As we wind down from the excitement of the first in-person Mobile World Congress show since 2019, there is plenty to reflect upon. The Workspace ONE team was well represented at the conference, showcasing exciting new projects with new technologies and trusted partners. Two of the big topics of conversation for the week were Workspace ONE for enterprise extended reality and enabling frontline workers with Workspace ONE.
Workspace ONE for Enterprise XR
At VMware, we’ve seen a growing interest in spatial computing and enterprise extended reality (XR) solutions.
When it comes to augmented reality (AR), the biggest application is for headsets being used for frontline workers. For shift-based task or service workers, AR headsets are great for support specific line-of-business (LOB) workflows, where there’s a lot of value in employees having hands-free, real-time access to what they need to do their job, including workflows, documentation, videos, access to remote experts, and more. This hands-free component and the ability to deliver critical information directly to a workers’ line-of-sight is especially important for workers in hazardous environments or those tasked with complex or detailed work. AR headsets also make onboarding and training new, less-skilled workers a lot faster, which is more important now than ever with labor shortages, high turnover, and a surge in retirements.
In addition to frontline worker use cases, we’re also seeing businesses deploy AR-based tablets or kiosks in customers-facing scenarios. While virtual reality (VR) has typically been associated with consumer applications (like gaming), its use in the enterprise for immersive training has proven to be dramatically more effective than traditional training methods. Lastly, we’re also seeing VR headsets being used for events and design visualization and collaboration.
However, usability and security concerns remain barriers for widespread adoption of enterprise XR. In order to enable XR services, organizations must ensure they have the right foundational components in place to support the devices they’re running on. This means – from day one – IT needs to have complete visibility and control over devices. VMware’s Workspace ONE platform enables IT to enroll and configure XR devices, push down apps, and securely manage them through their lifecycle, as well as maximize usability. (And you can do this alongside your other mobile, laptop, and IoT deployments!)
Within the Workspace ONE console, we also just launched an exciting beta specifically designed for XR devices called VMware Workspace ONE XR Hub. Workspace ONE XR Hub enables IT to lock devices into an app catalog, customize UI, enable single sign-on (SSO), and stream apps from a virtual desktop. Outside of our End-User Computing (EUC) business, VMware also offers networking and multi-cloud infrastructure to deliver high-fidelity experiences across any device. At this year’s event, our very own Jessie Stoks took the stage as a panelist to discuss all this and more.
In our booth, the Meta Quest 2 digital workspace demo proved to be a hit among VR enthusiasts and first-time users alike. The demo allowed attendees to experience Workspace ONE XR Hub firsthand and try out an occupational safety app designed to train electricians in high-risk environments.
Workspace ONE and Samsung XCover Pro for Frontline Workers
Also in our booth, we were thrilled to spotlight our partnership with Samsung and how, together, we are empowering modern frontline workers. We demoed Samsung XCover Pro ruggedized smart phones, deployed and managed by Workspace ONE. These elegant smartphones present a familiar consumer-friendly interface but are built with fully ruggedized hardware for protection against the demanding conditions of frontline workers.
Workspace ONE supports multiple enrollment options to enable all types of frontline use cases. Visitors to our booth were able to get hands-on experiences with two such options – a shared device utilizing VMware Workspace ONE Launcher and corporate-owned, personally enabled (COPE) device.
On the shared device, Workspace ONE Launcher provided a fully customized interface with corporate branding along with secure access to applications and resources based on the precise needs of each role or individual user. With the XCover Pro key, a physical button can be configured by Workspace ONE to perform a specific task such as push-to-talk, turn on the flashlight, launch a specified application or scan QR codes and barcodes with Samsung’s scanning solution, Knox Capture.
The other XCover Pro device was set up to showcase VMware and Samsung’s joint solution for modern retail. Configured with the Android Enterprise work profile, this XCover Pro phone seamlessly alternated between work and personal applications. Enterprises choosing to provide workers with mobile phones can secure and manage all corporate resources and apps, while delivery privacy for personal use on the same device.
Across all use cases, Workspace ONE and Samsung Knox work together to deliver on enterprise needs across management, security, and customer and employee experiences.
Now home from Barcelona, we are energized and excited about what lies ahead for enterprise technology and VMware’s strengthening partnerships.
