Everyone is talking about the new partnership between Microsoft and Meta. The real partnership is Microsoft Tools and Meta’s hardware. We all know success in the metaverse depends on better systems and tools. Add to this, Accenture an IT Consulting company to promote the highly tested results of using this VR technology in the workplace.
Earlier this month, Microsoft held its annual Ignite event in New York. During a keynote speech, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella unveiled three new Surface computers, as well as a partnership with one of the biggest tech brands in the world, Meta.
Why are the two tech giants teaming up? To work on a Metaverse hardware project, of course!
What Was Announced During the Microsoft Ignite Event?
At the Microsoft Ignite event earlier this month, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced that the tech giant is partnering with Facebook’s owner Meta. The two plan on bringing several Microsoft Office products into Meta’s VR platform.
The goal of the collaboration is to entice many companies to start working in virtual environments more. Meta’s new VR headset, Quest Pro, is set to be more comfortable, has better performance, and delivers a higher resolution than its predecessor.
Oh, and there was another big cameo: Accenture (ACN 2.69%) CEO Julie Sweet. The IT consulting company is teaming up with Meta and Microsoft to further promote the benefits of VR in the workplace. Accenture said it has given 60,000 Quest 2 devices — the predecessor to the newer Quest Pro — to its own employees in the last year alone. As a sales and training specialist, Accenture could go a long way toward promoting and then selling VR headsets.
Of course, this wasn’t the only announcement. Over 100 more devices, updates, and services were announced, along with Surface Laptop 5, Surface Pro 9 convertible tablet, as well as Surface Studio 2+, all of which function on the company’s Windows 11 OS. But that’s not what interested us the most.
How Will This Improve the Quest Pro?
The Quest Pro will feature more intuitive feedback on its hand controllers and real-time expression tracking, which allows users’ virtual avatars to mimic their real-life counterparts’ facial expressions.
That will allow people to connect and collaborate on smartphones or laptops in VR as though they were physically in the same space. The collaboration promises to give the VR headsets we’ve seen so far a real run for their money.
The Metaverse, to succeed, needs to give users the ability to interact with digital objects and other people as though they were real. The partnership between Microsoft and Meta will help to make that happen.
Microsoft 365 apps will also be available for the Quest Pro, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and SharePoint. With this integration, businesses can take advantage of all the benefits of working remotely while maintaining a sense of physical presence in their interactions with others.
What Does This Mean for Meta’s Metaverse?
With this announcement from Microsoft and Mark Zuckerberg, we seem one step closer to realizing a truly immersive Metaverse experience. Microsoft tools have been a part of our work lives for years, and with Meta’s hardware, we may finally be able to merge the physical and virtual worlds in a truly natural way.
Collaborating with tech giants to create Metaverse-ready hardware shows that Meta is serious about its plans to create a Metaverse. And with Microsoft’s resources and expertise, Meta may be able to realize its full potential finally.
Whether you’re a fan of the Metaverse or not, it’s hard to deny that this partnership has the potential to change the game completely.
