HTC Vive taking on business applications with $1,580 Business Edition

HTC's Vive virtual reality rig is red hot with gamers and consumer techies but it has a more serious side set up for business and enterprise applications.

Available from June 2016, Vive BE allows individuals and organizations to order Vive VR systems with additional services adapted for business and commercial environments. Alongside the full Vive VR system, Vive BE comes with commercial licensing, a dedicated Business Edition customer support line and a 12-month limited warranty. Businesses will be able to buy multiple Vive BE systems, with the option to order large quantities.

Daniel O¡¯Brien, VP of VR at HTC said, "with Vive BE, we are answering the overwhelming demand from global industries for a complete VR experience, to provide innovative solutions for their business needs. Expediting the growth of partner organizations through application of Vive technology is an incredibly important part of our ongoing VR strategy, and will ensure Vive continues to be at the forefront of the enterprise sector."

Priced at $1,580 CAD, features of Vive BE include:

• Complete Vive BE System
  • Vive BE Headset
  • Vive BE Controllers x2
  • Vive BE Base Stations x2
  • Vive BE 3-in-1 Cable
  • Vive BE Face Cushions x4
• Dedicated Vive Business Edition customer support line
• 12-month limited warranty (certain exclusions and limitations apply)

The announcement of Vive BE builds on HTC's existing network of commercial partners, spanning a wide range of industries from Automotive to Medical to Design. Among these partners include Dassault Systššmes, who developed the 3DEXPERIENCE platform as a collaborative virtual environment for businesses to create differentiating customer experiences. ¡°Virtual reality has already proven its appeal among consumers and is now revealing its potential for enterprise,¡± said Olivier Ribet, Vice President High-Tech Industry, Dassault Systššmes. ¡°Vive helps us provide our customers from all industries with premium virtual reality experiences that offer unlimited perspectives to inspire product ideation and creation.¡± 

Vive is the only end-to-end VR platform capable of delivering room-scale technology, with the feature being readily adopted for use in the commercial space. Bob Pette, Vice President, Professional Visualization at NVIDIA commented, ¡°Vive¡¯s room-scale VR, powered by NVIDIA Quadro GPUs, is a great way for professional users to work interactively and move around within their designs. From design to manufacturing to medicine, virtual reality will revolutionize how business gets done.