Microsoft is doubling down on mixed reality with a new holographic collaboration platform called Mesh.
Microsoft announced last month that the keynote for its annual Ignite conference would be a little different this year, but the company gave little warning of quite how different. Held over virtual reality platform AltspaceVR, the event offered a glimpse into Microsoft’s vision for the future of communication that was nightmarish as it was compelling. The event showcased everything that is terrible about extended reality (XR), from technical mishaps to gimmicky set pieces. But it was also a reminder, as video conferencing fatigue reaches new heights, that we’re just at the start of the remote collaboration revolution. If Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is to be believed, the “interweaving of digital bits and physical atoms” will make communicating from afar an entirely different proposition in years to come.
