Tag: juniper research augmented reality

The expanding use of both smart phones and smart glasses are predicted to expand the use of the tech.

According to a recent report released by Juniper Research, there are an estimated 60 million people worldwide who use augmented reality applications on a regular basis.

This report also stated that this figure should jump to 200 million by the year 2018.

It was also noted in the report that augmented reality has the opportunity to take off from its current focus in the gaming and navigation environments and will expand into much greater everyday use purposes. The publication stated that “Initial innovations will stem from games, such as Google Ingress, but the technology will expand to include lifestyle and fitness apps.” It also added that there is a chance for “paradigm shifting utilization of AR within social media, potentially breaking the digital-physical wall with potential future uses allowing a digital representation of a person to appear in the users surroundings.”

By the year 2018, games and location based augmented reality will represent under half of the tech’s usage.

Juniper believes that by that time, augmented reality will have expanded greatly into areas such as healthcare and lifestyle. It could help with remote doctor visit experiences, as well as to help to enhance the remote shopping experience as well as that through social networks. It has also seen a potential future in enterprise, such as providing technical specs for aircraft mechanics and drawings to overlay on machinery for engineers to use for building new technologies.

Some companies have already started to use augmented reality for this type of project, such as SpaceX and Elon Musk, which use AR tech for designing new components for rockets. That said, the majority of apps that use this technology, such as Layar, provide content overlaid on paper to make it “come to life” with such elements as added data and video. It was pointed out that most of them are ad funded. Juniper also pointed out that there are a few pay-per-download and some that are freemium.

Equally, Juniper feels that the augmented reality industry will only benefit from the increasing dominance of Android, as it will help to improve AR’s current situation which is seen as rather buggy and fragmented.

Juniper Research report paints a promising 2013 for augmented reality applications

A new report from Juniper Research paints a promising future for augmented reality applications. Augmented reality is growing in popularity as an interactive technology and has been taking the mobile world by storm. The technology has won favor amongst consumers and marketers because of its dynamic capabilities. It has also begun making its way into the mobile commerce industry, though its uses therein have been sparse and limited in scope thus far. Over the next year, augmented reality applications are expected to see massive growth.

Augmented reality applications to generate more than $300 million in global revenue

According to the report from Juniper Research, augmented reality applications will generate more than $300 million in global revenue by the end of 2013. Traditional pay-per-download applications will be a major contributor to this growth, but retailers are beginning to become more interested in augmented reality and offering services using the technology to consumers for free. The report notes that retailers have been spending more on in-app advertising in 2012, a trend that is expected to pick up momentum throughout 2013.

Retailers growing more serious about augmented reality

In-app advertisements have long been an effective marketing tactic to engage consumers that make use of mobile applications. By adding augmented reality into the mix, these advertisements are made much more engaging, allowing markers to provide consumers with more dynamic digital content. Retailers have taken note of the potential that the technology has in this regard and are beginning to experiment with offering augmented reality content to consumers The report suggests that many retailers consider augmented reality as the key to getting in touch with a new generation of consumer.

Low awareness may hurt engagement potential

Juniper Research does caution against the low awareness many consumers have regarding augmented reality. Though the technology is growing in popularity, much of the attention it receives comes primarily from tech-savvy consumers that are already comfortable with the kind of interactivity it offers. Those that are not familiar with augmented reality are not likely to be enthralled by the technology, so retailers and other companies interested in the use of the technology may have to consider ways to raise awareness.