MSPNetworks Blog

Technology can be a huge benefit or an annoying hindrance for a business. It really depends on how it is maintained or used. Just like the PC in the 1980s, Internet access in the 1990s, and the advent of social media over the past decade or so, there are a couple interesting technologies that, if properly used for business, can bring substantial value for workers, customers, and the organization as a whole. Let’s take a look at three of them.

Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality (AR) offers businesses various opportunities to enhance operations, engage customers, and improve efficiency. Here are a few ways AR can be used by businesses.

• Product Visualization - Customers can try out a product or view it in an environment outside of the store before purchase.
• Remote Assistance and Training - AR face-up designs can revolutionize training and remote assistance.
• Enhanced Marketing and Advertising - AR is a great medium for improving advertising and marketing of products. 
• Maintenance and Repair - With AR, people without experience can be taken step-by-step through maintenance and repair processes.

Internet of Things

The Internet of Things is one of the fastest-growing technologies out there. As a result, different types of businesses can utilize IoT technology to become more efficient. Here are some of the ways IoT technology works for small businesses:

• Security and Access Control - Install IoT-enabled security cameras, motion sensors, and smart locks to monitor and secure the office. Access can be controlled using mobile apps or keycards.
• Energy Management - Employ IoT sensors and devices to monitor and manage energy usage in real time, helping to reduce energy costs.
• Environmental Monitoring - Use IoT sensors to track indoor air quality, temperature, humidity, and noise levels, ensuring a healthy and comfortable workspace.
• Asset Tracking - Employ IoT devices to track the location of office equipment, such as laptops, projectors, or other valuable assets.
• Inventory Management - Implement IoT solutions to track inventory levels automatically and trigger reorder alerts when supplies are running low.

Artificial Intelligence

AI has become one of the most transformative technologies in recent memory. Computer programs that can learn to do tasks more effectively are not going to get old. Here are a few ways businesses can leverage AI:

• Customer Support and Chatbots - Chatbots can answer frequently asked questions, assist with basic troubleshooting, and even schedule appointments or orders. They operate 24/7, improving customer service and reducing response times.
• Data Analytics and Insights - AI can uncover valuable patterns and insights that can inform your marketing strategies, product development, and inventory management.
• Inventory Management Optimization - AI can predict demand, manage inventory levels, and even suggest optimal reorder points. This can reduce costs and prevent overstock or stockouts.

New technologies aren’t always as useful as this, but no matter how big or small your organization is, these three technologies can make a huge difference to your business by building efficiency. If you would like to talk to one of our knowledgeable consultants about getting new and exciting technology working for your business, give us a call today at (516) 403-9001.

Have you considered the use of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) for your business? If so, you’re not alone—many small businesses are opting to use these technologies in new and exciting ways, particularly as it relates to engaging customers, enhancing products, and creating better training experiences. Let’s look into how your business can utilize AR and VR to its advantage.

Product Visualization

Some of the more powerful applications for AR and VR consist of visualization, or the act of allowing potential customers to try their products before they commit fully to them. For example, let’s say you’re trying to buy something for a furniture store and you want to see how it would look in your home, or you want to purchase an outfit, trying clothes on virtually before clicking the “Pay” button. These types of visualizations allow businesses to cut down on returns and improve customer satisfaction.

Customer Engagement

These technologies are also incredible for customer engagement, offering interactive AR experiences that can entertain or educate customers. A restaurant might use an interactive menu that shows a 3D view of their dishes through a smartphone app, or a local museum might implement similar technology to bring their exhibits to life in new and immersive ways.

Virtual Tours

Businesses that are a part of the travel, real estate, or hospitality industries can use VR to offer virtual tours of properties or destinations without the customer or buyer’s physical presence. It can save time during the home buying process, something which any prospective home buyer who has had their dream property snatched away within minutes can appreciate. A travel agency can also give destination previews, allowing customers to make informed decisions while planning out their next vacation.

Employee Development

Small businesses might struggle to offer meaningful training and development exercises for their staff. VR can make this training immersive and cost-effective, leading to better training outcomes. A small manufacturing company, for example, can use VR to simulate potentially dangerous scenarios and allow employees to act them out or interact with them in a way that could prepare them for such situations in real time.

Advertising and Marketing

Finally, small businesses can use these technologies to great effect for marketing and advertising. With AR-powered ads, customers can interact with products, and with VR experiences, users can be transported to a simulated reality to experience a business’ offerings. These types of strategies work wonders for immersive experience and brand engagement.

How would your business use AR and VR? Do you want to get started with utilizing emerging technologies for your business? Call us today at (516) 403-9001 to find out how we can help.

Augmented reality has been one of the most cited emerging technologies for the past few years. It was the technology that was supposed to fuel Google Glass, the failed attempt at creating a pair of revolutionary smart glasses. Since then, there hasn’t been much press about AR in the mainstream media and not much is known about major tech companies’ attempts to improve AR technology. 

What is Augmented Reality?

Augmented reality is an interactive experience where the resources of the smartphone coupled with AR software produce objects over the display of a device. Examples include the first down line they superimpose on a football broadcast, the filters that many messaging apps have integrated, and the immensely popular mobile game Pokemon Go.

Of course, these mostly are novelty uses, but businesses have made big efforts to incorporate AR technology into their marketing efforts over the past few years. IKEA famously uses AR technology in their IKEA Place app. It allows people to forecast what a room in their house would look like if they purchased a piece of furniture.

Google, understanding the extraordinarily useful applications of AR, launched their ARCore platform in March 2018. ARCore features three innovative technologies that provide mobile application developers the tools they need to build AR apps. They are:

• Six degrees of freedom - makes device movement in any three-dimensional space possible.
• Environmental understanding - allows the AR app on the device to detect the size and location of horizontal structures. 
• Light estimation - provides current environment’s lighting condition. 

This platform is allowing more developers than ever to integrate real time information into their applications for the user’s benefit. This has resulted in record growth for the technology in 2019, and that is only scratching the surface. 

Google is not the only company that is all in on AR. Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and Facebook are also making serious commitments to the technology. This is leading to a major boost in application development.

In the future, AR-fueled applications will be used in dozens of industries for hundreds of purposes. In fact, more than 100 million users have already used AR-enabled shopping applications. You will have to expect that as 5G wireless technology gets rolled out that number will be dwarfed by the number that will over the next few years. 

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