There have been doubts hovering over Microsoft HoloLens in recent months, with the company’s commitment to the division seemingly waning. Whether it is shedding jobs or playing down the chances of a HoloLens 3. However, the company has now released a statement that reaffirms the future of HoloLens 2 and its augmented/mixed reality projects.
It hasn’t been a great few months for HoloLens. The division’s lead and in many ways the driving force of Microsoft’s mixed reality projects, Alex Kipman, resigned from the company amid accusations of workplace misconduct.
Microsoft did start shipping HoloLens IVAS units as part of its multi-billion-dollar partnership with the US Army. However, the project continues to be mired in controversy with shareholders looking to block it and Congress voting not to purchase more devices.
Microsoft has also said a HoloLens 3 will not happen until it can boast a meaningful improvement over HoloLens 2. Lastly, amid the company’s 11,000 job cuts this year, it is thought that the HoloLens division will be significantly reduced.
Many of those layoffs were from the MRTK toolkit team, with Microsoft also closing AltspaceVR. The result is many questioning what the future holds for the company’s AR/VR/MR ambitions.
Commitment
To address those changes and concerns, Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Windows + Devices, Robin Seiler, has published a blog on the Tech Community.
Seiler begins by saying Microsoft remains fully committed to HoloLens 2. She points to the frequent software updates the company rolls out to the platform. The executive also says that HoloLens remains a fundamental part of the company’s ongoing development of an “Industrial Metaverse”.
“We continue to produce and support HoloLens 2, inclusive of monthly software updates to ensure our enterprise customers can leverage HoloLens 2 and the supporting platform to complete critical work. We also continue to update Dynamics 365 Guides and Remote Assist to address the needs of those customers. HoloLens and Dynamics 365 are key components of Industrial Metaverse deployments, connecting the benefits of digital transformation to frontline workers in field service, factory operations, and many other use cases.”
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