The Profitable Side of Augmented Reality: GeoVector CEO Talks Commerce & Advertising

In brief: Moving on with another in the “best of” selection of executive interviews from the Netsize Guide 2010. This week John Ellenby, CEO of GeoVector, a pioneer in the Augmented Reality (AR) space, looks at the opportunities for AR in business verticals. Will we point and buy? Sure looks it…

What you see is what you get? Advances in AR are transforming this idea into an ideal business model. This was a message that came across loud and clear at the Mobile Marketing Forum in June (an event organized by the Mobile Marketing Association) when agencies such as The Hyperfactory outlined recent marketing campaigns and impressive results.

But it’s not just about impact. Swedish retail giant IKEA has cleverly harnessed AR to take its 2010 catalog to mobile. The AR app for iPhone allows people to select a piece of furniture from the catalog and place it anywhere inside the room around them, changing its size to fit the perspective by using the phone’s camera. The app is a blockbuster success and a signpost that AR is moving from novelty to utility.

INTERVIEW WITH JOHN ELLENBY, GEOVECTOR CEO

What is the future outlook for this new form of immersive marketing?

We catch up with John Ellenby, CEO of GeoVector, for his views. Headquartered in San Francisco, GeoVector has been inventing, developing and fielding innovative pointing and AR capabilities for mobile devices since 1991. Since then the company has experienced much success in Japan, where it launched the first commercial AR offering on the KDDI network with the help of local partners. In 2009 GeoVector released its first application for the iPhone and Android platforms aimed at the U.S. and European markets. The World Surfer application does more than hyperlink the real world; it also provides an attractive vehicle for marketers to connect with consumers on the go.