Microsoft said it has partnered with ABCOMRENTS to make HoloLens available for hire. Announced as part of the company’s new monthly mixed reality updates, it said it’s heard “loud and clear” that commercial customers want to have more opportunities when trialling, evaluating and purchasing HoloLens hardware.
The launch of the rental program comes as HoloLens is finding its way into new business applications. It’s becoming clear that mixed reality’s greatest strengths are currently in the enterprise. The headset is helping surgeons, police forces and car designers to become more efficient in their professions and Microsoft is prioritising HoloLens’ commercial development.
Microsoft’s positioning of HoloLens as an enterprise device has become clearer since the company’s launch of Windows Mixed Reality last year. These consumer-oriented headsets predominantly target media and entertainment experiences, such as immersive videos and games. While Microsoft has demonstrated HoloLens with these kinds of apps before, the device’s more sophisticated tech is more at home in workplace digitalisation projects.
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HoloLens is now picking up new partner integrations as it enters more industries. Microsoft recently showcased new products from Trimble, including a solution which enables the headset to be worn with a hard hat. This extends the applications of HoloLens into the front line of industries such as construction and mining. In these scenarios, HoloLens could assist by providing 3D overlays of the plans for a building or tool.
“Trimble’s Hard Hat Solution for Microsoft HoloLens extends the benefits of HoloLens mixed reality into areas where increased safety requirements are mandated, such as construction sites, offshore facilities, and mining projects,” said Microsoft. “The solution, which is ANSI-approved, integrates the HoloLens holographic computer with an industry-standard hard hat.”
The launch of new HoloLens purchase options and industry integrations will help extend the device’s reach into different enterprises. Microsoft wants businesses to consider mixed reality as a core component of digital transformation strategies, claiming it can improve efficiency, productivity and safety by giving workers access to real-time information and 3D visualisations. North American businesses can rent headsets from ABCOMRENTS starting today, with availability expanding to more markets in the coming months.
