Modern technologies like AR, VR, and MR have opened a whole new world of opportunities for various sectors. A software or gadget solution put together using such advanced technologies can provide a never-before-service experience to customers in real and virtual worlds.
While websites and apps have allowed businesses to take products and services directly to customers, the experience of buying feels like an artificial one; these digital mediums cannot provide an individualized, immersive experience. Due to this, the chances of customers getting diverted or uninterested are always high.
To improve customer retention, introducing a personalized and interactive solution is a key necessity for businesses. For this to take place, many businesses these days are collaborating with technology companies to develop modern solutions to productively serve customers.
Program-Ace is one such tech company that is enabling businesses of all kinds to be more customer-engaging through its innovative software solutions. It offers expert services in multi-platform software solutions, augmented and virtual reality development, online training, virtual simulations, and product configurators.
In an exclusive interview with The Business Berg, Program-Ace’s Founder and CEO, Oleg Fonarov, sheds light on the innovative technology and R&D solutions offered by his company to various businesses in their digital transformation journey.
Below are the excerpts from the interview:
Please brief our audience about your company and how it is currently positioned as the most innovative player in the AR/VR space.
Program-Ace is an innovation-oriented software development and R&D company boasting over 30 years of success and growth in the IT sector. We partner with businesses and enterprises globally to craft innovative solutions that help companies embrace digital transformation.
Working with AR/VR technologies from the beginning of their development, we have become experts in immersive solutions, proven by multiple awards and recognitions from international tech communities and clients’ testimonials.
Using modern hardware and software, we develop the ultimate experience in augmented and virtual reality for any type of device — from smartphones to VR headsets. Moreover, now we can also apply our skills and knowledge to create disruptive Metaverse solutions.
Tell us about your company’s contribution to advancing the AR/VR space. Also, tell us about the latest business solutions offered by your company to fulfill clients’ requirements.
The primary mission of the Program-Ace company is to be a reliable technology partner for large enterprises as well as small and medium-sized businesses. That is why we put our best talent and resources into the development of disruptive immersive solutions that change game rules.
Essentially, our team develops products that make a difference. For example, our innovative solution, MR. Ace Framework is an internal tool that allows specialists to create any kind of training, reducing the time by 5x in the software development process.
In addition, Program-Ace has developed and delivered dozens of innovative custom AR/VR projects to our clients worldwide over the last several years.
Please share your opinion on what impact the adoption of modern technologies such as AI and ML has had on the AR/VR niche and what more could be expected in the future.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning are integral for global tech development and significantly impact augmented and virtual reality technologies in particular.
As artificial intelligence develops, scientists achieve new scales of data analysis and more appropriate computer reactions to the gained information. That is why AI and ML are vital for building innovative XR solutions on its base. Thus, clients can get the most out of AR/VR training, eLearning, corporate solutions, and beyond, as they operate faster and more accurately.
Tell us about the various industries that your company caters to. How do you ensure they meet the clients’ organization requirements?
At Program-Ace, we work in a wide range of industries that require the development of software solutions using immersive technologies like VR, AR, MR, and the metaverse. The list of our other services includes R&D as well as software engineering. With expertise in metaverse building, 3D visualization, and game development, we offer our clients only solutions that help them achieve their business goals.
The services we provide always meet the requirements of our clients because we maintain continuous communication from a project’s launch to its finalization. During interviews, we discuss all the aspects touching on our future project and thoroughly plan each step prior to jumping into the development stage. Precisely this approach allows us to keep each client assured that their project would be built according to the previously discussed requirements.
In your opinion, what could be the future of the AR/VR service providers’ industry? And how are you strategizing your company’s operations for that future?
Beyond question, metaverse and NFT share the highest ranks of trends projected to define the future of the XR market and, accordingly, the service providers’ industry. Inside their metaverses, companies can offer a broad spectrum of third-party products and services, which is one viable business model overlooking the future. Another model implies developing various XR and metaverse solutions for others. Program-Ace is primarily oriented toward this strategy in its approach to working with immersive technologies.
The future of AR/VR service providers certainly depends on what use cases will dominate the market. XR remote assistance, virtual workrooms, as well as metaverse, and NFT games, will probably become the most widely used solutions.
Furthermore, the XR industry heavily bets on developing new communication tools inside metaverses as well as deepening user experience with haptic technologies and electromyography. Thus, the strategic priority of our company will unquestionably involve using first-class technologies to offer our clients solutions that respond to their needs.
What would your advice be to the budding entrepreneurs and enthusiasts aspiring to venture into the competitive industry that you are serving?
Researching the market and monitoring its fluctuations to remain aware of emerging solutions and technologies is one of the most valuable measures any modern entrepreneur should undertake. Primarily, I would eagerly suggest that modern entrepreneurs and startup founders should focus on those immersive technologies that are not only trendy but viable for them.
Although the XR and software engineering industries are massively competitive, they are open to new prospects and niches that are still unoccupied.
One of the most beneficial approaches implies choosing whether to pursue innovations or aim to improve what is already functioning in the market. It all depends on the scale and ambitions of future startups, not to mention the target audience.
How do you envision scaling your company’s services in 2022 and beyond?
Program-Ace never loses track of the industry fluctuations to offer our clients exclusively top-notch services that match their business goals. Throughout our years of operation in the IT industry, we have delivered numerous XR projects, earning awards and winning the loyalty of our customers. Having developed diverse solutions for metaverses and VR employee training, we have continually increased our activity in the industry.
Ultimately, we intend to continue scaling our presence in the markets of XR technologies, game development, and metaverse, often combining one with another. NFT and metaverse solutions will undoubtedly remain in our focus to facilitate an uninterrupted evolution in the business environment.
The Visionary Leader
Oleg Fonarov, Program-Ace’s CEO, founded the company in 1992 as a graphic design studio. For a couple of years, the company’s main services included work with 3D graphics and web development. Further, the company focused on XR technologies to provide innovative software and training solutions for enterprises in the US and European markets.
Over the years, Oleg has built a strong team of experienced specialists and formed two divisions, each with different core expertise. 3D-Ace specializes in 2D art creation, 3D modeling, animation, and other CG services. The second one, Game-Ace, offers full-cycle game development and content production for games.
As for now, relying on our long experience in building games, immersive, and 3D solutions, Program-Ace can serve as a strong partner for creating Metaverse and NFT apps and games.
Here it from the Clients Themselves
- “They use a collaborative approach and have highly creative people.” – Nick Dale, Product Manager, Lampada Digital Solutions
- “They’re very professional and well-prepared for everything.” – Jochen Van Lysebettens, Director of Interactive Division, Nanopixel
- “They’re professional, easy to work with, accountable, and ramp up quickly.” – Manny Reif, VP, RADWIN
- “They conceptualize during the process and resolve issues we hadn’t considered, without any added cost or complaint.” – Colin Allman, Creative Director, No Studios LLC