Thought Leaders Circle

As we reflect on the shattered remains of the Google Glass flop into the marketplace, we begin to ask ourselves if not that, then what? The thing with being first is that you can never quite pick where the market will land. The left brained tech companies like Google and Sony have failed to make it as brands that dominate the user interface. They, like Intel, hold the space of ‘enabler” while more creative, and socially attuned brands like Apple can cosy right up to us, cheek to cheek, to become a practical part of our life. The explosion of the Internet of Things and the Quantified Self through wearables and sensors, will no doubt be accompanied by a launch of a technology that overlays a virtual interface upon the world we see around us. So if not Google Glass, what is next? Google put their chips on that being at the lens of a glass, while Microsoft and Apple backed the idea that our preferred augmented reality will be in the form of a hologram that projects into our world. Today, the market and analysts are starting to believe Microsoft and Apple have got it right, so much so, holograms are already becoming a part of an organisation’s digital strategy. McQuivey, principal analyst and vice president at Forrester and author of Digital Disruption predicts holograms linked to 3D printing, as the road ahead. Microsoft’s HoloLens integrates a virtual and augmented reality and links it to 3D printing. Forresters predict a possible uptake of 3.6 million users of Microsoft’s HoloLens by 2016. Apple predicts its devices will soon project holograms. In September 2014, Apple secured a patent for an advanced device display that uses lasers, micro lenses and sensors to project a three-dimensional holographic image and detect how a user interacts with it in real time. The Apple patent reads, “Each viewer could be presented … with complete freedom of movement … without the need for special viewing goggles or headgear.” Personalisation will allow the Apple projection to be customized for each observer, responding to height, profile and personality. As we move into a device free 3D hologram interface with technology, we move to become participants or observers rather than users of technology. While brands and organizational design cannot embed the holograms today, they have to create an openness for holograms to be integrated into the business. It is possible over the next few years, holograms will be the primary interface between a brand and its customer. Louise Kelly Founder Thought Leaders Circle http://www.thoughtleaderscircle.com Managing Director Hearts and Minds http://www.heartsandminds.com.au