What's happening in the AR Market?

Over the last 12-18 months you may have heard and read an awful lot about VR (Virtual Reality), especially since Facebook bought Oculus Rift for $2billion. 

Many of the world's biggest tech hardware & software companies are developing alternatives with VR Headsets ranging from a few thousand dollars right down to google cardboard.

The headline have been dominated by VR. What it can do? How it's developed over the last year or so and how it will change certain sectors / markets / industries.

However with skignz being an AR (Augmented Reality) company we have been taking a keen interest in our own market. If 2014/15 was all about VR, then 2016 onwards will be dominated by AR.

Yesterday blippar announced a further $54 million investment (Series D Raise) on top of the $45 million (Series C Raise) they raised exactly 12 months ago, making them one of the world's biggest and dominant forces in the AR market.

The blippar announcement comes on the heels of Google's investment of $568m into Magic Leap, Microsoft's Hololens & Apple's acquisition of Metaio. Also last year Blippar acquired Layar (Main Competitor), leaving Wikitude, Aurasma and skignz as the main AR platforms.

The acquisitions, investment etc... not only show the confidence in the potential of AR (blippar pre money valuation of £1.5 billion in Aug 2015), the relevance it has to a wider market than VR provides. Most of all it is showing ways that AR can be useful, rather than just an advertising platform (gimmick or campaign based activity), games platform or simulator.

We have been asked a lot in the last 24 hours... How does Blippar's investment effect skignz? We only think it's a very positive one! Especially as the skignz technology platform is complementary to Blippar's 'image recognition' based offering.

Blippar's latest investment (in our very modest opinion) is fantastic, not just becuase they are a UK AR company, but becuase they are pushing the boundaries of what is possible and moving towards a more Visual Search, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning platform. 

Across the AR market offering the majority is focussed on Image recognition and holographic based AR technology. Other than Magic Leap (Google) who have not announced exactly what they are doing, the skignz technology is based on a different method/approach of AR technology.

skignz (like blippar) works through a Free APP on the billions of smartphone or mobile devices across the planet. However skignz aims to provide hyperlocal relevant information, when and where you require it, anywhere on the planet, without have to point your device at something... You just pan around to find what you are looking for... and if you don't see anything, then you have the ability to place your own content!

If Google, Facebook (Mark Zuckerberg Quoting skignz strapline a few months ago), Microsoft and even Apple (although at present it's rumoured to focus AR on its driverless cars) along with VC's and other global tech companies like Qualcomm etc... are focussing billions and billions of investment dollars, surely there is something about AR that's extremely attractive?

With Digi-Capital predicting that AR spend will hit $150 Billion by 2020 compared against VR spend of $30 Billion, you will certainly be hearing more about the investment and growth of Augmented Reality.

Here are some articles over the last 12 months that we have come across you may find interesting on Augmented Reality:

AR to be far bigger than VR...

Blippar's latest investment & turning down £1.5bn acquisition offer last year...

Expensive Hardware for AR (Oculus Rift Style Headset)...

AR spend set to hit $150 Billion by 2020...

blippar CEO on being bigger than Google & connect to IOT...

And as always for further information on skignz then please visit us on the usual Social Media channels or drop us a line info@skignz.com

Review of 2015

2015 proved to be an award winning and interesting time for skignz, as well as externally, in the world of AR.

The landscape of AR changed quite significantly throughout 2015, as either acquisitions, or investments were made, reducing the number of companies in the market. Blippar invested heavily (increasing their worth to circa £1.4b) whilst also acquiring their biggest rival, Layar.

Other companies such as Apple acquired Metaio and Google invested even further ($542m) into MagicLeap.  

Other companies apps were not renewed and many digital/ad/creative agencies had to look for other ways to offer their client AR experiences, with Junaio being acquired and stopping its SDK for others to use. In addition, INTEL acquired RECON.

Also across the wider market, Apple introduced the ability to be able to open one app from another, something that was not previously available on the iTunes App store.

We know that skignz are focussed on AR, however VR's emergence over the past few months made some waves, with more progress from Occults Rift and even Facebook. Founder & CEO Mark Zuckerberg, quoting our own Co-founder & CMO Si Brown, stated that "Why look at your phone, when you can look through it!". 

Other VR progress was made in line with the huge interest in the technology. The first Oculus Rift Headsets were due to be shipped in the final quarter of 2015.

Moving on to skignz, the biggest difference you will have seen is the aesthetics of the skignz website and the skignz app. Considerable time was spent in developing 'version 2.0' for IOS with Android being currently finalised. 

In addition to the new look and feel, skignz were present at many outdoor events such as PRIDE LDN, Glastonbury, EDC & Leeds Festival. 

The feedback on the tech and also the performance exceeded even our high expectations.

Another key milestone was the development and introduction of the 'ARtAbove' channel, allowing ANY Artist, ANYWHERE in the World to place their own Art ANYWHERE they want, essentially making the whole world a gallery. 

This was developed in conjunction with artist Martin McCloon and was even showcased at Disgraceland (Banksy's Installation in Weston Super-mare), actually subverting the subversive.

2015 was an award winning year for skignz as they were voted as 'The UK's Most Disruptive Tech Startup' by Ignite, 'TechAwards NE', 'Thinking Digital' and the 'Marketing Award' at the BNBA'15. 2016 has already started with a bang, with skignz being shortlisted again in the BNBA'16 and last week coming Runner up in KPMG's 'Best British Mobile Startup'.

skignz increased their team with key additions of Jamie Clarke (Head of DV Partnerships) and David Murphy (Head of Sports Partnerships) both settling in quickly and hitting the ground running across the many conferences and events in the final quarter of the year.

In the final weeks of the year skignz launched their #skignzsanta experience, which allowed parents to follow the 12 days lead up to Christmas eve whilst learning each day how to set up their own personalised #skignzsanta. 

Parents placed two skignz outside their homes so when Santa was close (following on the NORAD or Google Santa websites) parents could show 'Santa' flying past through their magic santa camera Smartphone or tablet.

Initially they saw what looked like Santa in his sleigh being led away by his reindeers, then parents 'panned across the sky' to reveal a special 'personalised note' to their child(ren), telling them he can only deliver when they are fast asleep. 

The hundreds of people who did this across the globe said their children were simply ‘blown away’ by the experience, and getting them to sleep was a lot easier than normal! 

We will be looking into doing a similar thing for Christmas 2016 but we have a lot of other interesting and exciting 'skignz' projects to deliver before then...

And as always for further information on skignz then please visit us on the usual Social Media channels or drop us a line info@skignz.com

skignz Indoors

We know now that skignz is working well in the outdoor world.  Visualising content such as maps, directions or even signage, right there, on your smartphone. 

It got us thinking… There are some really large spaces, which house events like concerts or conferences, but, the difference is, they are Indoors. 

With this in mind we have set about increasing the capability of skignz to work indoors.  

So whether people are attending conferences, going to concerts, or even on holiday in large hotels or on a cruise ship, we can provide skignz to them in the same, visually stimulating way.

Our technology allows us to use existing indoor equipment to pinpoint user location, and provide them with seamless quality augmented reality information.  We are working with some of our key retail clients to provide people with that experience.
  

Imagine you are in your favourite store, and you want to find out what the offers of the day are. Open up skignz and scan the indoor area.  

You can see that the best offer is in the homewares section and it’s 30% off any furniture bought today! No more rummaging around looking for a bargain! 

No more bustling through the crowds trying to find the best saving! It’s there, in front of you, and you can go directly to it and buy it.  Now, isn’t that easier?

OK, so you have been to the shops, you are now on a night out.  You’ve decided to go see your favourite band at the local arena.  

But where are the toilets? Where is the bar area?  More importantly, how do you get hold of that piece of memorabilia that you promised yourself..?

All available through the skignz view on your smartphone.  How about even being able to download the live set directly through your phone by pressing on the skignz on view above the stage?

All of these things are currently being worked on with our partner list, which it seems is growing by the day! We will keep you posted about all of our developments, as we continue to grow..

Remember.. We are putting the world's information around you… Outdoors and now, Indoors!

And as always for further information on skignz then please visit us on the usual Social Media channels or drop us a line info@skignz.com

File size of the skignz App

The question we are proposing is 'Is Big beautiful or do the best things coming small packages?’

We ask this question because we have recently compiled some data about the file sizes of App on people's  smartphones and tablets.

Why did we do this?

One of our iPhones needed the software updating on it. We are sure you have come across this where IOS puts little red dot on your 'Settings App'. You go in and it says there is a new version of IOS and please download it now…

As you may have experienced, when you go to download this update it says you don’t have enough memory space! Either you have far too many Photos, videos or songs on your handset or a large number of apps. In some cases it’s not really any of the above.

Why don’t you have any memory left then? surely 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, 64GB memory are just that, space for 'your stuff'? 

However it's increasingly likely with every IOS update that the OS on your phone or tablet eats away at that available memory space, thus restricting what you can have or do with your device.

As we cannot do anything about Photos, Videos and Songs on your phone/tablet, this led us to looking closely at the size of apps we have on there. Focussing on the more common apps that people use around Social Media, search, messaging and more relevant to skignz, other major AR Apps.

The results were startling to say the least! All of the big apps like Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Chrome, twitter etc… were around 75mB to 100mB in size. Then they slowly decreased in size with the likes of Instagram, We Chat, WhatsApp etc… right down to the AR based apps such as Blippar, Layar and Wikitude who were all a more sensible 15mB to 20mB.

File Size (Mb)

App's

We at skignz feel over the coming years there will be a move towards 'less apps' on your phone,  leaving more space for immediate storage or as connections improve more access to the cloud of your information.

With all of the above in mind, we then come to skignz. 

With its huge potential to benefit just about every person on the planet either professionally or personally, the verticals it can deliver 'visualised data' in a more meaningful and helpful manner, you would expect it to be leaning towards the higher end of the size of Apps, maybe a bit bigger than the other more established 'image recognition based AR apps.

skignz is only 1mB in file size… yes you read that right, your eyes are not deceiving you….

ONE megabyte. 

This file size this makes skignz one of the smallest 'file size footprints' available, yet has the ability to 'visualise' most if not all of the 'data' of the other apps in a more engaging and interactive way, especially the collection data normally presented on a map interface.

This goes right back to Si Brown's quote in 2013/14 that skignz helps you to stop looking at your phone… and start looking through it…

Next time when you are backing up your Phone or tablet, take a look at how much memory your apps are taking up… surely there is room for the little cute/light and small skignz app. 

It will open you up to a whole new world of information

And as always for further information on skignz then please visit us on the usual Social Media channels or drop us a line info@skignz.com

TechCityInsider Awards & Launch of the 2015 Almanac

skignz were recently shortlisted as finalists in the UK's TechCityInsider Awards in the North East Category. The final were held at The Trampery in Shoreditch, London.  

A superbly organised event showcased all of the brilliant tech companies from up and down the country.

A great afternoon saw skignz narrowly miss out on collecting yet another award.  

However, the event was well put together, bustling with a host of companies that were eager to network.

The skignz team networked in search of like minded people to work in partnership with. One company who some the skignz team had met previously at the Pitch@Palace 3.0. were successful, which is great news

We just want to pass on our congratulations again to the awesome team over at PLOTBOXIO, these guys are helping Funeral Directors and Cemeteries, plan for the future, using digital technologies rather than age old methods currently being used, Well done guys and look forward to seeing you again soon.

Jamie Clarke (Head of DV Partnerships at skignz) said “Although we were disappointed not to come away with an award, we made some extremely interesting contacts, which we are currently following up, with the view to working in partnership with some of the UK’s most exciting Technology Companies”

The very same evening TechCityInsider presented their 2015 Almanac, another event that was well organised and full of interesting like minded people from all areas of the UK.

For Further information on TechCityInsider, please visit: 

http://www.techcityinsider.net

And as always for further information on skignz then please visit us on the usual Social Media channels or drop us a line info@skignz.com

RISE Manchester - Barclays/MMU AR Day

skignz were invited to speak at a recently held event in the Rise building on Deansgate in Manchester.  

The event was organised by Barclays and MMU (Manchester Metropolitan University) to showcase the progress being made in Augmented Reality Technology, what sectors its being applied in and how?

The speakers ranged from University Professors & Doctors about their research, through to a few commercial applications and the leaders of those projects. 

skignz was one of the few totally 'commercial application' however it seemed skignz could cover just about ALL the areas the other speakers had, as well as proving and solving a few problems/issues that were raised prior to Si presenting.

skignz had been invited to speak, and Co-Founder & CMO Si Brown was excited about the opportunity. 

The presentation went really well, with gasps of approval from the audience as Si went through the possibilities of AR technology and more specifically our own skignz technology.

Throughout the day, the opportunities to showcase skignz on a one to one level were fulsome, and Si explained 
“It’s really important for skignz to be represented at these types of events.  Although smaller in their size than some of the others, they are just as important and worthwhile to the team here at skignz.

Especially as it gives those involved in Augmented Reality from Commercial, Educational and Research areas, the opportunity to meet up discuss progress, current issues and future potential all for the mutual benefit."

Later Si was invited to take part in a 'panel discussion' accompanied by a representative from the tech team from Barclays and two Academics from MMU. 

It proved to be a lively debate with many questions being posed by the audience, bringing conflicting opinions in part mainly around the difference between the commercial sector and the world of academia. 

However there was quite a unified opinion on the immediate and long term futures of AR. All agreed it would be more beneficial working together, but the mechanics of how that would work would need to be overcome.

The real issue, being around whether the Universities and Academics could respond and work at the pace that the commercial/private companies required in order to maintain momentum and stay at the forefront of AR technology marketplace.

For further information on RISE Manchester please visit: https://thinkrise.com/manchester.html

For further information on MMU (Manchester Metropolitan University) please visit: http://www2.mmu.ac.uk

And as always for further information on skignz then please visit us on the usual Social Media channels or drop us a line info@skignz.com