March 4, 2025 • 38 mins
The podcast features a deep conversation Unai Extremo and John Cunningham, of Virtualware to discuss the innovative platforms developed especially focusing on their flagship product, VIROO. This platform is designed to assist industries in adopting immersive technologies, particularly in training and operational efficiency. Unai explains how VIROO aims to enhance competitiveness and sustainability in companies by leveraging real-time 3D technology.
He emphasizes the platform's ability to support various training scenarios, enabling organizations to create immersive training experiences while protecting their proprietary information. John shares his journey with Virtualware, highlighting the company's commitment to providing a user-friendly experience and the importance of having trusted partners in the industry.
The episode dives into the specific applications of VIROO in sectors like hospitality, where it can revolutionize training processes and operational efficiencies.Overall, the episode conveys the exciting potential of XR technologies in transforming traditional business practices, urging listeners to consider how these advancements can be integrated into their operations.
Takeaways:
- The Tech Chef Podcast dives into the latest innovations transforming the hospitality industry, focusing on XR technology.
- Virtualware is helping companies become more competitive by using real-time 3D technology in their operations.
- The partnership between Magicgate and Virtualware aims to enhance XR adoption in the hospitality sector.
- Training and collaboration using XR can improve efficiency and effectiveness in various hospitality functions.
- John and Unai from Virtualware discuss the importance of security and scalability in implementing XR solutions.
- The discussion highlights how XR technology can streamline training processes in hospitality and improve guest experiences.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
You are listening to the TechChef Podcast.
This is episode number 91,March 4, 2025.
This show is powered by Growth Advisors.
International network wheretravel and hospitality companies
come to grow.
For more information pleasevisit gainadvisors.com.
(00:22):
Hey.
Since I have you here, ifyou're headed to Mirtech in Vegas
this year March 10th through12th, you gotta swing by Magic Gate's
Experience Zone.
We're talking next levelrestaurant tech.
VR training that actuallyworks, AR remote support that makes
troubleshooting a breeze, andsome seriously cool data tools to
keep your ops running smooth.
(00:42):
Plus you can mess around withfuturistic stuff like augmented reality,
virtual reality and haptic devices.
It's all hands on, no boringdemos, just straight up cool tech
that you need to see.
Come check it out.
Off premise strategy, Business continuity.
(01:03):
How about a taste test ofrestaurant technology?
Drive thru or curbside?
Mobile apps or AI?
It's all on the menu.
Cooking up for the date.
It's a recipe for success.
You're in good hands with theTech Chef.
Make a plan to be your best.
(01:26):
Strategize with the Tech ChefChef welcome.
To the Tech Chef Podcast.
Your backstage pass to thefuture of hospitality.
I'm Skip Kipple and on thisshow we're serving up the latest
breakthroughs that aretransforming restaurants, hotels,
resorts and entertainment venues.
From cutting edge tech to gamechanging strategies, we're diving
(01:50):
deep into the innovations thatare reshaping the industry.
Each episode we sit down withtrailblazers, visionaries and industry
pros who are redefining guestexperiences and pushing the boundaries
of what's possible.
Whether you're an operator ora tech enthusiast, or just curious
about where hospitality isheaded, you are in the right place.
(02:13):
So plug in, tune in and getready to explore the future.
Because the Tech Chef Podcastis cooking up something big.
Over the past two weeks we'veannounced groundbreaking partnerships
with industry leadersincluding weart, known for its advanced
haptic technology forimmersive training, Digilens, a pioneer
(02:35):
in enterprise grade augmentedreality, smart glasses and last week's
announcement of HTC Vive, ourstrategic partner in virtual reality
and fully immersive experiences.
These collaborations reinforceour commitment to to pushing the
boundaries of innovation in xr.
This final week beforeMirtech, we talk to two special guests,
(02:57):
John Cunningham and UnaiExtremo, who are from Virtualware.
They dive into how Virtualwareis using real time 3D technology
to help companies be morecompetitive and sustainable.
John shares his experience inthe immersive tech space and how
he sees great potential in theveru platform for various industries,
(03:18):
especially in hospitality.
This show discusses thesignificance of training and collaboration
in real time, highlighting howVERU can streamline processes and
improve efficiency.
The episode wraps up withinsights into a new partnership aimed
at boosting XR adoption in thehospitality sector, setting the stage
(03:41):
for exceptional, excitingdevelopments ahead.
XR is transforming hospitalityas we know it.
And today's guests are here toshow us how.
Today we have two very special guests.
The founder and CEO ofvirtualware UNAI Extremo, and the
president of virtualware usa,John Cunningham.
(04:04):
Gentlemen, thank you forjoining us today on the Tech Chef.
Yeah, Skip, thank you very much.
Appreciate it, man.
Okay, let's kick things off.
Oona, I got a question for you.
Oh.
First of all, whereabouts areyou in the world today?
Obviously you're not here inthe United States.
Where is virtualware located?
We are headquartered in Spain,very close to Bilobao, a small city
(04:28):
in the north of Spain.
I love Spain.
This will be a greatopportunity for me to come visit
your office, I think, becausethat's one of my favorite places
to go.
Yeah, of course.
You know, if I could add inhere just something, since this is
a restaurant focused show.
Bilbao in the region I thinkhas the distinction of having the
(04:49):
second largest number ofMichelin rated restaurants in the
world after Tokyo.
Okay, sold.
I'm booking my ticket right now.
All right, Une, on that note,can you share a little bit about
Virtuar's mission and how VARUfound fits into that vision?
Yes.
So we are committed to helpingcompanies become more competitive
(05:12):
and sustainable using realtime 3D technology.
Vivo is our flagship product,is our main platform and it's helping
the industry to introducethese technologies into their processes
and understand their potential.
(05:32):
What really inspired thedevelopment of Arun?
How has it evolved as anenterprise XR solution?
Looking back, I believe Vivois the result of almost two decades
of experience of our teamdeveloping customized solutions for
industrial companies withimmersive technologies.
(05:56):
What inspired us was seeinghow our customers had major frictions
when it came to scaling andintroducing XR into their processes
in a systemic and a systematic way.
So we started to think aboutwhat services we could incorporate
(06:19):
in a platform to facilitatethe industry.
Both the first steps withthese technologies on the scaling
to a global level.
From the beginning, Viru wasdesigned by and for industry.
John, I'm going to flip it over.
To you for a second.
You're a repeat guest on the Tech.
(06:41):
Chef, which is very rare.
I don't normally have repeatguests, but you are one of the few
we talked a few months ago asMagic Gate kicked things off.
We had not formulated ourrelationship between virtualware
and Magic Gate yet.
We'll talk about that later inthe show.
But I got a question for you.
What attracted you to join upwith virtualware to begin with?
(07:02):
Well, you know, I have beenworking in the immersive space for
many, many years.
And as a result of that, I gotto know a lot of the companies that
had different technologies andplatforms in the market.
And when I was at Unity,virtualware was always trying to
work with us in the UnitedStates and they were coming to me
and you know, they had areally good value proposition and
(07:25):
a really good product, but atthe time they weren't established
in the United States.
And so it was a little bit challenging.
When I left Unity and startedworking with some other companies,
they re approached me andasked me to help them establish and
grow in the US And I reallybelieve the platform, the vrouw platform,
(07:46):
is one of the best on the market.
It's the right place, theright time, the right technology.
And so I saw a really goodopportunity to help them grow in
the U.S.
and so, you know, but it'salso not just about technology.
It's about culture.
It's about, it's about the mission.
And I'm very happy with, withthe company, the culture and what
their, what their mission is.
(08:08):
Well, on that note, who's theprimary audience for varu and what
industries have you seen themost success with it so far?
And I say so far with a bigasterisk on it because we're going
to be talking about adifferent industry in a little bit.
Yeah, so our audience isgenerally any organization that has
a need to collaborate in realtime using 3D or even 2D models,
(08:30):
or to create immersivetraining experiences for their staff
and suppliers.
And you know, training contentis often very sensitive to organization
as this is their proprietaryprocess or the proprietary information.
So enterprise companies wantsecure platforms that protect their
intellectual intellectual property.
Our biggest successes so farhave been some of the early adopter
(08:53):
enterprises that have reallylatched on to using XR technology
to improve their business.
And those include governmentagencies, the dod, original equipment
manufacturers in automotiveand aerospace, health networks, and
large educational institutions.
And you know, once this is notnew, this technology has been around
(09:15):
for a while.
Virtualware has been doingthis for over 20 years.
It's just really now startingto be embraced and adopted because
of the, the advancements inthe technologies.
You brought up a very goodpoint of Virtualware being in the
industry for 20 years anddoing this for 20 years.
I've talked to a lot ofdevelopers and companies that really
(09:36):
are looking to get in the gameand they think they can just turn
a switch and flip on anenterprise platform overnight.
There are so many parts andpieces to what I call XR enterprise
platform which we'll dig itmore into the aspects of the enterprise
platform VARU here in a fewminutes, but I'm going to ask you
a question unai how does VARUcompare to other immersive training
(10:00):
platforms in terms ofscalability, accessibility and integration?
First, Scape View is not onlya platform for immersive training,
it's a platform for developingand deploying XR content, whether
for training, design review,or even engineering compared to other
(10:24):
platforms.
Virus with its potential liesin the freedom it offers when it
comes to generating your own content.
Visual Studio allows any Unitydeveloper to generate their own XR
applications by offering toolsappropriate to the developer's level
(10:45):
of experience.
In addition, the managedservices Video provides and Video
deploys allows the developerto focus only on the content development
of his application and forgetabout having to develop networking
services, identity services,content management services, and
(11:09):
so on.
On the other hand, one of thegreat advantages of View is the ability
to deploy the content on anyHMD and any head mounted display
from any manufacturer, as wellas on PCs, cave systems or multi
user large scale rooms.
(11:30):
And all of this in a totallytransparent way for the developer.
And this is a great advantagefor someone who is developing an
XR application.
And finally video users willbe able to launch XR applications
developed for differentpurposes in a simple, friendly and
(11:53):
secure environment.
A single environment for anydevelopment within the same organization
is something that simplifiesand facilitates that these technologies
become part of the processesof industrial companies.
Security is very important andyou know, the security around the
platform and the dataabsolutely critical to enterprise.
(12:17):
So you brought up VirtualStudio or the Veru Studio.
I'm a little bit of a madscientist in my off time, in my spare
time.
And I'll tell you what, theVRU Studio is actually very intuitive.
It's pretty easy to workaround in the Unity platform and
I'm very impressed with that.
I think once developers gettheir hands on that, they'll realize,
(12:38):
okay, hey, this is, this isnot this massive hurdle to overcome.
It actually is prettysynonymous with what we're currently
doing.
So good job on that.
John Vroux described as anenterprise ready simulation platform.
What does that mean inpractical terms?
So enterprise ready reallymeans that any organization can use
(13:00):
our platform in a matter ofhours either using our cloud hosted
platform or or in a matter ofdays if they want to install a server
on their own premises.
Our architecture is designedto be easily managed by internal
IT organizations and also tobe used by end users.
(13:21):
It provides built in securityand scalability which is critical
for enterprise customers.
Now the VARU XR platform wasdeveloped by Virtualware.
As I said earlier, based onover 20 years of experience doing
projects for large enterprises.
We built the platform for forour own customers to use at first
(13:41):
and then realize that we'vesolved a lot of the challenges that
organizations have globallywith Scaling xr.
So as UNAI mentioned earlier,you know this, this platform has
been designed by enterprisefor enterprise unai.
One of veru's key strengths isits scalability for multi user collaboration.
Can you explain how thisbenefits large organizations?
(14:03):
Oh yes.
So large organizations work ina in a distributed way with offshore
teams and need collaborationtools that allow them to maintain
teamwork dynamics.
So VEEO is designed from thebeginning as a multi user platform
and provides all the necessaryservices to both developers and users
(14:29):
so that they can generatesessions in distributed environments.
The advantages are clear in my opinion.
We can train in the samevirtual environment teams of people
who are in different locationsor perform design reviews with clients
who are on the other side ofthe world.
(14:50):
So in addition, each user canbe using a different device or system
to participate in this multilocated session.
So we can have users in alarge scale video room in Orlando,
other people of your teamusing their laptops from Data offices
(15:11):
in Toronto for example.
Let's talk about thedifficulty of developing for Veru.
John, how does VARU simplifyXR adoption for enterprises that
may not have those deeptechnical expertise?
Yeah, it's a good question.
So VARU was designed for endusers to be able to set up and use
(15:32):
IT using intuitively designeduser interfaces.
While the platform itselfcontains very advanced technologies,
it's been packaged so thatreally any IT organization who have
basic IT skills can set it upand use it.
Also, Veru has pre builttemplates that organizations can
use to get started immediatelylike out of the box.
(15:55):
Also, the way VARU isdesigned, end users can even contract
out content development tostudios or other companies that specialize
in developing, training or collaboration.
So this is much faster, morecost effective than hiring someone
to build a custom platform.
But I want to add that it'sreally important that as we get into
(16:17):
very specific industries, it'sabout that specific domain knowledge
that organizations are goingto have to Create something very
unique.
So VOO in itself is a platform.
It's the content that's builton top of VROUW that's going to make
it.
Useful for the end user,hardware, software infrastructure,
unai.
Can you walk us through thosecore components of aru?
(16:40):
Oh yes.
So the main component of IRUof the platform are the managed services
that are deployed in the cloudor on dedicated servers for on premise
deployments and that providewhat we said earlier, networking
(17:03):
services, identity services,content management and session analytics
services.
So that's the core, the maincomponent of the video platform.
Then we have Vero.
Players are the tools thatallow the end user to launch XR applications
(17:23):
on different devices.
So players are the componentsthat allow different hardware, different
devices to launch visual applications.
So there are players for PC,for the head mounted displays, for
multi user large scale rooms,or players for cave systems for example,
(17:45):
and finally video applications.
So these are the XRapplications developers are going
to develop using Unity andusing our visual Studio.
So all those components, allthat data, all that information,
all that content plays into abig question I know on my audience's
(18:07):
mind and that is security.
And we touched upon it alittle bit earlier.
Security and data protectionare crucial for enterprise adoption.
If you don't have thatsecurity in place, they're not even
going to look at it.
How does VROU ensure a secureXR environment?
Security is a must.
So at Veru, we are an ISO 27K1certified company and we see security
(18:35):
as one of our core pillars,just like our customers do.
So if we break it down withoutgoing too deep, there are three key
aspects to focus on in termsof security.
First, processes, so rooted inour ISO 27K1 framework and DevSecOps
(18:57):
strategy.
Second, architecture.
So Vero is designed to adapt.
Our architecture is built forflexibility, making it easy to meet
the unique security anddeployment needs of industrial customers.
And the third one, security in action.
So at Viru, security isn'tjust a layer, it's built into everything
(19:18):
we do.
Everything is encrypted,everything is controlled.
So of course that's onlyscratching the surface.
There's a lot more happeningbehind the these things.
But let's just say we takesecurity seriously so our customers
don't have to worry about that.
Yeah, that is a key piece andthank you for answering that because
(19:39):
I think that is the firsthurdle that we need to get past by
getting adopted in.
And here we go.
Hospitality.
So John, we talked earlierabout industries you've seen success
in.
I'm bringing you A whole newvertical for virtualware and the
VARU product.
How do you think hotels,resorts, cruise lines, restaurants
(20:00):
can leverage Vroux fortraining and operational efficiency?
You know, it's reallyinteresting that virtual reality
technologies have been aroundfor many, many years, but they really
are just now starting to findtheir way into hospitality, which
is interesting to me becausehospitality is about people, it's
about customer service, it'sabout having really efficient processes.
(20:22):
And so when we look at, at thehospitality industry, there's really
three main use cases that Isee emerging right now that cover
really every function that youcan imagine.
Training individuals andteams, enabling digital collaboration
for design reviews of newproducts, services, and even facilities
like restaurants and hotels.
(20:44):
And then there's advancedsimulation and testing, for example,
when you're, you know, forassembly lines, for kitchens, for
equipment and facilities.
So for an example, with thesame platform, the VROUW platform,
a hotel can train theirkitchen staff, review new room or
building plans in 3D and thenrun simulations on passenger flow
(21:08):
through a resort and see whatthat would look like.
So today all of these requiredifferent infrastructure investments.
Vroux kind of changes that andthe businesses can divert their energy
and capital into developingthe content instead of having to
have three or four or fivedifferent platforms.
You just covered several greatexamples of real life guest service
(21:30):
challenge and operational challenges.
Unai, how does XR trainingwith VARU compare to traditional
elearning or in persontraining in terms of effectiveness
and roi?
That is one of the biggestquestions I get.
To me, it's obvious becauseI've seen it from other industries
around the ROI side of it, butI'd like to hear from you your take
(21:52):
on this.
Yes, on the one hand, we havethe possibility that XR technology
gives us to reproducescenarios and situations that we
will not be able to reproducein the physical world.
So the person who is trainingusing XR technology, those so in
a realistic environment andvery close to reality, these aspects
(22:14):
provide greater effectivenessof our training.
And regarding the roi, itdepends on each case.
But we have cases in which wehave seen reduction of travel expenses
thanks to the possibility ofremote training.
Reduction of the time neededto acquire skills thanks to the possibility
(22:36):
of intensified trainingperiods, although it's difficult
to measure.
By increasing theeffectiveness we can improve the
results of the people we trainand therefore we can be more competitive
too.
My audience is primarily fromhospitality and I'm here to inspire
(22:57):
them from some of the trainingaspects of virtual reality training,
the VROUW platform.
Let's talk about some realworld case studies where Veru has
been successful applied inother industries.
We have many samples acrossmany different industries such as
energy, automotive,healthcare, education and others
(23:19):
over the past 20 years.
Mainly focuses on training,design review, even simulation or
emulation in manufacturing companies.
So hospitality is emerging asa fast moving industry given the
importance of training staffto ensure high quality of customer
(23:43):
service.
So we are very confident thatour technology with Magic Gates industry
knowledge will enable us toreally help companies in the hospital
industry.
That is a great place to takea little break.
When we come back, we're goingto talk about and dig in a little
more about the relationshipbetween Magic 8 and Virtual where
(24:03):
a big announcement was madeearlier today and we'll also talk.
About the future of XR and hospitality.
So everybody hang on.
A lot of great content coming up.
Are you ready to level up yourtech game and understand the world
of xr?
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(24:25):
Reality and mixed reality injust weeks.
No special equipment orprevious knowledge is required.
Limited seats are available tosign up now@bootcamp.magicgate.com
that's bootcamp.magicgate.comyour future in XR starts there.
Okay, we are back and andwe're here to talk about this press
(24:47):
release that just came outthis morning.
John, can you tell us aboutthe recent strategic partnership
our two companies formed andwhy you decided Magic 8 would be
a good representation for your brand?
Yeah.
Thanks, Skip.
So we formed this partnershipwith Magic8 to really accelerate
introducing our technologyinto the hospitality industry.
(25:09):
Now, technology is only onepart of an end user solution.
Using the technology to solvespecific pain points or business
opportunity areas requirespeople with extensive experience
and knowledge in the industry.
So Magic Gate brings not onlythe industry domain knowledge, but
also the understanding of howto apply technology to address problems
(25:33):
and capitalize on opportunities.
And I really can't think of abetter partner than Magic Gate to
help us bring this technologyinto the hospitality industry.
Well, we're honored and we'reexcited to be working with virtualware
on this.
This is pretty exciting for usand the industry as a whole.
Unai, let me jump over to youfor a second.
(25:54):
What does this partnershipmean for the future of XR adoption
in the hospitality industry?
Well, we believe that byhaving solutions that are designed
for the hospitality industryby hospitality experts like like
Magic Gate will helpaccelerate adoption by end users.
(26:15):
So we have to make thesesolutions useful for the end users
to use in their business.
So if we do that well, thenthey will want to buy our solutions.
How do you think Magic Gate'sexpertise in the enterprise hospitality
technology space helps tobring vrou to more clients?
John sure.
End users in the hospitalityindustry are going to rely on the
(26:38):
people from the industry thatthey know and trust.
And Magic Gate's clearly atrusted advisor and solutions provider
to the industry.
So I think this is going tohelp us find and focus on those brands
that really want to use XRdigital twin technologies to give
them a competitive advantagewhile reducing costs.
Every business in the world islooking for competitive advantage.
(27:02):
If you can reduce your cost oftraining your staff, running your
facilities while improvingyour quality of customer service,
that is going to give a branda competitive advantage.
It's interesting, and we'vetalked about this before, there are
companies in the hospitalityspace that are doing VR training.
(27:22):
They keep it very, very quietbecause it is a competitive advantage.
I'm still waiting for thatideal client to come forward and
say, we want to tell theentire world about how effective
this is for our organization.
But everybody's keeping thatvery tight.
People are surprised in thehospitality industry when I tell
them this technology existsand is being utilized.
(27:44):
They're actually shocked.
And there's a little bit ofFOMO that happens when they find
this out.
So what's also interesting isthey're not using a platform similar
to vroux.
So they've created, you know,individualized training content for
one device.
It's a, it's a one personexperience, whereas this has become
(28:06):
more of a collaborative, teambuilding opportunity for the organization.
This is a game changer when itcomes down to training and I am so
excited that, that we formthis partnership so that we can bring
this to the industry as awhole, which kind of leads into the
future of XR and hospitality.
(28:26):
Unai, what challenges do yousee in bringing XR to large scale
hospitality enterprises andhow can they be overcome?
All enterprises face some ofthe same challenges, which is meeting
internal IT and securityrequirements, being able to measure
their investments in terms ofROI and making sure that the technology
(28:50):
works for them in their environment.
So the one or the onlydifference with hospitality, in my
view, is that the industryoften relies on a franchise ownership
model where individual ownershave a voice in the solution to use
it or not.
So we need to be able toaddress their needs and concerns
(29:11):
as well as the brand's owners.
How do you envision the role of.
Immersive technology evolvingin enterprise over the next five
to 10 years?
John oh, wow.
We're really only at thebeginning of the adoption cycle Think
of before the iPhone came outand we were all using blackberries
and other phones.
Then almost overnight theentire industry changed.
(29:33):
So the easiest way to think ofthis is that when a new is think
of this as a new evolution ofthe Internet which is going to be
immersive technology.
Today we go to the Internet onour phone or computer and it's primarily
2D.
In the next five to 10 yearswe will be part of the Internet through
wearable devices, 3D screens,holograms, et cetera.
(29:56):
And we will be interacting inthe digital world as an extension
of our daily life.
So this is already happeningand it's just going to become more
and more important and thatthat organizations in the hospitality
industry understand that andthey're able to to get ahead of this
and understand the technologybecause not only their workers but
also their guests are going toexpect these types of of experiences.
(30:19):
One thing that we have notmentioned yet is that two letter
word that either you love oryou hate and that is AI.
As AI and XR continue tomerge, how do you see the role of
AI powered interactionsevolving with V?
Well, AI is, is merging witheverything and is continuing to merge
(30:47):
with xr.
AI provides with many ways tocreate more realistic experiences
using real time data and AIpowered avatars, for example.
So imagine training a kitchenstaff to work together on new diseases
without requiring the chef tohave to participate in the training,
(31:11):
but relying on their expertisethat has been captured.
So the role of AI is a realgame changer in many areas.
We are ensuring that VOO canleverage the best in class AI tools
to interface to Viru so ourcustomers, our developers, can pick
(31:34):
what works best for them.
Una, I know we've inspired alot of listeners out there to actually
learn more, but they'reprobably struggling around investing
in xr.
What does that look like?
It's a whole, whole new worldfor them.
What advice would you give tohospitality leaders who are considering
investing in XR technology?
(31:56):
At Virtual World we have amotto that is think big, start small,
scale fast.
What that means is thatleaders have to believe that XR technology
is the future and will helpthem to provide new and improved
ways of doing business.
So they should explore andthink of ways they could leverage
(32:21):
the technology.
Then they should identifyprojects or areas in their business
where they can use thetechnology to improve a process,
train staff or create a new product.
They should be able tovalidate that it works in their environment
and measure roi.
(32:42):
Then they can scale as fast asthey can to leverage the benefits
before the Competitors can,and that's one of.
The roles of Magic 8 ishelping these companies figure out
their XR strategy and what isthe best way forward.
And certainly having thebackbone of this XR platform is an
(33:02):
amazing advantage to have.
Finally, John, what advice doyou give to an organization out there
that is considering the VARU platform?
And, and really why shouldthey choose that over other tools
out there?
Yeah, well, as we mentionedearlier, we're at the early stages
of XR technology adoption andthere are many, many companies out
(33:23):
there that have their own XR platform.
My advice to any company isfirst, use a platform approach instead
of building custom platforms.
For example, no one buildstheir own customer relationship management
system.
They use Salesforce, they useHubSpot or other platforms.
Then they create their ownworkflow on top of that platform.
(33:46):
Second, you need to havesomeone that you trust to help you
evaluate the technology inyour environment and make sure it's
the right fit.
My advice to Hospitality is ifyou don't have an in house expert,
hire a consultant thatunderstands your industry as well
as the technology.
And then third, make surewhatever platform that you choose
(34:07):
has an open architecture thatallows you to connect your own tools
such as your learningmanagement platform or your enterprise
resource management platform.
And lastly, that you own thecontent and the IP to the content.
That is really, reallyimportant because as I mentioned
earlier, a lot of theseprocesses are unique and proprietary
(34:29):
to that business and how theyexecute their business.
So if someone comes in andoffers you content and then they
own the intellectual propertyof that content, that's not good
for the end user.
And so we're starting to seethe emergence of this model where
leverage a platform, have yourown custom content built on the platform.
If you choose not to use thatplatform later, you still own the
(34:53):
content, your investment isprotected and then you can find other
solutions.
And then lastly, make surethat the platform you choose is backed
by a company with provendeployments and large enterprise
customers.
Customers.
You should not be the customerthat a startup company is learning
from, no matter how good theirtechnology seems.
(35:14):
You know, this is a new, thisis a new area of application.
There's going to be some,some, some new things that people
haven't found yet.
So find companies that have,have already have proven experience
and that are financially ableto support you as you grow.
Well, with 20 years ofexperience, certainly Virtualware
has that expertise in house.
(35:34):
Gentlemen, this has been afascinating conversation and for
my audience, big news.
You're going to be able to seesome of this virtual wear and vrouw
training at the Mirtechconference next week.
If you haven't signed up for ademo, reach out to Magic 8.
We can align you with a demo.
We have limited number ofspots, so make sure that you kind
of you put your demo spot inearly and reserve it now.
(35:58):
Thank you very much, UnaiJohn, great talking to you as always
and I can't wait to share thefuture with you.
Thank you, Skip.
Yeah, Skip, thank you very much.
I think, you know, we're,we're at a very exciting time and
I'm just so excited about thispartnership and, and working with
you to really help bring XRand scale it across the hospitality
(36:19):
industry.
So we'll see you all in Vegas.
Think you've mastered XRsecurity, intellectual property ownership
and scalability?
Well, now you truly have.
The VARU platform is acornerstone of XR development and
deployment, providing therobust foundation needed for a seamless
(36:40):
and scalable strategy.
It's hard to imaginenavigating the space without Veru
as the backbone of your XR initiatives.
If you have any questions formyself or virtualware, or just have
questions around technologyinnovation, we'd love to hear from
you.
You can find me at boothnumber 305 next week at Murtech,
(37:01):
or you can reach out to me onsocial media, Kipkimpel and Magicgate
tech.
We're on X, Facebook,Instagram and LinkedIn.
For past episodes and shownotes, head over to skipkimple.com
and to catch all of the latestepisodes, visit magic8.com you.
Can always reach out to me directly.
(37:21):
Via email skip@magic8.com thecountdown to Murtek continues only
six days out.
By this time, you haveprobably heard of the Magic Gate
XR Experience Zone, and if youwant to get a demo spot scheduled,
do it now.
We have limited spotsavailable and are filling up quickly.
(37:43):
The anticipation is building,preparations are well underway, and
we look forward to seeing youat the show.
And just when you thoughtMagic 8 had revealed it all, we have
one final major partnershipannouncement coming your way to ensure
that you get an exclusivepreview of the technology that you'll
be experiencing at the event.
(38:04):
We're releasing this episode aday early on Monday, so until then,
stay safe, stay healthy, andstay hungry.
My friends.
You are listening to the TechChef Podcast.
This is episode number 91,March 4, 2025.
This show is powered by Growth Advisors.
International network wheretravel and hospitality companies
come to grow.
For more information pleasevisit gainadvisors.com.
(00:22):
Hey.
Since I have you here, ifyou're headed to Mirtech in Vegas
this year March 10th through12th, you gotta swing by Magic Gate's
Experience Zone.
We're talking next levelrestaurant tech.
VR training that actuallyworks, AR remote support that makes
troubleshooting a breeze, andsome seriously cool data tools to
keep your ops running smooth.
(00:42):
Plus you can mess around withfuturistic stuff like augmented reality,
virtual reality and haptic devices.
It's all hands on, no boringdemos, just straight up cool tech
that you need to see.
Come check it out.
Off premise strategy, Business continuity.
(01:03):
How about a taste test ofrestaurant technology?
Drive thru or curbside?
Mobile apps or AI?
It's all on the menu.
Cooking up for the date.
It's a recipe for success.
You're in good hands with theTech Chef.
Make a plan to be your best.
(01:26):
Strategize with the Tech ChefChef welcome.
To the Tech Chef Podcast.
Your backstage pass to thefuture of hospitality.
I'm Skip Kipple and on thisshow we're serving up the latest
breakthroughs that aretransforming restaurants, hotels,
resorts and entertainment venues.
From cutting edge tech to gamechanging strategies, we're diving
(01:50):
deep into the innovations thatare reshaping the industry.
Each episode we sit down withtrailblazers, visionaries and industry
pros who are redefining guestexperiences and pushing the boundaries
of what's possible.
Whether you're an operator ora tech enthusiast, or just curious
about where hospitality isheaded, you are in the right place.
(02:13):
So plug in, tune in and getready to explore the future.
Because the Tech Chef Podcastis cooking up something big.
Over the past two weeks we'veannounced groundbreaking partnerships
with industry leadersincluding weart, known for its advanced
haptic technology forimmersive training, Digilens, a pioneer
(02:35):
in enterprise grade augmentedreality, smart glasses and last week's
announcement of HTC Vive, ourstrategic partner in virtual reality
and fully immersive experiences.
These collaborations reinforceour commitment to to pushing the
boundaries of innovation in xr.
This final week beforeMirtech, we talk to two special guests,
(02:57):
John Cunningham and UnaiExtremo, who are from Virtualware.
They dive into how Virtualwareis using real time 3D technology
to help companies be morecompetitive and sustainable.
John shares his experience inthe immersive tech space and how
he sees great potential in theveru platform for various industries,
(03:18):
especially in hospitality.
This show discusses thesignificance of training and collaboration
in real time, highlighting howVERU can streamline processes and
improve efficiency.
The episode wraps up withinsights into a new partnership aimed
at boosting XR adoption in thehospitality sector, setting the stage
(03:41):
for exceptional, excitingdevelopments ahead.
XR is transforming hospitalityas we know it.
And today's guests are here toshow us how.
Today we have two very special guests.
The founder and CEO ofvirtualware UNAI Extremo, and the
president of virtualware usa,John Cunningham.
(04:04):
Gentlemen, thank you forjoining us today on the Tech Chef.
Yeah, Skip, thank you very much.
Appreciate it, man.
Okay, let's kick things off.
Oona, I got a question for you.
Oh.
First of all, whereabouts areyou in the world today?
Obviously you're not here inthe United States.
Where is virtualware located?
We are headquartered in Spain,very close to Bilobao, a small city
(04:28):
in the north of Spain.
I love Spain.
This will be a greatopportunity for me to come visit
your office, I think, becausethat's one of my favorite places
to go.
Yeah, of course.
You know, if I could add inhere just something, since this is
a restaurant focused show.
Bilbao in the region I thinkhas the distinction of having the
(04:49):
second largest number ofMichelin rated restaurants in the
world after Tokyo.
Okay, sold.
I'm booking my ticket right now.
All right, Une, on that note,can you share a little bit about
Virtuar's mission and how VARUfound fits into that vision?
Yes.
So we are committed to helpingcompanies become more competitive
(05:12):
and sustainable using realtime 3D technology.
Vivo is our flagship product,is our main platform and it's helping
the industry to introducethese technologies into their processes
and understand their potential.
(05:32):
What really inspired thedevelopment of Arun?
How has it evolved as anenterprise XR solution?
Looking back, I believe Vivois the result of almost two decades
of experience of our teamdeveloping customized solutions for
industrial companies withimmersive technologies.
(05:56):
What inspired us was seeinghow our customers had major frictions
when it came to scaling andintroducing XR into their processes
in a systemic and a systematic way.
So we started to think aboutwhat services we could incorporate
(06:19):
in a platform to facilitatethe industry.
Both the first steps withthese technologies on the scaling
to a global level.
From the beginning, Viru wasdesigned by and for industry.
John, I'm going to flip it over.
To you for a second.
You're a repeat guest on the Tech.
(06:41):
Chef, which is very rare.
I don't normally have repeatguests, but you are one of the few
we talked a few months ago asMagic Gate kicked things off.
We had not formulated ourrelationship between virtualware
and Magic Gate yet.
We'll talk about that later inthe show.
But I got a question for you.
What attracted you to join upwith virtualware to begin with?
(07:02):
Well, you know, I have beenworking in the immersive space for
many, many years.
And as a result of that, I gotto know a lot of the companies that
had different technologies andplatforms in the market.
And when I was at Unity,virtualware was always trying to
work with us in the UnitedStates and they were coming to me
and you know, they had areally good value proposition and
(07:25):
a really good product, but atthe time they weren't established
in the United States.
And so it was a little bit challenging.
When I left Unity and startedworking with some other companies,
they re approached me andasked me to help them establish and
grow in the US And I reallybelieve the platform, the vrouw platform,
(07:46):
is one of the best on the market.
It's the right place, theright time, the right technology.
And so I saw a really goodopportunity to help them grow in
the U.S.
and so, you know, but it'salso not just about technology.
It's about culture.
It's about, it's about the mission.
And I'm very happy with, withthe company, the culture and what
their, what their mission is.
(08:08):
Well, on that note, who's theprimary audience for varu and what
industries have you seen themost success with it so far?
And I say so far with a bigasterisk on it because we're going
to be talking about adifferent industry in a little bit.
Yeah, so our audience isgenerally any organization that has
a need to collaborate in realtime using 3D or even 2D models,
(08:30):
or to create immersivetraining experiences for their staff
and suppliers.
And you know, training contentis often very sensitive to organization
as this is their proprietaryprocess or the proprietary information.
So enterprise companies wantsecure platforms that protect their
intellectual intellectual property.
Our biggest successes so farhave been some of the early adopter
(08:53):
enterprises that have reallylatched on to using XR technology
to improve their business.
And those include governmentagencies, the dod, original equipment
manufacturers in automotiveand aerospace, health networks, and
large educational institutions.
And you know, once this is notnew, this technology has been around
(09:15):
for a while.
Virtualware has been doingthis for over 20 years.
It's just really now startingto be embraced and adopted because
of the, the advancements inthe technologies.
You brought up a very goodpoint of Virtualware being in the
industry for 20 years anddoing this for 20 years.
I've talked to a lot ofdevelopers and companies that really
(09:36):
are looking to get in the gameand they think they can just turn
a switch and flip on anenterprise platform overnight.
There are so many parts andpieces to what I call XR enterprise
platform which we'll dig itmore into the aspects of the enterprise
platform VARU here in a fewminutes, but I'm going to ask you
a question unai how does VARUcompare to other immersive training
(10:00):
platforms in terms ofscalability, accessibility and integration?
First, Scape View is not onlya platform for immersive training,
it's a platform for developingand deploying XR content, whether
for training, design review,or even engineering compared to other
(10:24):
platforms.
Virus with its potential liesin the freedom it offers when it
comes to generating your own content.
Visual Studio allows any Unitydeveloper to generate their own XR
applications by offering toolsappropriate to the developer's level
(10:45):
of experience.
In addition, the managedservices Video provides and Video
deploys allows the developerto focus only on the content development
of his application and forgetabout having to develop networking
services, identity services,content management services, and
(11:09):
so on.
On the other hand, one of thegreat advantages of View is the ability
to deploy the content on anyHMD and any head mounted display
from any manufacturer, as wellas on PCs, cave systems or multi
user large scale rooms.
(11:30):
And all of this in a totallytransparent way for the developer.
And this is a great advantagefor someone who is developing an
XR application.
And finally video users willbe able to launch XR applications
developed for differentpurposes in a simple, friendly and
(11:53):
secure environment.
A single environment for anydevelopment within the same organization
is something that simplifiesand facilitates that these technologies
become part of the processesof industrial companies.
Security is very important andyou know, the security around the
platform and the dataabsolutely critical to enterprise.
(12:17):
So you brought up VirtualStudio or the Veru Studio.
I'm a little bit of a madscientist in my off time, in my spare
time.
And I'll tell you what, theVRU Studio is actually very intuitive.
It's pretty easy to workaround in the Unity platform and
I'm very impressed with that.
I think once developers gettheir hands on that, they'll realize,
(12:38):
okay, hey, this is, this isnot this massive hurdle to overcome.
It actually is prettysynonymous with what we're currently
doing.
So good job on that.
John Vroux described as anenterprise ready simulation platform.
What does that mean inpractical terms?
So enterprise ready reallymeans that any organization can use
(13:00):
our platform in a matter ofhours either using our cloud hosted
platform or or in a matter ofdays if they want to install a server
on their own premises.
Our architecture is designedto be easily managed by internal
IT organizations and also tobe used by end users.
(13:21):
It provides built in securityand scalability which is critical
for enterprise customers.
Now the VARU XR platform wasdeveloped by Virtualware.
As I said earlier, based onover 20 years of experience doing
projects for large enterprises.
We built the platform for forour own customers to use at first
(13:41):
and then realize that we'vesolved a lot of the challenges that
organizations have globallywith Scaling xr.
So as UNAI mentioned earlier,you know this, this platform has
been designed by enterprisefor enterprise unai.
One of veru's key strengths isits scalability for multi user collaboration.
Can you explain how thisbenefits large organizations?
(14:03):
Oh yes.
So large organizations work ina in a distributed way with offshore
teams and need collaborationtools that allow them to maintain
teamwork dynamics.
So VEEO is designed from thebeginning as a multi user platform
and provides all the necessaryservices to both developers and users
(14:29):
so that they can generatesessions in distributed environments.
The advantages are clear in my opinion.
We can train in the samevirtual environment teams of people
who are in different locationsor perform design reviews with clients
who are on the other side ofthe world.
(14:50):
So in addition, each user canbe using a different device or system
to participate in this multilocated session.
So we can have users in alarge scale video room in Orlando,
other people of your teamusing their laptops from Data offices
(15:11):
in Toronto for example.
Let's talk about thedifficulty of developing for Veru.
John, how does VARU simplifyXR adoption for enterprises that
may not have those deeptechnical expertise?
Yeah, it's a good question.
So VARU was designed for endusers to be able to set up and use
(15:32):
IT using intuitively designeduser interfaces.
While the platform itselfcontains very advanced technologies,
it's been packaged so thatreally any IT organization who have
basic IT skills can set it upand use it.
Also, Veru has pre builttemplates that organizations can
use to get started immediatelylike out of the box.
(15:55):
Also, the way VARU isdesigned, end users can even contract
out content development tostudios or other companies that specialize
in developing, training or collaboration.
So this is much faster, morecost effective than hiring someone
to build a custom platform.
But I want to add that it'sreally important that as we get into
(16:17):
very specific industries, it'sabout that specific domain knowledge
that organizations are goingto have to Create something very
unique.
So VOO in itself is a platform.
It's the content that's builton top of VROUW that's going to make
it.
Useful for the end user,hardware, software infrastructure,
unai.
Can you walk us through thosecore components of aru?
(16:40):
Oh yes.
So the main component of IRUof the platform are the managed services
that are deployed in the cloudor on dedicated servers for on premise
deployments and that providewhat we said earlier, networking
(17:03):
services, identity services,content management and session analytics
services.
So that's the core, the maincomponent of the video platform.
Then we have Vero.
Players are the tools thatallow the end user to launch XR applications
(17:23):
on different devices.
So players are the componentsthat allow different hardware, different
devices to launch visual applications.
So there are players for PC,for the head mounted displays, for
multi user large scale rooms,or players for cave systems for example,
(17:45):
and finally video applications.
So these are the XRapplications developers are going
to develop using Unity andusing our visual Studio.
So all those components, allthat data, all that information,
all that content plays into abig question I know on my audience's
(18:07):
mind and that is security.
And we touched upon it alittle bit earlier.
Security and data protectionare crucial for enterprise adoption.
If you don't have thatsecurity in place, they're not even
going to look at it.
How does VROU ensure a secureXR environment?
Security is a must.
So at Veru, we are an ISO 27K1certified company and we see security
(18:35):
as one of our core pillars,just like our customers do.
So if we break it down withoutgoing too deep, there are three key
aspects to focus on in termsof security.
First, processes, so rooted inour ISO 27K1 framework and DevSecOps
(18:57):
strategy.
Second, architecture.
So Vero is designed to adapt.
Our architecture is built forflexibility, making it easy to meet
the unique security anddeployment needs of industrial customers.
And the third one, security in action.
So at Viru, security isn'tjust a layer, it's built into everything
(19:18):
we do.
Everything is encrypted,everything is controlled.
So of course that's onlyscratching the surface.
There's a lot more happeningbehind the these things.
But let's just say we takesecurity seriously so our customers
don't have to worry about that.
Yeah, that is a key piece andthank you for answering that because
(19:39):
I think that is the firsthurdle that we need to get past by
getting adopted in.
And here we go.
Hospitality.
So John, we talked earlierabout industries you've seen success
in.
I'm bringing you A whole newvertical for virtualware and the
VARU product.
How do you think hotels,resorts, cruise lines, restaurants
(20:00):
can leverage Vroux fortraining and operational efficiency?
You know, it's reallyinteresting that virtual reality
technologies have been aroundfor many, many years, but they really
are just now starting to findtheir way into hospitality, which
is interesting to me becausehospitality is about people, it's
about customer service, it'sabout having really efficient processes.
(20:22):
And so when we look at, at thehospitality industry, there's really
three main use cases that Isee emerging right now that cover
really every function that youcan imagine.
Training individuals andteams, enabling digital collaboration
for design reviews of newproducts, services, and even facilities
like restaurants and hotels.
(20:44):
And then there's advancedsimulation and testing, for example,
when you're, you know, forassembly lines, for kitchens, for
equipment and facilities.
So for an example, with thesame platform, the VROUW platform,
a hotel can train theirkitchen staff, review new room or
building plans in 3D and thenrun simulations on passenger flow
(21:08):
through a resort and see whatthat would look like.
So today all of these requiredifferent infrastructure investments.
Vroux kind of changes that andthe businesses can divert their energy
and capital into developingthe content instead of having to
have three or four or fivedifferent platforms.
You just covered several greatexamples of real life guest service
(21:30):
challenge and operational challenges.
Unai, how does XR trainingwith VARU compare to traditional
elearning or in persontraining in terms of effectiveness
and roi?
That is one of the biggestquestions I get.
To me, it's obvious becauseI've seen it from other industries
around the ROI side of it, butI'd like to hear from you your take
(21:52):
on this.
Yes, on the one hand, we havethe possibility that XR technology
gives us to reproducescenarios and situations that we
will not be able to reproducein the physical world.
So the person who is trainingusing XR technology, those so in
a realistic environment andvery close to reality, these aspects
(22:14):
provide greater effectivenessof our training.
And regarding the roi, itdepends on each case.
But we have cases in which wehave seen reduction of travel expenses
thanks to the possibility ofremote training.
Reduction of the time neededto acquire skills thanks to the possibility
(22:36):
of intensified trainingperiods, although it's difficult
to measure.
By increasing theeffectiveness we can improve the
results of the people we trainand therefore we can be more competitive
too.
My audience is primarily fromhospitality and I'm here to inspire
(22:57):
them from some of the trainingaspects of virtual reality training,
the VROUW platform.
Let's talk about some realworld case studies where Veru has
been successful applied inother industries.
We have many samples acrossmany different industries such as
energy, automotive,healthcare, education and others
(23:19):
over the past 20 years.
Mainly focuses on training,design review, even simulation or
emulation in manufacturing companies.
So hospitality is emerging asa fast moving industry given the
importance of training staffto ensure high quality of customer
(23:43):
service.
So we are very confident thatour technology with Magic Gates industry
knowledge will enable us toreally help companies in the hospital
industry.
That is a great place to takea little break.
When we come back, we're goingto talk about and dig in a little
more about the relationshipbetween Magic 8 and Virtual where
(24:03):
a big announcement was madeearlier today and we'll also talk.
About the future of XR and hospitality.
So everybody hang on.
A lot of great content coming up.
Are you ready to level up yourtech game and understand the world
of xr?
Dive into the world ofextended reality with Magic Gates.
XR Boot Camp.
Master the concepts of virtualreality, augmented.
(24:25):
Reality and mixed reality injust weeks.
No special equipment orprevious knowledge is required.
Limited seats are available tosign up now@bootcamp.magicgate.com
that's bootcamp.magicgate.comyour future in XR starts there.
Okay, we are back and andwe're here to talk about this press
(24:47):
release that just came outthis morning.
John, can you tell us aboutthe recent strategic partnership
our two companies formed andwhy you decided Magic 8 would be
a good representation for your brand?
Yeah.
Thanks, Skip.
So we formed this partnershipwith Magic8 to really accelerate
introducing our technologyinto the hospitality industry.
(25:09):
Now, technology is only onepart of an end user solution.
Using the technology to solvespecific pain points or business
opportunity areas requirespeople with extensive experience
and knowledge in the industry.
So Magic Gate brings not onlythe industry domain knowledge, but
also the understanding of howto apply technology to address problems
(25:33):
and capitalize on opportunities.
And I really can't think of abetter partner than Magic Gate to
help us bring this technologyinto the hospitality industry.
Well, we're honored and we'reexcited to be working with virtualware
on this.
This is pretty exciting for usand the industry as a whole.
Unai, let me jump over to youfor a second.
(25:54):
What does this partnershipmean for the future of XR adoption
in the hospitality industry?
Well, we believe that byhaving solutions that are designed
for the hospitality industryby hospitality experts like like
Magic Gate will helpaccelerate adoption by end users.
(26:15):
So we have to make thesesolutions useful for the end users
to use in their business.
So if we do that well, thenthey will want to buy our solutions.
How do you think Magic Gate'sexpertise in the enterprise hospitality
technology space helps tobring vrou to more clients?
John sure.
End users in the hospitalityindustry are going to rely on the
(26:38):
people from the industry thatthey know and trust.
And Magic Gate's clearly atrusted advisor and solutions provider
to the industry.
So I think this is going tohelp us find and focus on those brands
that really want to use XRdigital twin technologies to give
them a competitive advantagewhile reducing costs.
Every business in the world islooking for competitive advantage.
(27:02):
If you can reduce your cost oftraining your staff, running your
facilities while improvingyour quality of customer service,
that is going to give a branda competitive advantage.
It's interesting, and we'vetalked about this before, there are
companies in the hospitalityspace that are doing VR training.
(27:22):
They keep it very, very quietbecause it is a competitive advantage.
I'm still waiting for thatideal client to come forward and
say, we want to tell theentire world about how effective
this is for our organization.
But everybody's keeping thatvery tight.
People are surprised in thehospitality industry when I tell
them this technology existsand is being utilized.
(27:44):
They're actually shocked.
And there's a little bit ofFOMO that happens when they find
this out.
So what's also interesting isthey're not using a platform similar
to vroux.
So they've created, you know,individualized training content for
one device.
It's a, it's a one personexperience, whereas this has become
(28:06):
more of a collaborative, teambuilding opportunity for the organization.
This is a game changer when itcomes down to training and I am so
excited that, that we formthis partnership so that we can bring
this to the industry as awhole, which kind of leads into the
future of XR and hospitality.
(28:26):
Unai, what challenges do yousee in bringing XR to large scale
hospitality enterprises andhow can they be overcome?
All enterprises face some ofthe same challenges, which is meeting
internal IT and securityrequirements, being able to measure
their investments in terms ofROI and making sure that the technology
(28:50):
works for them in their environment.
So the one or the onlydifference with hospitality, in my
view, is that the industryoften relies on a franchise ownership
model where individual ownershave a voice in the solution to use
it or not.
So we need to be able toaddress their needs and concerns
(29:11):
as well as the brand's owners.
How do you envision the role of.
Immersive technology evolvingin enterprise over the next five
to 10 years?
John oh, wow.
We're really only at thebeginning of the adoption cycle Think
of before the iPhone came outand we were all using blackberries
and other phones.
Then almost overnight theentire industry changed.
(29:33):
So the easiest way to think ofthis is that when a new is think
of this as a new evolution ofthe Internet which is going to be
immersive technology.
Today we go to the Internet onour phone or computer and it's primarily
2D.
In the next five to 10 yearswe will be part of the Internet through
wearable devices, 3D screens,holograms, et cetera.
(29:56):
And we will be interacting inthe digital world as an extension
of our daily life.
So this is already happeningand it's just going to become more
and more important and thatthat organizations in the hospitality
industry understand that andthey're able to to get ahead of this
and understand the technologybecause not only their workers but
also their guests are going toexpect these types of of experiences.
(30:19):
One thing that we have notmentioned yet is that two letter
word that either you love oryou hate and that is AI.
As AI and XR continue tomerge, how do you see the role of
AI powered interactionsevolving with V?
Well, AI is, is merging witheverything and is continuing to merge
(30:47):
with xr.
AI provides with many ways tocreate more realistic experiences
using real time data and AIpowered avatars, for example.
So imagine training a kitchenstaff to work together on new diseases
without requiring the chef tohave to participate in the training,
(31:11):
but relying on their expertisethat has been captured.
So the role of AI is a realgame changer in many areas.
We are ensuring that VOO canleverage the best in class AI tools
to interface to Viru so ourcustomers, our developers, can pick
(31:34):
what works best for them.
Una, I know we've inspired alot of listeners out there to actually
learn more, but they'reprobably struggling around investing
in xr.
What does that look like?
It's a whole, whole new worldfor them.
What advice would you give tohospitality leaders who are considering
investing in XR technology?
(31:56):
At Virtual World we have amotto that is think big, start small,
scale fast.
What that means is thatleaders have to believe that XR technology
is the future and will helpthem to provide new and improved
ways of doing business.
So they should explore andthink of ways they could leverage
(32:21):
the technology.
Then they should identifyprojects or areas in their business
where they can use thetechnology to improve a process,
train staff or create a new product.
They should be able tovalidate that it works in their environment
and measure roi.
(32:42):
Then they can scale as fast asthey can to leverage the benefits
before the Competitors can,and that's one of.
The roles of Magic 8 ishelping these companies figure out
their XR strategy and what isthe best way forward.
And certainly having thebackbone of this XR platform is an
(33:02):
amazing advantage to have.
Finally, John, what advice doyou give to an organization out there
that is considering the VARU platform?
And, and really why shouldthey choose that over other tools
out there?
Yeah, well, as we mentionedearlier, we're at the early stages
of XR technology adoption andthere are many, many companies out
(33:23):
there that have their own XR platform.
My advice to any company isfirst, use a platform approach instead
of building custom platforms.
For example, no one buildstheir own customer relationship management
system.
They use Salesforce, they useHubSpot or other platforms.
Then they create their ownworkflow on top of that platform.
(33:46):
Second, you need to havesomeone that you trust to help you
evaluate the technology inyour environment and make sure it's
the right fit.
My advice to Hospitality is ifyou don't have an in house expert,
hire a consultant thatunderstands your industry as well
as the technology.
And then third, make surewhatever platform that you choose
(34:07):
has an open architecture thatallows you to connect your own tools
such as your learningmanagement platform or your enterprise
resource management platform.
And lastly, that you own thecontent and the IP to the content.
That is really, reallyimportant because as I mentioned
earlier, a lot of theseprocesses are unique and proprietary
(34:29):
to that business and how theyexecute their business.
So if someone comes in andoffers you content and then they
own the intellectual propertyof that content, that's not good
for the end user.
And so we're starting to seethe emergence of this model where
leverage a platform, have yourown custom content built on the platform.
If you choose not to use thatplatform later, you still own the
(34:53):
content, your investment isprotected and then you can find other
solutions.
And then lastly, make surethat the platform you choose is backed
by a company with provendeployments and large enterprise
customers.
Customers.
You should not be the customerthat a startup company is learning
from, no matter how good theirtechnology seems.
(35:14):
You know, this is a new, thisis a new area of application.
There's going to be some,some, some new things that people
haven't found yet.
So find companies that have,have already have proven experience
and that are financially ableto support you as you grow.
Well, with 20 years ofexperience, certainly Virtualware
has that expertise in house.
(35:34):
Gentlemen, this has been afascinating conversation and for
my audience, big news.
You're going to be able to seesome of this virtual wear and vrouw
training at the Mirtechconference next week.
If you haven't signed up for ademo, reach out to Magic 8.
We can align you with a demo.
We have limited number ofspots, so make sure that you kind
of you put your demo spot inearly and reserve it now.
(35:58):
Thank you very much, UnaiJohn, great talking to you as always
and I can't wait to share thefuture with you.
Thank you, Skip.
Yeah, Skip, thank you very much.
I think, you know, we're,we're at a very exciting time and
I'm just so excited about thispartnership and, and working with
you to really help bring XRand scale it across the hospitality
(36:19):
industry.
So we'll see you all in Vegas.
Think you've mastered XRsecurity, intellectual property ownership
and scalability?
Well, now you truly have.
The VARU platform is acornerstone of XR development and
deployment, providing therobust foundation needed for a seamless
(36:40):
and scalable strategy.
It's hard to imaginenavigating the space without Veru
as the backbone of your XR initiatives.
If you have any questions formyself or virtualware, or just have
questions around technologyinnovation, we'd love to hear from
you.
You can find me at boothnumber 305 next week at Murtech,
(37:01):
or you can reach out to me onsocial media, Kipkimpel and Magicgate
tech.
We're on X, Facebook,Instagram and LinkedIn.
For past episodes and shownotes, head over to skipkimple.com
and to catch all of the latestepisodes, visit magic8.com you.
Can always reach out to me directly.
(37:21):
Via email skip@magic8.com thecountdown to Murtek continues only
six days out.
By this time, you haveprobably heard of the Magic Gate
XR Experience Zone, and if youwant to get a demo spot scheduled,
do it now.
We have limited spotsavailable and are filling up quickly.
(37:43):
The anticipation is building,preparations are well underway, and
we look forward to seeing youat the show.
And just when you thoughtMagic 8 had revealed it all, we have
one final major partnershipannouncement coming your way to ensure
that you get an exclusivepreview of the technology that you'll
be experiencing at the event.
(38:04):
We're releasing this episode aday early on Monday, so until then,
stay safe, stay healthy, andstay hungry.
My friends.
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