Engage XR partners with Lenovo as part of enterprise metaverse plans

28 Sep 2022

The Lenovo space within Engage Link. Image: Engage XR

Lenovo is one of five partners set to use Engage XR’s metaverse platform when it launches later this year.

Engage XR has partnered with technology company Lenovo as it looks to launch its enterprise-focused metaverse platform later this year.

The Irish company, formerly called VR Education, will help build a virtual Lenovo presence using Engage Link.

Engage Link is the company’s corporate metaverse offering that’s expected to launch in the fourth quarter of 2022. It will allow organisations to build their own metaverse, provide customer experiences and host professional virtual events within the Engage ecosystem.

Lenovo is one of five partners set to use Engage Link at launch. In August, Stanford University and consumer electronics business HTC were also confirmed as launch partners.

The announcement comes as Lenovo plans to launch a VR headset engineered for enterprise customers, called the ThinkReality VRX. Lenovo’s GM of XR and metaverse, Vishal Shah, said the aim is for this to be the headset of choice “for training and collaborating in immersive 3D”.

“Collaborating with Engage demonstrates the power of these use cases and the ability of ThinkReality to help customers scale into enterprise metaverse,” Shah said.

The Lenovo space within Engage Link will be an ‘always on’ virtual location, to let the company meet with partners and customers while showcasing its products.

Engage XR, which was featured as a SiliconRepublic.com Start-up of the Week in 2015, provides users with a platform for creating, sharing and delivering VR content for education, training and online events through its virtual campus, office and events products.

The Waterford-based company has been pivoting its offering in recent years, and raised €9m in a share placing last year to build a ‘metaverse for business’ using virtual reality.

Engage XR CEO David Whelan said Lenovo’s new VR headset shows the “growing anticipation that more and more work will be done in the metaverse”.

“While other technology companies have focused on the social and entertainment opportunities, Lenovo has identified the huge benefits for enterprises utilising the metaverse to engage with employees, customers and suppliers around the world,” Whelan added.

“We are delighted that they have chosen Engage to build their presence within the metaverse.”

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Leigh Mc Gowran is a journalist with Silicon Republic

editorial@siliconrepublic.com