Creating an Excellent Customer Experience with Virtual Reality Technology

There has been a lot of talk circulating the media about Facebook’s acquisition of Oculus VR, the company that developed the virtual reality headset called Oculus Rift. Most people consider virtual reality technology to be specifically for gamers only, so there is a lot of confusion as to why Facebook wanted to invest into this company. According to an article from nojitter.com, Oculus Rift: The Future of Customer Experience, “The clues to why Facebook made this investment lie in what else Zuckerberg had to say in his announcement. Virtual reality was once the dream of science fiction. But the Internet was also once a dream, and so were computers and smartphones. Is this what the acquisition was all about--chasing a dream? Is it possible that this $2 billion bet is not about ‘science fiction,’ but will instead be part of bringing the ‘future to the world, and to unlock new worlds for all of us,’ as Zuckerberg concluded?”

It is apparent that as time progresses we are adopting new, more immersive technologies every day. For example, holographic images are becoming more wide spread. Holographic avatars are used as “greeters” in airports or retail stores, providing individuals with a warm welcome and pertinent information to their visit. Holographic keyboards for your smartphone are also gaining popularity. We can bet it is not going to stop there, though; Facebook, along with trusted analysts, envision a future that completely immerses reality with virtual reality. Here is a video from CORNING, the world leader in specialty glass and ceramics, demonstrating what such a world would look like.

This idea posed in the video above of an interactive world does not seem too far off. In fact, for many years companies have already been using “virtual” technology to enhance their customer’s experiences. Virtual Agents(VA's) are a great example of such technologies that provide the desired interaction the consumer wants, while keeping costs down, and increasing satisfaction. Not only do VA’s offer exceptional customer support, but they are also used to augment ecommerce sales. For more information on Virtual Agents for Sales, please click here.

Our reality is continually being enhanced with technology. Do you think Facebook has validity in investing in what is considered to be a “niche” market? How do you feel about blurring the lines between virtual reality and actuality?