Keys to the Success of the Augmented Reality Ecosystem

Interoperability

Definition of Interoperability

In the context of AREA activities, interoperability is the ability for different information technology components, systems and software applications to communicate and exchange data and, as a result, for users to be able to visualize in context the information that has been exchanged between systems of different providers without translation, conversion or delays. 

Enterprise AR technologies, components or services can be considered interoperable when they: 

• Offer clear, well-defined, non-proprietary and efficient ways of transmitting and receiving data or instructions to/from enterprise planning, operations or management systems 
• Are demonstrated to serve as mandatory (key, enabling) or optional (value-added, “nice to have”) components of a multi-vendor AR solution or service.

Benefits

Today, when companies begin to evaluate enterprise AR use cases they do so with isolated projects (products are not integrated with enterprise systems) and using products of one or a few technology providers. In companies that are advanced in their study of AR, there can be partial or full testbeds of multiple AR technology providers, but each usually remains isolated from other AR projects and are not integrated with enterprise systems. A company seeking to maintain and expand its testing within a specific technology segment (e.g., comparing multiple providers or models of hardware) confronts significant obstacles. 

It has been demonstrated in other industries that when standards or open source interfaces and guidelines have been widely accepted and implemented across an ecosystem, higher technology interoperability can:

• reduce barriers to deployment of multi-vendor or multi-product solutions (also known as “integration”) 
• lower costs of ownership, 
• reduce risks of vendor lock-in and 
• increase innovation and opportunities for new sales through provider specialization.  

Unfortunately, interoperability of AR technology, components and services for deployment in enterprises is currently low. Nevertheless, interoperability is a key requirement for many enterprise IT departments to grow AR deployments to scale. 

Goals

Through the Interoperability and Standards program, the AREA seeks to increase knowledge about the benefits and approaches to achieving interoperability and to advance the development of standards or other approaches to interoperability.

Specifically, the AREA’s Interoperability and Standards program:

1. Informs AREA members and the enterprise AR Ecosystem about existing standards for interoperable AR solutions through development of thought leadership content,
2. Supports the identification of interoperability requirements in customer organizations,
3. Supports the identification of interfaces in AR components that, through implementations, provide interoperability in enterprise AR solutions and services,
4. Engages with organizations and members including those dedicated to standards development and promotion of standards to provide requirements, and 
5. Builds a base of AR professionals who are well versed in the existing standards for AR, and promote the development and adoption of extensions to existing standards as well as new standards.

Further information about the program goals and approaches can be found here. 

If you would like to know more about the AREA Interoperability and Standards Program or contribute to the achievement of these goals, please contact Christine Perey cperey@perey.com 

If you are an AREA member, send an email to membership@thearea.org and request to be added to the Interoperability and Standards mailing list. 

We also publish in the AREA monthly newsletter and on our social media channels, regular announcements about new resources and planned events that support this program.