Virtual Reality and Immersive Simulation Technology Outside Video Gaming: Enterprise Applications and Potential Implications

The present paper explores the implication and uses of immersive simulation technologies, such as virtual, augmented and mixed reality, in management, business and organization fields. After a long gestation period, during which such technologies have been at the development/prototypal stage, in recent years we are finally witnessing the arrival of consumer based solutions, mostly driven by the videogaming industries. The crowdfunding success of Oculus Rift, which has probably been the first strong indicator that mainstream market was ready for virtual reality or, more recently, the exploit on Kickstarted of the Chinese company Primax, with $4.2 million raised, are proving that more and more interest is being devoted to these technologies. As often happens, even if the most obvious use of certain technologies is in the consumer and mainstream field, those can also be applied in the enterprises. The immersive technologies are no exception and several applications have already been developed to leverage the use of virtual, augmented or mixed reality in strategical marketing, corporate training, engineering and many more