The advent of augmented reality (AR) in telecommunications will transform multiple business procedures such as maintenance, business intelligence, and inventory management.
The services provided by telecommunication industries are at the core of various business systems that are required for healthcare, logistics, marketing, and sales. For these industries, telecom organizations offer uninterrupted services that help numerous businesses connect with their partners and customers in the current technology-centric world. However, providing uninterrupted services can be immensely complicated due to incidents like a power outage or equipment failure. To address such issues, telecommunication businesses conduct inspections regularly. But, conducting inspections can become increasingly time-consuming and expensive as telecom equipment gets more complex with time. By deploying augmented reality in telecommunications, businesses can find solutions for multiple maintenance challenges. Immersive technologies such as augmented reality and virtual reality (VR) can simplify and speed up the entire inspection process. Similarly, immersive technologies can streamline multiple business procedures such as employee training and field service management. Additionally, immersive technologies offer a hands-free and interactive medium to business leaders and employees for engaging with enterprise systems. Due to these benefits, telecom businesses are interested in adopting augmented reality and virtual reality. As telecom giants start adopting immersive technologies, the odds will be stacked against small and medium businesses. Hence, all business leaders need to be aware of the benefits of virtual reality and augmented reality in telecommunications.
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality in Telecommunications
The advent of virtual reality and augmented reality in telecommunications will transform the industry in the following ways:
Business Intelligence
Telecom companies use business intelligence solutions to gain insights about their business with the help of analytics. Such analytics can be displayed in a visually appealing and easily understandable manner with the help of virtual reality. Virtual reality headsets can present complex business data in a simpler format compared to conventional approaches. With the help of business analytics, business leaders can identify changing market trends and predict the performance of their business. Based on such insights, business leaders can develop effective business strategies that can help them improve core operations, develop new products, manage financial assets, and monitor marketing strategies. Therefore, virtual reality-based business intelligence can help business leaders in understanding various business aspects of their organization effortlessly.
Employee Training
Telecom organizations can develop virtual reality-powered training programs for their employees. Such programs can simulate real-world situations in a 360-degree virtual environment to train employees for various scenarios. Based on these training sessions, businesses can understand the strengths and weaknesses of their employees and evaluate their performance. By gathering such data about every employee, organizations can develop personalized virtual reality-enabled training programs that can focus on every employee’s specific challenges. With such programs, organizations can assist their employees in overcoming their challenges and expose them to complex situations for testing their abilities.
Field Service Management
Field technicians are responsible for monitoring complex networks and equipment to offer solutions for existing issues. However, manually detecting and repairing faults in equipment and networks can be quite complicated. Hence, the implementation of augmented reality in telecommunications can be an essential tool for field technicians that can assist them in identifying defects and estimated time for repairs. With the help of augmented reality technology, field service technicians can also identify various components of different machines. For this purpose, field technicians can scan components using their AR-enabled smartphones or AR headsets and receive detailed information about the scanned component.
Remote Support
In some situations, field technicians may need additional support while repairing complex equipment or addressing network issues. Generally, in such cases, field technicians may call experts over for assistance, making the entire process time-consuming. Additionally, other field technicians may be unavailable to assist as they might be busy with other tasks. Hence, telecom businesses need a reliable solution to this problem. The implementation of augmented reality in telecommunications can enable field technicians to establish a two-way audio and video session with an expert. With such AR-enabled sessions, equipment experts can identify faults in the equipment in real-time. Based on their observations, equipment experts can guide field technicians through equipment repairs and monitor the entire process.
Equipment Manuals
Augmented reality headsets can be used to gain necessary information about certain equipment with the help of QR markers. AR-enabled smartphones or headsets can scan a QR code placed on a machine to display instruction manuals, specifications, and other necessary information about a piece of equipment. Using such solutions, telecom businesses can train their employees in operating new equipment. Moreover, employees can interact with the AR content to retrieve additional information about a machine. Hence, the utilization of augmented reality in telecommunications will enable businesses to educate their employees about various machines with an interactive and hands-on experience.
Maintenance
The QR codes placed on various equipment can be used to access maintenance instructions, previous inspection dates, and history of repairs with the help of AR headsets. With the help of such information, technicians and other staff can perform routine maintenance tasks. Such QR codes can also contain guided instructions that can help employees in executing routine maintenance tasks. Hence, augmented reality technology can display essential equipment-related information with an interactive and hands-free approach.
Audits
Augmented reality headsets can enable businesses to conduct regular audits. AR headsets can be used to record the performance of each equipment and possible defects with the help of detailed checklists. Also, AR headsets can provide guided instructions to inspectors to help them conduct an audit efficiently. The data collected with the help of AR headsets can be used in generating detailed audit reports. Hence, the utilization of augmented reality in telecommunications can make the auditing process more accurate and efficient.
Record Creation
AR applications can be used to make checklists and record crucial data during inspections. With such interactive checklists, businesses and inspectors can ensure that every necessary step is followed during the inspection process by marking completed steps in real time. In this manner, inspection records can be generated while performing various inspection tasks, which can make the entire process efficient. The generated record log can be saved locally on-device or as an AR object in a centralized system.
Inventory
Augmented reality headsets can offer direct access to inventory databases. Based on the data stored in the inventory database, businesses can identify shortages preemptively and order spare parts. Furthermore, on-site inspectors and remote experts can access the inventory database and order spare parts during audits. In this manner, these professionals can ensure that necessary replacement components are ordered without being missed or forgotten. Such orders can also be logged in the inspection records or on-device for future reference.
The implementation of immersive technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality in telecommunications will revolutionize traditional business models to improve productivity and efficiency. Soon, telecom companies may be able to deliver top-notch services at an inexpensive rate by cutting costs with the help of immersive technologies. However, telecom organizations may require some time for delivering such services as researchers address major AR and VR challenges like hardware issues, software complications, and lack of content. Business leaders need to understand such challenges and other technicalities of adopting and utilizing such modern technologies by collaborating with skilled professionals. With this approach, businesses can utilize immersive technologies to their maximum potential.
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