Microsoft is bringing some of its teleworking software into the metaverse. Microsoft and Meta announced during Last Meta Connect 2022 Event They are entering a new partnership of augmented reality and virtual reality focused on productivity
In a blog post about the news, Microsoft wrote (Opens in a new tab) That as work environments evolve in the wake of the pandemic, it is important to adapt to the times. The company refers to recent data it has collected showing “50 percent of millennials and millennials [envision] They do some of their work in the metaverse [within] the next two years.” In this context, Microsoft is expanding beyond its borders HoloLensMixed Reality efforts to help Meta establish a foothold in productivity-oriented VR and AR.
Within the “next months”, four of “Microsoft”Work and productivity tools (Opens in a new tab)“They will make their way to both quest 2 The newly announced VR headset MetaQuest Pro (The official name of the long-awaited Cambria Project). Some tools include integration with Microsoft Teams In addition to supporting a variety of business applications.
Remote work support
To be more precise, companies add Microsoft not (Opens in a new tab) For Quest headphones. This feature will allow people to join Teams meetings held in Horizon Workrooms, which are virtual meeting rooms. You will be able to interact with others through Meta Avatars and brainstorm via virtual tools.
It looks like Quest devices will support all apps from Microsoft 365 Luxurious room. The ad specifically mentions support for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and SharePoint, but nothing for OneDrive or OneNote. There are also reports that (Opens in a new tab) The apps will not be private VR versions. Instead, the apps will be a direct port of the desktop version made through Progressive Web Application (PWA) technology. Windows 365 It will be supported on Quest headphones as well, allowing users to stream to Cloud PC with personal settings.
Security is also taken into consideration. Microsoft Intune And the Azure Active Directory The headphones will support Quest, allowing IT professionals to protect devices “with a Quest for Business subscription.” To put it more simply, Intune helps manage devices to protect corporate data while Active Directory protects software from cyber attacks.
Outside of remote work integrations, the two companies briefly mentioned a plan to bring in Xbox CloudGaming To the Meta Quest Store. A giant screen will be displayed inside the headset allowing you to reach it Xbox GamePass Whatever titles you have, they don’t cover the entire offer. Think of a movie screen in a theater.
It is not known whether the services like Xbox Game Pass Ultimate It will be supported. We’ve reached out to Microsoft so we can learn more. This story will be updated if we hear back
A possible end for the Hololens
After going through the reveal, we had one question left: What would happen to the Hololens?
Hololens is Microsoft’s go-to for mixed reality headsets, but it never really took off. The current status of this technology is a bit of a mystery. Earlier this yearIn the middle of development, there were reports that Microsoft canceled all work on HoloLens 3. But the company then said that these allegations were exaggerated and that Hololens was rehired in the US military. be sure to file The company disclosed the value added tax (Integrated Enhanced Visual System) for the US Army in early September.
So when it comes to virtual reality for consumers and businesses, Microsoft seems to be more interested in providing cross-software support on devices. Hololens may already be gone by now, outside of specialized uses.
Be sure to check out TechRadar’s coverage of Meta Connect Event 2022. Earlier, we mentioned Quest Pro official reveal A headset that looks really cool but may not be for everyone.