The use of virtual reality in business is something that is applied in a wide variety of business environments to various ends, including customer interaction, employee training and product design. Virtual reality in business is gaining in popularity due to the fact that it creates or simulates a real world environment. This technology creates an illusion that bridges the gap between two points, such as between where one is and where one could be.
In terms of consumers, virtual reality can be used to create a visual and realistic experience for the consumer that will give a more in-depth experience regarding the potentials of a product offered by a company. An example of this use of virtual-reality in business can be seen in the travel and entertainment industry where some tour companies have Web sites that offer visitors an interactive virtual reality tour of prospective destinations. Assuming a visitor to the Web site of a company that offers tours to Egypt decides to take this interactive virtual reality tour, he or she will experience the realistic feel of some of the major attractions, including the pyramids and other inclusions in the tour package.
Another use of virtual reality in business is in the area of employee orientation or training where this technology is used to simulate business environments for them in order to give them a more realistic feel of the different business environments with a view to understanding them better. An example of this is a situation where employees are being trained in the area of customer relations, the simulated environments generated using virtual reality would create virtual customers and give employees the opportunity to learn the basics of interacting with real world customers. Virtual reality in business is also used to give customers mini-lecturers regarding new products introduced by a company. For example, some banks might introduce new services and have a touchscreen computer or television located somewhere on the premises where they can take a virtual reality-based lesson. This can also be seen in some bank Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) that usually guide users on how to deposit checks and other services.
Virtually reality in business can also be used as part of the industrial design process or for product design, where the designer can use virtual reality to demonstrate the attributes of a product before committing to the physical development of the prototype. For instance, a designer might be contracted to develop a more modern design of an already existing product by a company. In this case, the designer could generate a realistic virtual image of the design and proceed to the actual physical prototype if the client approves.