VRdirect is a software company specializing in virtual reality solutions for businesses. Through an easy-to-use platform, VRdirect enables enterprises to create, distribute, and manage VR experiences without coding or technical expertise. Pulse 2.0 interviewed VRDirect CEO Dr. Rolf Illenberger to learn more about the company.
Dr. Rolf Illenberger’s Background
Dr. Illenberger grew up in Germany, studied media management, and earned my Ph.D. in philosophy before venturing into management consulting for a decade. And Dr. Illenberger said:
“I later become COO at one of the big television networks in Germany (ProSiebenSat.1 Digital) with a focus on new business development.”
“Working in TV with a focus on Digital Business allowed me to witness and contribute to the evolution of consumer engagement with emerging technologies. When you work in generating revenue for a media company, taking on a futurist mindset can lead to new clients and new business opportunities. This was instrumental in shaping my awareness of how users connect with new technologies and the pivotal role of immersive experiences.”
“In my role at ProSiebenSat.1 Digital, I first learned about the Virtual Reality technology and was amazed about the transformative power of this new technology. What first started as an intrapreneurial project at ProSiebenSat.1 later became VRdirect – now as an independent startup.”
“My responsibilities also extend to overseeing business development efforts in new regions, particularly in North America. We recognize the vast opportunities present in this market and are dedicated to establishing a strong presence. This involves building partnerships, fostering collaborations, and tailoring our solutions to meet the unique needs of clients in that market.”
Growth Of VRDirect
How has VRDirect grown in the last few years? Dr. Dr. Illenberger shared:
“Over the last five years, VRdirect has become a pioneer in the virtual reality space, offering innovative solutions that cater to the evolving needs of enterprise users, including major clients like Nestle, Siemens, Lufthansa, and Porsche. We’ve seen this concept of a metaverse go from geek-talk to an industry-wide buzzword to becoming a standard technology at enterprises. We’re excited to see what 2024 brings.”
“While we’ve established a robust business in Europe, boasting prominent clients like Siemens and Nestle, I recognize the immense global potential for our virtual reality solutions at the enterprise level. Thus, my prime focus is on growing our VRdirect business to establish a global business and make VRdirect a global market leader in Enterprise VR software.”
“We are also committed to advancing our technology to offer B2B users a better and more seamless experience. This involves investing in research and development, staying at the forefront of VR advancements on a number of different devices, and continually refining our platform.”
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for the company so far? Dr. Illenberger reflected:
“My favorite memory building VRdirect has been witnessing the evolution and growth on multiple fronts. Firstly, watching our team expand and develop has been incredibly rewarding. The collaborative spirit and dedication of each team member have contributed immensely to our success.”
“Equally gratifying is observing our clients bring their VR dreams to life and establish VR ecosystems that enhance the efficiency of their business operations. The transformative impact our technology has on their processes and outcomes is a source of pride for both the team and me.”
“In essence, my favorite memories encapsulate the joy of team growth, the fulfillment derived from our clients’ successes, and the spirited moments of celebration that characterize our unique journey at VRdirect.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Dr. Illenberger explained:
“At VRdirect, our core product is a user-friendly platform that empowers enterprise users to seamlessly create and adopt virtual reality experiences. Think of it as the “PowerPoint for VR.” This intuitive platform has been designed with accessibility in mind, ensuring that anyone within a company can utilize it without the need for extensive IT support.”
“The versatility of our platform enables multiple departments within major companies to integrate VR into various facets of their operations. From marketing and sales to Human Resources, VRdirect provides a versatile toolset that facilitates the adoption of VR across diverse use cases.”
“The key features of our platform include its simplicity and accessibility, allowing users to build immersive VR experiences without the need for any technical expertise — literally, a camera that can take 3D images is all one needs to begin. This ease of use has proven instrumental in enabling companies to embrace VR across different departments, fostering innovation and efficiency.”
“In essence, VRdirect’s core products and features revolve around providing a user-friendly platform that empowers enterprises to harness the full potential of virtual reality across their organization, enhancing various aspects of business operations.”
Challenges Faced
What are some of the challenges that Dr. Illenberger faced in building the company? Dr. Illenberger acknowledged:
“Certainly, in our work sector, we are currently navigating the challenges associated with the early generation of virtual reality technology in terms of devices and user adoption.”
“While devices are making very fast progress given the immense investment by the Big Tech companies and are ready for widespread adoption within B2B organizations, it is still early days for the market, which results in a fragmented market and limited standardization across device ecosystems.”
“With Apple about to enter the market with the Apple Vision Pro headset in 2024, and Google/Samsung just announced the release of its headset by the end of 2024, adding to the already available headsets by Meta, Pico, HTC, and Lenovo, the market offers a variety of devices and ecosystems, respectively. While this offers a great product option for enterprises, it also imposes a key challenge for enterprises: being able to easily create VR projects and share the same VR project across devices.”
“This is exactly what VRdirect offers to its enterprise customers. VRdirect offers an easy solution to VR project creation and sharing and, thus, mitigates the technical complexity associated with the VR technology.”
“The second challenge is to enable enterprises to adopt the technology in terms of using the technology, understanding the opportunities, and identifying compelling use cases. Enterprises are making enormous progress in adopting the technology. In fact, I believe that we are at an inflection point in terms of adoption of the VR and 2024 will be years to scale VR across organizations. As an enterprise executive, you can not afford to not have a VR strategy in 2024. At VRdirect, we are committed to supporting our enterprise customers in any aspect of the implementation of their VR strategy.”
“In summary, the current bottleneck in our sector is the early stage of VR device development, but we are optimistic about the evolving landscape, especially as the market expands and emphasizes credible, practical use cases for businesses and education, which is at the core of our offerings at VRdirect.”
Evolution Of VRDirect’s Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved since launching? Dr. Illenberger noted:
“Since our initial launch, the technology at VRdirect has undergone continuous evolution to enhance the user experience and expand the capabilities of our platform. As a software product, adaptability and innovation are at the core of our development approach.”
“Some key aspects of our technological evolution include the integration of e-commerce experiences within the VRdirect platform. This expansion allows users to seamlessly incorporate virtual reality into their e-commerce strategies, opening new possibilities for immersive and engaging online shopping experiences.”
“We’ve also placed a strong emphasis on improving analytics capabilities, providing users with more robust insights into the performance and engagement of their VR content. This data-driven approach empowers our clients to make informed decisions and optimize their virtual reality experiences.”
“Advanced AI integrations represent another significant stride in our technological evolution. By incorporating artificial intelligence into the VRdirect platform, we aim to enhance interactivity, personalization, and overall user engagement within virtual reality environments.”
“Moreover, we’ve worked towards greater versatility by enabling the embedding of multiple third-party video players and formats incl. 3D models and 6DoF content. This flexibility ensures that users can seamlessly integrate diverse multimedia content into their VR experiences, catering to a wide range of creative and business needs.”
“These are just a few examples of the many enhancements we’ve made since our launch. At VRdirect, we are committed to staying at the forefront of technological advancements, ensuring that our platform continues to meet the evolving needs of our users and provides a cutting-edge solution for virtual reality content creation and deployment.”
Customer Success Stories
After asking Dr. Illenberger about customer success stories, he cited:
“VRdirect has numerous customer success stories that showcase the impactful and innovative ways our platform has been utilized across various industries. For detailed and up-to-date information on these success stories, I recommend visiting our website, specifically our examples page and our blog.”
“These success stories highlight the diverse applications of VRdirect across sectors such as marketing, sales, training, and more. For a firsthand look at the positive impact VRdirect has had on businesses and organizations, I also encourage everyone interested to request a demo. Our team is happy to help get you started in VR.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future company goals? Dr. Illenberger concluded:
“At VRdirect, we believe that we’ve only scratched the surface of the vast potential within the realms of virtual reality (VR) and the metaverse. While certain forms of the metaverse, such as Zoom meetings or Peloton classes, have gained widespread acceptance, we see tremendous untapped possibilities ahead.”
“Our future company goals revolve around harnessing the evolving landscape of VR and the metaverse to engage businesses in innovative and transformative ways. As technology continues to improve and become more seamless, we envision expanding our platform’s capabilities to offer businesses even more opportunities for immersive experiences.”
“We aim to position VRdirect at the forefront of this evolving metaverse landscape, empowering businesses to not only embrace VR but to leverage it as an integral part of their operations. Whether it’s revolutionizing training programs, redefining virtual meetings, or creating entirely new and immersive customer experiences, our goal is to be a driving force in the transformative journey toward a more interconnected and immersive digital world.”
“In essence, our future goals involve capitalizing on the continuous advancements in technology to provide businesses with cutting-edge tools and solutions that unlock the full potential of VR and contribute to the ongoing evolution of the metaverse.”
