Mixed Reality For Dynamics 365
The apps—Remote Assist and Layout—were created to mix the virtual world with the professional workplace, and make it easier to design spaces and connect field workers with the tools they need to work efficiently.
A year later, these apps have now hit general release and even have mobile versions available, lowering the barrier for business to adopt mixed reality using their existing devices.
Today, at least outside of niche tech circles, mixed reality is still largely viewed as a novelty or something to be used for entertainment.
Dynamics 365 Mixed Reality Apps
Dynamics 365 Remote Assist
Remote Assist can also pull information into the wearer’s view too. Since Remote Assist connects with the wider Dynamics 365 business app suite, users are able to call up and “drop” documents like work orders or product manuals into their space, allowing them to keep vital information where they can see it at all times.
Dynamics 365 Layout
Layout allows users to overlay 3D holographic versions of objects onto their physical world view, turning their space into a virtual studio. These holograms can be moved, grouped, duplicated, resized, or rotated in real-time.
Dynamics 365 Product Visualize
Product Visualize is a kind of customer-facing companion to Layout. Built for salespeople, the app enables users to better showcase their products and help them get a deeper understanding of their customers’ needs.
Dynamics Guide
instruct and train workers, but it can also measure their performance so trainers know where they might need extra help. Guides captures and stores usage data which can then be transferred into and analyzed by other Dynamics and Power Platform apps through Microsoft’s Common Data Service
Microsoft spotted four key areas of mixed reality use:
Augmented reality remote assistance allows employees to connect with both customers and field technicians. Combining video streaming and augmented reality, remote assistance helps two people who may be miles away from one another to communicate, share visuals, guide and collaborate to solve problems more effectively.
Research suggests that learners retain knowledge 30% better when learning with mixed reality. Immersive learning is becoming increasingly popular, and mixed reality is a super effective way to visualize situations and put trainees into lifelike scenarios in a safe, controlled way.
Collaborative visualization lets users share a physical space, see and interact with various types of content in real-time, and communicate.
Mixed reality takes that a step further, allowing users to throw these visualizations into physical space in 3D, walk around them, and interact with them. Quarterly business reviews will never be the same again.
Giving workers access to rich contextual data can have a big impact on productivity.
Technician working in the field and you’re looking at a piece of machinery through a mixed reality headset, you could be shown all kinds of data about that product; its specs, when it was last repaired, what work was done on it, or whether you have the appropriate parts to fix it in stock. Think Terminator Vision, but for less nefarious purposes
Microsoft is bringing mixed reality to ERP and CRM with HoloLens
