If Meta (ex-Facebook), Microsoft and many other digital giants want to surf the metaverse to ensure their long-term sustainability, European operators do not intend to be outdone and rely on an alliance of their various infrastructures to be part of the adventure.
Orange thus announced this week that it has joined forces with its European partners Deutsche Telekom, Telefónica and Vodafone to develop their own holographic communication platform based on the application of a specialist in the field, the company Matsuko, founded in 2017. .
Based on the interconnection of the edge computing servers of the various European operators who took part in the experiment, this platform should allow its users to establish a holographic communication session using the camera of a 5G smartphone, to appear in front of his interlocutors in the skin of a 3D hologram.
“It’s not science fiction anymore”
“The constituted hologram offers an immersive experience thanks to its projection in a virtual environment or superimposed on the real environment, through augmented reality glasses or virtual reality headsets”, argue the four European operators. And to indicate that the contribution of 5G and edge computing now makes it possible to overcome the “problems related to the network which once hindered the fluidity and the natural aspect of holographic experiences”.
“Future applications could include face-to-face or small group interactions to improve communication for consumer or enterprise customers,” the four carriers said. The latter explain that they are currently in the development phase to set up a dedicated platform, “halfway between the virtual and real worlds”.
For Karine Dussert-Sarthe, in charge of the project at Orange Innovation, this is a “significant first step towards immersive universes in which Orange will support its customers through new experiences and interactions”. This European-style metaverse “will also allow companies to build relationships with their stakeholders”, rejoices Alex Froment-Curtil, commercial director of Vodafone, for whom, it is certain, the irruption of the virtual in our daily lives no longer constitutes “science fiction”.
Source: www.zdnet.fr
