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Microsoft’s mixed reality efforts were severely harmed after the company laid off 10,000 employees last month, with both the MRTK and HoloLens teams affected. Indeed, reports claimed that Microsoft was laying off its entire Mixed Reality Toolkit (MRTK) team, raising concerns among enterprise users and the broader XR community about the future of the HoloLens itself.
However, Microsoft stated in a recent company blog post that it remains committed to its HoloLens 2 mixed reality (MR) device as well as the company’s broader mixed reality programme, at least for the time being.
Microsoft is continuing to develop and support HoloLens 2, including monthly software updates, to ensure that enterprise customers can use HoloLens 2 and the supporting platform to complete critical tasks. The company also stated that it is still updating Dynamics 365 Guides and Remote Assist to meet the needs of those customers.
Both HoloLens and Dynamics 365 are important components of industrial metaverse deployments, and they help many customers connect the benefits of digital transformation to frontline workers in field service, factory operations, and a variety of other use cases.
For the time being, it appears that Microsoft is somewhat committed to maintaining compatibility between MRTK and HoloLens 2, but this is most likely to satisfy any enterprise users of the HoloLens 2 who may be concerned about the device’s future. However, it appears that the company will no longer have a formal team dedicated to MRTK maintenance, instead relying on “continued open-source contributions to MRTK as needed.”
“We are proud of how this project has accelerated cross-platform mixed reality app development for so many developers over the years,” Microsoft said of its Mixed Reality Toolkit. We designed the MRTK from the start to be cross-platform and open-source, benefiting the entire ecosystem rather than just the HoloLens. We are thrilled that the open-source approach will allow it to continue, and we hope to see increased contributions from others in the Mixed Reality space.”
Instead, the company will focus more on Microsoft Mesh in order to provide any mixed reality and metaverse tools and solutions. Microsoft stated that it is currently in preview with enterprise early adopters who are providing feedback as the company iterates on Microsoft Mesh experiences and offerings.
Finally, Microsoft discussed its work supporting the US Army’s Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) programme, where it was recently contracted to revise the IVAS product design in response to soldier feedback. Microsoft’s involvement with IVAS was described as “a testament to our partnership with the government, commitment to the programme, and ability to rapidly iterate on product designs to achieve results.”
According to Microsoft, while the HoloLens and IVAS are very different devices, they both build on Microsoft’s history of developing mixed reality technologies. As a result, it appears that Microsoft is still committed to investing in Mixed Reality, albeit in a more limited capacity for the time being. Nonetheless, the company regards the mixed reality market as a “critical space.”