Today at Connect 2021, Facebook (now Meta, the new brand that comprises Facebook, Messenger, Oculus, Instagram, and What’s App) unveiled their plans for the new Oculus for Business offering: a new, enterprise-oriented suite of features, Quest for Business, to make Oculus Quest headsets more flexible and powerful for all professionals using VR. In addition, as part of this evolution they will be winding down the Oculus for Business program by December 31, 2021.
While this transition may initially be confusing for certain users of The Wild, we believe this is actually a great development for AEC professionals and the VR industry as a whole. Quest for Business is a part of Oculus’s goal of building a metaverse for consumers and professionals alike; features of VR like infinite displays and the ability to create a real sense of human presence can help people be more collaborative and productive than ever before.
Read on as we walk you through everything you need to know about this announcement and what it means for you as a user of The Wild, as well as give you our thoughts on this evolution and answer some frequently asked questions.
Oculus for Business (OfB) is an enterprise product originally launched by Facebook in 2017 to expand virtual reality in the workplace.
Oculus has begun the process of sunsetting Oculus for Business in favor of the new Quest for Business feature suite announced today. As Oculus explains on their blog, “[The] goal with Quest for Business is to ensure that every person, team, and business can benefit from using VR technology for collaboration, training, working remotely, and so much more—all on the same consumer Quest headset people know and love today.”
With this new feature suite, you will now be able to utilize your Quest 2 for both consumer and professional use cases. In addition, Quest for Business will enable:
Oculus for Business will be available until the end of 2021. You’ll still be able to use your OfB headset without any changes, and enterprise-level support will still be available for OfB users.
Later this year, Quest for Business will begin a closed, experimental beta; in 2022, Quest for Business will offer open beta releases, and a general release is planned for 2023.
We understand if this change of direction from Meta (formerly Facebook) may seem confusing—especially if you’ve already invested in Oculus for Business headsets.
However, it’s important to feel assured that the current Oculus for Business headsets will still work. In addition, our team will ensure you maintain access to The Wild seamlessly, and provide guidance through any transitions Oculus sets forth.
There are great benefits to this new era of the metaverse, and multipurpose headsets for AEC teams using VR in the workplace.
We’ve come to expect a single device to be usable across personal and business use for most of our tech (e.g. smartphones, iPads)—so why can’t the same be true for VR headsets? Quest for Business empowers single headset usage for consumers and professionals alike.
Our customers will no longer need to have one headset to access The Wild and one they use for home and play. Apple’s App Store sets a precedent for enterprise and consumer applications living harmoniously, and Oculus has been making strides to continue making enterprise applications more accessible; the new App Lab has provided an easy way for software providers to more easily distribute access to their applications, not hosted directly on the Oculus Consumer store. The new Quest for Business program represents a similar commitment to enabling work and personal use on the same device. We’re thrilled by the direction and opportunities this presents.
As a company, we strongly believe in the benefits of both work and play in VR. Recreational VR benefits both companies and employees by boosting engagement, inspiring excitement for further VR adoption, and creating comfort in both navigating and experiencing VR for longer sessions. With avenues for mindfulness, socialization, fitness, sports, creating art, solving puzzles, or touring the world, it’s now easier to collaborate for work in The Wild during the day using your Quest, and use the same headset for VR experiences that enhance satisfaction and wellbeing.
Will I still be able to access The Wild on my OfB headset?
OfB headsets will continue to work exactly as they have. Our team is here to help ensure your VR workflow can remain seamless during this transition period.
Can I continue to work with the existing device manager to provision and manage headsets?
Yes—you can continue to use the device manager with OfB headsets you already own.
If I already have an OfB headset, will I have to get rid of it? What if I’ve deployed many OfB headsets in the field?
Nope, there’s no need to worry—these headsets will still work!
I’m currently procuring OfB headsets. What does this mean for my order?
OfB headsets will still be available for purchase through December 31, 2021. After that, you will not be able to purchase them anymore.
We work with companies who provide us applications via Business Channels. Should we expect any interruption?
No—if you have headsets and the apps work on them, they shouldn't be going away until the full replacement is in place.
What action is required? If we do nothing, what happens?
For now, nothing will happen. OfB headsets will continue to work as advertised.
If you have any other questions, visit the Oculus for Business FAQ page, or feel free to reach out to support@thewild.com. The Wild is excited about the future of work, and we’re here to help your team through this change.
