Virtualisation: Driving Enterprise VR Adoption

Photo by Remy Gieling on Unsplash  

From streamlining product design and delivering immersive training to simulating complex scenarios, Virtual Reality (VR) has unparalleled opportunities for businesses. However, widespread adoption of VR in the enterprise faces hurdles such as high hardware costs, complex management, security concerns, and scalability. Virtualisation offers a solution, paving the way for seamless and secure enterprise VR deployment. 

Virtualisation abstracts physical hardware resources (such as CPUs, GPUs, memory, and storage) and converts them as virtual entities. This enables multiple virtual machines or containers to run independently on a single physical server, maximising resource utilisation. This can be a game-changer for VR. Enterprise VR deployment entails integrating the technology into a business for training, design, collaboration and other purposes.

A key advantage of virtualisation in enterprise VR is the simplification of management. Traditional methods of deploying VR entails configuring, and maintaining numerous high-performance workstations, each with dedicated VR headsets, a resource-intensive approach that is prone to inconsistencies. Virtualisation introduces a more centralised approach. Instead of managing individual physical machines, IT departments can provision and manage virtualised VR environments from a central console. This enables rapid deployment (which enables businesses to quickly adapt to changing project needs or training schedules), streamlined updates and maintenance (where software updates, patches, and application deployments are sent out across all virtual VR environments, reducing the need for individual updates), optimised resource utilisation (by pooling hardware resources the efficient allocation of GPUs to VR users as needed, reducing overall hardware investment) and remote accessibility (where employees can have VR experiences from different locations without being connected to a specific physical workstation). 

Virtualisation also enhances the security posture of enterprise VR deployments through isolation and segmentation, centralised security policies and disaster recovery.  With isolation and segmentation, each virtual VR environment operates in its own silo, which prevents malicious activity or breaches in one VM affecting others. Centralised security policies, access controls, and data encryption can be applied across all virtualised VR instances from a central point. For disaster recovery, virtual machines are easier to back up, replicate and restore. In the event of a system failure or security incident, virtualised VR environments can be quickly brought back online, which minimises downtime. 

The benefits of virtualisation are applicable across various enterprise VR applications. Architects, engineers, and product designers can collaborate in virtual environments, reviewing 3D models and prototypes with unprecedented immersion. From high-risk simulations for pilots and surgeons to complex machinery operation for factory workers, VR training offers safe and highly effective learning experiences. Virtualisation allows design teams to access these powerful VR design tools and models from anywhere, facilitating global collaboration and faster iteration cycles. Virtualisation simplifies the deployment of these training modules, enabling personalised learning paths and efficient tracking of progress. Businesses can simulate scenarios such as disaster preparedness, logistical challenges, or customer service interactions, to optimize processes and mitigate risks.  

Virtualisation is a key component of successful enterprise VR deployment. By simplifying management, enhancing security and improving scalability, it empowers businesses to fully unlock the transformative potential of VR across design, training, and simulations, driving innovation and efficiency in the digital age.