Ron Bauer: Dell and Immersive Technology’s Untapped Potential

In a tech sector so consistently preoccupied with the machinations of its most powerful companies, it is not at all surprising that the innovative efforts of competitors are easily overshadowed. This is also true of the public at large, particularly when a company makes the decision to eschew attention-seeking strategies in favor of a subtle, quiet strategy.

According to Ron Bauer, a London-based venture capitalist with specific expertise in immersive and entertainment technologies, Dell’s push to position itself as a leader in immersive content serves as the most recent example of the kind of subtle strategy that catches the rest of the industry by surprise.

With its keen focus on innovation concerning virtual and augmented reality technologies, Dell has secured critical partnerships with major Hollywood studios such as Warner Bros and Fox. These partnerships have enabled the company to be involved with quite a few notable projects, including Dunkirk, Assassin’s Creed, Alien: Covenant, and Spider-Man: Homecoming.

In its partnerships with major studios, Dell has mostly focused on companion pieces that allow audience members to enjoy an immersive experience in the unique environment in which a film is set. Ron Bauer is quick to praise Dell’s approach to immersive technologies like virtual reality and augmented reality. Bauer, the managing partner of private equity firm Bonsai Capital, emphasized the untapped potential of immersive technologies, particularly as it relates to the film industry.

It’s worth noting that Dell is hardly alone in recognizing the future potential of immersive and entertainment technologies, as investors put $2.3 billion into the various elements of the sector in 2016 alone. The projected 2017 revenue generated by immersive technologies is even more promising, as most analysts project worldwide revenues approaching $14 billion.

Of course, some of the enthusiasm surrounding the industry has been tempered a few key issues that have stifled growth up to this point. The price for VR headsets will need to come down from the current range of $600 to $800, and the processor-intensive content associated with the technology has highlighted the need for faster computers capable of showcasing the uniquely immersive experience of VR and AR technologies.

In light of the issues that have thus far limited growth in an industry with so much untapped potential, Dell has already taken steps to introduce solutions that will further cement its status as the unquestioned authority on all matters relating to immersive and entertainment technologies. So even though its quiet, subtle approach has gone mostly unnoticed, it’s all too clear that it is only a matter of time before Dell’s innovative efforts draw widespread attention from inside and outside the tech industry.