HTC Vive today announced that VIVE Sync, the remote collaboration, and meeting application, is available in free beta, for businesses and remote employees. Built specifically for the business users to improve communication and productivity, Vive Sync is a secure and intuitive VR collaboration tool allowing internal and external teams to meet in a virtual space.
“Unlike any other tool or medium, VR has the ability to connect and engage remote teams and employees as if they were together in the same physical room,” said David Sapienza, AVP Content Development & Production, HTC VIVE. “Vive Sync enables colleagues and partners across the world to interact in a shared virtual space, increasing productivity, collaboration, and team chemistry. The future of work is rapidly becoming more global and more remote and VR is the solution needed to succeed in this new reality.”
“We believe applications like Vive Sync will increase collaboration and productivity among dispersed teams working from home in VR,” said David Weinstein, Director of XR at NVIDIA. “Meeting face-to-face in VR with Vive Sync optimized by NVIDIA VRS and Vive Pro Eye provides a sense of presence and connection for global remote employees.”
According to Gallup’s latest “State of the American Workforce” report, remote work is quickly becoming part of the new normal. This report found that 43% of employees work away from their team members at least some of the time while 37% are willing to switch companies for flexible work and telecommuting benefits. However, Future Workplace and Virgin Pulse’s “The Work Connectivity Survey”2 found that remote workers are more likely to leave a job due to loneliness and 43% of workers stated that more face-time would help them build deeper relationships with their team. With Vive Sync, teams can continue to engage in those crucial face-to-face meetings between managers and coworkers that increase engagement, collaboration, and productivity.
Features that connect remote employees
Supporting up to 30 attendees simultaneously, Vive Sync enables users to hold internal creative meetings, online classroom discussions, virtual press conferences or even remote sales presentations. Integrated with OneDrive, participants can easily share materials directly from their server such as video files, PowerPoint presentations, and 2D & 3D assets. Important decisions and information can be shared outside Sync by taking screenshots or via voice-to-text notetaking.
Using the Sync Avatar Creator mobile application, available on the App Store and Google Play, participants can create personalized and dynamic avatars built in their likeness to serve as their digital representation. With full-body tracking, participant’s avatars communicate their actual body language, signaling to colleagues their full and undivided attention. Vive Sync also supports Tobii eye tracking for more natural interactions with virtual colleagues or clients, capturing participants’ eye movements to bring meetings to life. Headsets such as the Vive Pro Eye offer this technology embedded directly into the headset.
During the free open beta period, enterprises will have access to all features currently available in Vive Sync, including the following:
- OneDrive Support – Securely upload and share internal files in and out of the application with ease. Share PowerPoint, PDFs, videos, and images on the meeting room’s big screen.
- 3D Model Review – Upload 3D models and scale them up or down for detailed internal reviews.
- Custom Avatar Design – Increase immersion with personalized avatars created in the user’s likeness.
- Personal Notes – Speech-to-text notes and screenshots ensure important information will be retained once out of VR.
- 3D Drawing – Annotate models and files or hold impromptu whiteboard sessions.
- Conference Tables and Auditorium Seating – Gather around the familiar conference table or summon auditorium seating depending on the number of meeting participants.
- VIVE Ecosystem Support – Vive Sync is compatible with all VIVE devices including standalone and PC VR headsets.
Vive Sync will continue to add more features and services. Future upgrades include:
- Expanded Hardware Compatibility – Support for the larger VR ecosystem including Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, Windows Mixed Reality, and Valve Index devices.
- Host Controls – Have total control over large meetings and gatherings and reduce distractions with features such as muting participants or locking certain features.
- Record Sessions – Record entire meetings to share with participants who couldn’t attend.
- Non-VR PC Participation – Allow participants without a VR headset to join the meeting via a PC viewer.
Vive Sync currently supports all VIVE headsets and is available to download at Vive.com.
