological advances in augmented reality and help bring the technology away from the field of novelty and into more practical use. The Etisalat Group notes that augmented reality, if used properly, could also have a major future in the burgeoning industry of mobile commerce, but only time will tell whether the technology can be effective for this purpose or not.

Yihaodian uses augmented reality to open new virtual stores

| October 19, 2012

Yihaodian virtual stores

Yihaodian aims to open 1,000 virtual supermarkets throughout China

Yihaodian, a Chinese e-commerce company, has announced the opening of 1,000 virtual stores throughout China. These supermakers will inhabit empty spaces within cities, but will not have any physical products stored within. Yihaodian will make use of augmented reality in order to accomplish this task, enabling consumers to access a massive, interactive database of goods. Once completed, this will be the largest virtual shopping network of its kind in the world and could help spark similar initiatives in other countries.

Company hopes to exploit rampant popularity of augmented reality

Yihaodian is not the first company to attempt to establish a virtual marketplace in the real world. Others have made use of QR codes or NFC tags to accomplish this task in the past, but have been met with only modest and short-lived success. Yihaodian hopes to exploit the rampant popularity of augmented reality as a way to provide consumers with high quality service and ensure that the virtual supermarkets get the attention they need to become a success.

Unlimited Yihaodian stores to be stocked with digital goods

The supermarkets will be called Unlimited Yihaodian. The virtual stores will be located in 1,200 square meter rooms that will have a digital stock of over 1,000 items. Consumers will be able to see these products using a smart phone equipped with an augmented reality application. Purchases can be made using Yihaodian’s e-commerce platform, enabling consumers to skip long lines and get what they want in an efficient manner. Like other virtual stores, consumers will receive their products in the mail after purchase, usually the following day.

Yihaodian may succeed where others have failed

Yihaodian had attempted to bring virtual stores into the mainstream using QR codes. This endeavor proved informative, but largely fruitless. The United Kingdom’s Tesco had also launched a similar initiative in South Korea, where consumers were able to make use of QR codes to purchase products. This too was short-lived, with Tesco quickly taking down the virtual storefront and pursuing other avenues of e-commerce.