Ten new companies have joined the Washington, DC-based XR Association (XRA) last week, expanding the organisation’s list of key global tech firms involved in building a global ecosystem.
The XRA’s list of entrants includes Big Rock Creative, Paracosma, PIXO VR, Uvisan, Great Lakes Reality Labs, Penumbra, LNG Studios, Oberon Technologies, Cleanbox Technology, and MyndVR.
Over the past few years, the group has noted a massive rise in use cases in the XR industry such as upskilling and onboarding employees, and treating patients at hospitals, among many others.
According to the Association, including the new members in its growing membership was a “testament to the XR’s increasing role in positively changing the way people live, work and learn.”
Elizabeth Hyman, Chief Executive of the XRA, said it was “exciting” to see her institution’s membership grow, adding,
“It means more organizations understand the business case for leveraging XR technology and the value an industry association provides to amplify a company’s vision. Through our members’ diverse sets of expertise, we look forward to collaborating and advancing XRA’s mission of promoting the responsible adoption of XR technology”
The companies are set to adopt the XRA’s three major pillars of leadership, community, and advocacy, it said in a statement, adding the ten new companies would receive access to networking, collaboration and engagement with global XR firms, among others.
The XRA’s founding members are Google, Microsoft, HTC VIVE, Meta Platforms, and Sony Interactive Entertainment.
The news comes just days ahead of the XRA’s Immersive Media for Learning event on Tuesday, where the Association will join the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop to explore how XR solutions can boost performance and learning objectives in high schools across the country.
Looking forward to keynoting “Immersive Media for Learning” on Tuesday, May 17
Event is FREE to participate in (12:00 – 5:00 pm ET) and includes a number of great speakers including @garlicsuter @foundry10Ed
Register: https://t.co/e66GoOHB7l@SesameWorkshop @XRAssociation pic.twitter.com/G1D8LdnCQy
— Steve Isaacs (@mr_isaacs) May 15, 2022
The XRA also discussed emerging technologies in the public sector at the Emerging Technology Conference in Annapolis, Maryland in early May, where leaders across the IT sector, including Oberon Technologies and Friends with Holograms, explored VR training experiences and use cases.
The XRA also hosted its first-ever Future of XR Advisory Council (XRAC) meeting in February, where industry representatives collaborated to outline best practices for the Metaverse.
The XRA has seen a massive uptake in new members amid the rise of the Metaverse, Web3, and emerging technologies such as 5G, the blockchain, the Internet of Things, and XR, and hopes to unite global industries to build and guide companies as they develop the successor to the Internet.
