Windows Holographic Updated, HoloLens Commercial Suite Announced

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By Tom's Hardware News Team
published

Just months ago, Microsoft added its first major update to Windows Holographic, the software accompanying the HoloLens. The second major update arrived today along with the Windows 10 Anniversary Update. Microsoft boasted that this update provides the fastest and most reliable version of Holographic so far.

Developers have shown us the surface of Mars, ships and Spartans from Halo, and everything in between using HoloLens. Seeing the potential in HoloLens, companies asked for a way to implement it in their ecosystems. To that end, alongside the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, Microsoft announced the HoloLens Commercial Suite.

The HoloLens Commercial Suite includes the Development Kit and a number of enterprise features. In particular, there’s a new kiosk mode that limits the apps HoloLens runs, which is useful when showcasing demos to users. Added security features include BitLocker data encryption and secure booting. Azure Active Directory will give users easy identity and access management.

A number of features are aimed at connecting HoloLens to an enterprise’s ecosystem. For example, Mobile Device Management allows businesses to manage multiple HoloLens headsets at once, and businesses will have company-wide control over OS updates for the devices. With a HoloLens, users may access their corporate network through a VPN or connect to their company’s Wi-Fi networks. A company may even create its own private store for select HoloLens headets.

The Commercial Suite will include the Microsoft HoloLens Development Edition, a clicker, a carrying case, a microfiber cloth, a charger and one Micro-USB 2.0 cable.

Tom's Hardware News Team
Tom's Hardware News Team

Tom's Hardware's dedicated news crew consists of both freelancers and staff with decades of experience reporting on the latest developments in CPUs, GPUs, super computing, Raspberry Pis and more.

10 Comments Comment from the forums
  • wifiburger
    lol oh my ! can't wait for this kinect 3.0 to crash and burn into the ground
    lmao
    Reply
  • alextheblue
    18376354 said:
    lol oh my ! can't wait for this kinect 3.0 to crash and burn into the ground
    lmao

    Troll harder. There's really nothing else quite on the level of HoloLens right now (in the AR field). It has no direct competition. Plus it's easy to develop for. UWP apps can run on it... the UWP version of VLC was demo'd on HoloLens, and that's an open source project. The sky is the limit, whatever developers can think of, they can do. VR is great for some things, notably gaming, but in general AR is truly the future. Newer iterations of the hardware and software will continue to push the envelope! Kudos to MS to help push this even in the early days when it's not mass-market.
    Reply
  • falchard
    Hololens pretty much secures augmented reality support for Windows Mobile into the future since all the applications that work on Hololens would work with a Windows Phone.
    Reply
  • yay
    Every phone and tablet sold vs hololense.

    I'll wait for the funeral.
    Reply
  • JonnyDough
    And...queue the porn.
    Reply
  • mrmez
    And we thought being a Glasshole was the worst thing imaginable.
    Reply
  • d_kuhn
    If you think that phones and tablets are competition for hololens then you've no idea what hololens is. I've had one for a month now and after using hololens, the AR capabilities of other devices like google glass, phones/tablets, etc... are not even remotely comparable. Even with it's current field of view limitations and halo'ing/rainbow artifact issues... comparing the AR capabilities of Hololens to a tablet is like comparing a current gen smartphone to a 2005 flip phone. The smartphones aren't perfect... but they're in a different universe from the old stuff.
    Reply
  • Show me a single use-case where this hololens is useful. It's going to be niche entertainment, à la Pokemon Go, and that's it. Absolutely useless in enterprise setting.
    Reply
  • Eas6264
    The enterprise applications are endless as well. Imagine doctors and surgeons being able to literally see inside a patient and better diagnose or treat illness. Imagine engineers to better design tools or products when they can essentially "see" and "use" it in reality. We're talking civil engineers designing bridges based on real-world spaces, or mechanical engineers being able to 3D model in half the time. Even markets can use the Holo Lens to design better targeted advertisements or create less invasive, more effective advertisements. Sure, I'm over simplifying it, but this tool is going to be immensely helpful in a lot of enterprise fields
    Reply
  • Geekwad
    18379443 said:
    The enterprise applications are endless as well. Imagine doctors and surgeons being able to literally see inside a patient and better diagnose or treat illness. Imagine engineers to better design tools or products when they can essentially "see" and "use" it in reality. We're talking civil engineers designing bridges based on real-world spaces, or mechanical engineers being able to 3D model in half the time. Even markets can use the Holo Lens to design better targeted advertisements or create less invasive, more effective advertisements. Sure, I'm over simplifying it, but this tool is going to be immensely helpful in a lot of enterprise fields
    The specific and hyper-focused use-cases are truly exciting, but think there is actually a wider application for AR.

    The ergonomics of staring at monitors for as long as people do each day (if staring at a monitor is your job especially) develops serious long-term problems in many people (and staring at a laptop or smartphone away from work is really no better). Monitors also define all work-spaces, and how we perceive 'the office'.....whereas productivity does increase by making the workplace more enjoyable/comfortable, and decreasing medical/insurance costs from being tied to a monitor all day (reduced sick-day use, etc).

    Cost and bulkiness of course isn't there yet, but as they reduce to a smaller amount and size, these along with other ways of organizing workflow with the freedom and tools it would offer will be able to justify its price, even in general office environments. Communications and resource sharing alone, more effectively organized to allow for better multitasking with unlimited monitor real estate easily allows for increased productivity in a sizeable subset of the workforce, again helping to justify the costs.

    I look forward to hearing of real-world applications as it grows......certainly exciting.
    Reply