Healthcare Case Study in Focus: ManageXR and OVR

ManageXR (extended reality) is a hardware administration service for deploying virtual, augmented, and mixed reality (AR/VR/MR) devices and software across a dispersed workforce.

The service helps with immersive hardware distribution by assisting businesses in adopting modern solutions enabling industry 4.0, digital transformation, and XR workflows in the wake of hybrid work environments.

ManageXR also includes tools to reduce troubleshooting times, including an admin dashboard, an application patching system, and a forum for device performance analytics. A ManageXR client could also use the ecosystem to distribute application, firmware, and hardware updates.

The solution is cross-compatible with various AR/VR/MR hardware brands, including Meta, Magic Leap, and Pico. The service is also available on the Meta Quest Pro, a new MR device which CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed as part of the Meta Connect 2022 online showcase.

Notably, in December 2021, ManageXR secured roughly $5 million in funding to expand its workforce and enhance its marketing strategies. The funding came following ManageXR’s successful beta testing period.

Using ManageXR to Scale Content and Track Hardware

ManageXR gives clients a unified hub where an administrator can track a fleet of headsets. The ManageXR dashboard also unifies a company’s immersive content and applications, enabling quick software distribution.

From the dashboard, an administrator can organize devices into groups, apply hardware behaviour, and send real-time commands.

An example of a user setting up a diverse fleet of XR headsets GIF: ManageXR

The platform comes with Kiosk Mode, enabling users to lock software to a selected device. Kiosk Mode allows users to edit and customize their ManageXR hub space for a personalized, streamlined experience.

Partnering with OVR

In November, ManageXR partnered with OVR, an immersive hardware manufacturer that creates a unique headset accessory which simulates a sense of smell in an immersive environment.

Wellness, relaxation, and meditation applications can leverage OVR’s specialized scent hardware to increase immersion dramatically.

OVR designed its solution for clinical environments to stimulate users’ memory, cognition, emotion, and behaviour when participating in immersive learning and wellness scenarios.

By partnering with ManageXR, OVR can streamline software deployments by enabling automated systems which sideload application updates and eliminates hands-on, manual installation procedures. According to the partners, this system also creates a frictionless user experience via a bespoke OVR-branded dashboard.

Jesse Stein, the Technology Vice President of Product and Marketing at OVR, commented on ManageXR’s unified dashboard that assists his firm in deploying updates and content. He added:

I don’t even deal with .APK and .OBB files anymore. Our Development team uploads builds directly to ManageXR and we use Release Channels, to test and deploy specific versions, internally or to clients’ headsets. I get updates from my developer and immediately test new application versions.

Stein also noted the ManageXR hub added device management tools which significantly increased the flexibility of distributing new hardware and software configurations in clinical spaces.

Streamlining Hardware Distributing and Onboarding

OVR faced difficulties when distributing its ION Scent Device at scale. The device connects wirelessly via BlueTooth to most VR headsets. However, the hardware had a complicated sideloading process which decreased the ION’s usability for end-uses, including nurses, IT Managers, and office administrators.

Initially, for an expert to update the OVR ION device, they had to plug each individual into a USB to download new firmware updates – a slow process for its users.

This end-user hurdle made OVR turn to ManageXR as an MDM partner. ManageXR’s cloud-based platform negated the manual sideloading process by remotely updating devices. The integrated cloud infrastructure stores new application versions ready for distribution.

The streamlined cloud-based management solution enables OVR clients to adopt an organization-wide VR infrastructure without technical restrictions. Additionally, the ManageXR partnership allows the OVR development team to focus on application development, sales, and user experience instead of accessibility hurdles.

Additionally, OVR’s increased accessibility enables clinical staff to transform consumer devices like the Meta Quest into enterprise-grade devices. Healthcare staff can also quickly orientate a consumer headset and remove unnecessary features like default consumer home screens, social media notifications, advertisements, games, and complicated user navigation.

OVR is leveraging ManageXR’s custom home screen option to create customized and simplified menus for clinical use.

Closing Thoughts

The OVR and ManageXR partnership provides a perfect situation which greatly assists OVR in scaling its product. Stein remarked:

Every question I asked, ‘Can it do this?’, ‘Can it to that?’ was a yes! There’s no better feeling than when the answer to all your questions is ‘Yes, we can do that.

ManageXR is OVR’s official go-to-market partner to help to firm pursue its software distribution model.

A History of Partners

The ManageXR service offers its product to various end-users in the industrial, enterprise, and education sectors. In August, immersive learning solutions provider Prisms of Reality chose ManageXR to assist with scaling VR-based science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.

The partnership enables Prims to distribute its immersive STEM learning content to US schools in 60 areas, distributing its solution across roughly 5,000 Pico and Meta devices for its selected institutions.

Furthermore, ManageXR partnered with various firms to cover different vertical market use cases. ManageXR works with the education group Lobaki to scale learning solutions across 200 VR headsets.

The firm also worked with XRHealth to assist the immersive therapeutics company in distributing a self-guided VR telehealth kit to at-home patients.

ManageXR worked with live event innovations Echo Charlie to help the firm deploy VR headsets and high-quality immersive content for attendees at technology and automotive industry events.

Additionally, and notably, Accenture adopted the ManageXR system to scale its immersive, award-winning learning platform. The firm uses ManageXR to internally scale and deploy the Accenture Virtual Experience Solution (AVEnueS) learning service across 300 VR headsets to assist with immersive training scenarios for US government agencies and universities.

Using ManageXR, Accenture can leverage administration tools that eliminate troubleshooting times and in-person device updates. Additionally, the system enhances the onboarding process for Accenture trainees via a simple custom VR dashboard. The platform’s analytics enables Accenture to understand better how customers use its hardware.

The news comes after Accenture broke records by ordering roughly 60,000 VR headsets in October 2021.