Beyond Zoom: Can Virtual Reality And Hologram Tech Reinvigorate Remote Work?

During its annual I/O event in May, Alphabet Inc.’s Google showed off Starline, a high-tech video chat system that brings depth and lifelike reality to on-screen conversations. Other tech giants have similar ideas: WeWork has begun rolling out a hologram chat system in select New York, Los Angeles and Miami locations, while Microsoft has launched Microsoft Mesh, a smart glass-compatible means of showcasing 3D images of people during a conversation.

These different spins on the sci-fi premise of speaking to holograms at the office share a few things in common, namely a desire by Big Tech to make videoconferencing better and iron out the kinks in personal communication in newly remote and hybrid offices. Gartner research predicts by 2023, more than 40% of workers will work remotely at least one day a week, up from less than 30% before the coronavirus pandemic.