Augmented reality and virtual reality are now integral to improving customer experience across industries: Gulshan Purswani, Delivery Head at Bosch Global Software Technologies

The automotive industry is increasingly adopting AR/VR applications as part of its quest for competitive advantage. With the ever-changing hardware landscape, the deployment of these applications is able to deliver a high quality experience, more immersive environments, and handle greater resources.

1. How has AR/VR evolved in the last years?

Over the past two years, there have been rapid advancements in the augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) space, both on the hardware and software side. This growth has been further accelerated by the pandemic, as with more businesses going digital, they are finding value in AR and VR technologies. The combined augmented reality and virtual reality market is expected to reach $300 billion by 2024 and $100 billion by 2030, Morgan Stanley estimates, according to Statista. The automotive industry is increasingly adopting AR/VR applications as part of its quest for competitive advantage. Typical scenarios where AR/VR adds value in automotive include field service, technician training, AR-enabled R&R instructions, remote assistance, etc. We at BGSW have been working with the automotive industry on these scenarios for some time now. With the ever-changing hardware landscape, the deployment of these applications is able to deliver a high quality experience, more immersive environments, and handle greater resources. With many companies already experimenting with and releasing innovations, tools and applications, the concept of AR/VR is rapidly gaining popularity.

2. How will AR/VR revolutionize the market and solve the challenges? How will it transform the future of business?

We have seen that augmented reality/virtual reality is rapidly being adopted in 3 key areas: training, industry 4.0 and customer experience. At BGSW, we are actively engaged in developing solutions in all 3 areas:

1. Trainings – With the transition to digital, distance learning becomes a preferred platform because it allows better training by reducing travel. At BGSW, we are actively working on training platforms that enable the rapid creation and deployment of effective training.
2. Industry 4.0 – Remote assistance, digital twin and guided maintenance are the most frequently addressed by AR/VR. BGSW’s Digital Twin offerings are already available for businesses to start using.
3. Customer Experience – Augmented reality has been actively explored in the areas of customer experience (CX) and retail. While there are successes in individual areas, the adoption of AR in CX is still low due to challenges in creating content and “platformizing” offerings. BGSW is working on various initiatives to address these challenges. For example, we recently launched a solution for AR-enabled e-commerce that enables businesses to quickly integrate AR experiences into their e-commerce applications. This solution is called Bridge Commerce and is available on SAP Store.

3. How does BGSW fit into the overall AR/VR ecosystem?

The AR/VR space is constantly evolving, opening up a plethora of opportunities for businesses. BGSW holds a unique position in AR/VR as an early adopter of these technologies. We have a unique mix of services and solutions that allow us to solve customer challenges in training, industry 4.0 and customer experience.

Our AR/VR offers can be classified into 3 main categories: Training, Industry 4.0 and Customer Experience.

Service offerings across these 3 include 3D content generation, AR/VR core application development, platform solutions such as VR training and bridge trading, and more. At BGSW, we provide end-to-end solutions that include cloud, frontend, backend, and integrations in addition to Basic AR/VR requirements. This allows us to offer complete solutions and act as a partner in the XR Journey of our customers. We work with a combination of expert teams and partner networks and collaborate with start-ups to solve business problems in the most efficient way.

4. Extended Reality (XR) is one of the emerging technologies and buzzwords in the industry. How is XR transforming the customer experience? How do AR/VR Accelerators, Virtual DemoZones, and Metaverse Experience Centers improve experience innovation?

Over the years, the customer experience has evolved considerably. Brands are working to improve customer experience by introducing extended reality (XR) experiences such as virtual demo areas, virtual stores, AR product experiences, AR-enabled setup and more. These experiences are rapidly changing the way customers interact with company products. XR gives greater freedom to better discover products and interact in an immersive environment before making purchasing decisions. At BGSW, we recently released an AR-enabled accelerator that connects to SAP Hybris and mobile e-commerce apps to create a more immersive product experience. This solution drastically reduces the time it takes for sellers to create AR product experiences in e-commerce applications.