New Options in Oculus for Business

The past year has brought unprecedented challenges, and many of those challenges have impacted the world of work. As a result, some of our Oculus for Business customers have had to delay deployments, and some independent software vendors (ISVs) have had to adjust their VR application development plans.

We’ve been listening as our customers and ISV Program members have shared their feedback and ideas with us. Based on their input, we’re making changes to the Oculus for Business program. Our goal is to give customers more options for purchasing and deploying VR for work while also giving ISVs the opportunity to make their apps available to a wider audience.

The key change is that—starting on February 24—when customers purchase Oculus Quest 2 headsets through our enterprise sales channels, they can choose to purchase our consumer SKU as well as our Oculus for Business SKU. We’re also introducing new Oculus Commercial Terms to enable the commercial use of our consumer headset.

Different businesses have different needs when it comes to deploying VR for work, and this consumer SKU option complements our existing Oculus for Business SKU, which isn’t changing. Businesses might choose the consumer SKU if they want to do things like quickly deploy a VR pilot program using apps from the consumer app store, use built-in consumer features as part of their VR solution, or enable employees to play popular games like Beat Saber so they can get comfortable with the experience and mechanics of VR.

Meanwhile, businesses looking to manage a large enterprise fleet can choose our Oculus for Business SKU for benefits like centralized device control, scaled distribution of proprietary or locally stored apps, and bulk provisioning. Learn more about the differences between our consumer and Oculus for Business SKUs.

Whether a business is just getting started with VR or managing a large-scale and established VR program, we now offer multiple options. And as another way of easing the burden on our Oculus for Business customers during this challenging time, we're waiving the Oculus for Business software subscription renewal fee in 2021.

Businesses that opt to purchase consumer headsets can access VR apps through approved consumer channels—and that means ISVs now have the flexibility to deliver their apps to both consumers and business customers alike.

We’ve established two easy ways for ISVs to distribute their apps to these different audiences:

We hope these new Oculus for Business options will make it easier for our customers to deploy VR for work and easier for the ISV community to get their VR applications in front of new customers. And if you’re an ISV, read on to discover more ways that Oculus can help you grow market share.

The Oculus for Business team is excited to see how far the ISV market has come in such a short span of time, and want to help ISVs grow and succeed. To that end, we recently created the Oculus ISV Program. The program supports ISVs that design, develop, and sell applications for the Oculus for Business VR platform, and it gives ISVs the tools and support they need to adapt their businesses for enterprise and SMB markets.

One key way that we support ISVs is through our Oculus for Business ISV Directory. Designed to help companies find ISVs that can help them create custom VR applications or provide them with off-the-shelf options, the directory offers a curated database that lists many of the 700+ qualified VR solution providers in the Oculus ISV Program.

Businesses can use filters and search capabilities to find ISVs by geographic regions, by use cases (e.g., Collaboration & Remote Work, 3D Modeling & Product Design, and Employee Training), and by industry verticals (e.g., AEC, Education, and Healthcare). Check out the directory to learn more.

The ISV Program offers a number of additional benefits to VR solutions providers, including the following:

A wide variety of ISVs are developing VR applications that address a range of business needs and use cases.

For example, Gravity Sketch has created an intuitive 3D design platform that enables cross-disciplinary teams to create, collaborate, and review designs in an entirely new way. Designers at companies like Ford Motor Company use Gravity Sketch tools together with Oculus technology to express ideas in real time and create detailed 3D models of new vehicles in virtual space.

Talespin has developed a spatial computing platform focused on elevating talent development. The ISV offers VR soft skills training curricula that any organization can use to improve their employees’ empathy, communication skills, and leadership abilities. Talespin also offers robust VR curricula for training claims adjusters in the insurance industry. And all learning modules measure skills-development in real time to help businesses see the impact and ROI of their training programs.

Spatial is an ISV that enables members of remote teams to meet in virtual project rooms as 3D-realistic avatars and then work together using whiteboards, notes, photos, and 3D models. By allowing people to put on Oculus Quest headsets in their homes and instantly “sit next to each other from across the world,” Spatial’s VR software empowers people to connect and collaborate more effectively no matter where they’re located.

Watch our video to see how these three ISVs—all members of the Oculus ISV Program—are helping shape the future of work with help from Oculus for Business.

The Oculus ISV Program is looking for qualified developers who have designed, developed, and deployed commercial VR applications—including at least one pilot or deployment for a Global Fortune 2000 customer. ISVs’ VR applications should be focused on collaboration, productivity, learning, data visualization, and/or simulations.

Learn more about the ISV Program, and apply today. We look forward to partnering with you to invent the future of work.