January 2017 | Business View Magazine

18 19 Global Virtual Reality Association Industry-leading headset manufacturers unite the international VR community Written by Lorie Steiner 2016 ended on a positive high, when virtual reality (VR) industry leaders announced the formation of a dynamic new association. In early Dec. 2016, Acer Starbreeze, Google, HTC VIVE, Facebook’s Oculus, Samsung, and Sony Interactive Entertainment announced the creation of a non-profit organiza- tion of international headset manufacturers to promote the growth of the global VR industry. The Global Virtual Reality Association (GVRA) has arrived at a critical time in the burgeoning VR journey. Their mandate: to develop and share best practices for the industry, and foster dialogue between public and private stakeholders around the world. At the time of the announcement, a GVRA spokesperson stated, “Given the pace of progress in the field, our companies felt it was an important time and opportunity to create an open environment for discussing and sharing best practices. This will build a strong foundation for the global VR indus- try and drive quality in device production and operation for years to come. Today, we’re pleased to have that vision culminate in the formation of the Global Virtual Reality Association.” january 2017 Executive View Unlocking & Sharing the VR Potential The untapped potential of VR is staggering. The past year has seen the in- ternational rollout of consumer-ready VR, bringing considerable investment to the field, and exploration of new virtual reality applications. As the technology advances, the global economy will see a continual rise in significant contri- butions, and sectors such as education and healthcare will benefit in unimag- inable ways. As with any concept of such great implications, the potentiality of VR has led to discussions about how virtual reality devices are developed, and the