Following the deletion of Oculus account data, Meta has now removed several features from its virtual meeting room tool, Horizon: Workrooms, in an effort to provide a “more efficient and reliable experience.” At the same time, Meta optimized the user experience of its platform.
Effective March 30, Meta removed Horizon Workrooms features, including features such as interactive whiteboards, custom poster logos/environments/layouts, chat files/links, and tracking keyboards. Meta has also removed all user data associated with these features.
Meta, on the other hand, appears to be trying to breathe new life into its Workrooms platform after interest in its Metaverse ambitions died down. As seen in Meta’s last Connect event: CEO Mark Zuckerberg Horizon: Only passing worlds are mentioned; Make sure the platform is developing in the background.
Meta Connect 2024 will approach faster with each passing year. The Menlo Park-based company is actively working on immersive software and hardware development and is preparing a big announcement. The company also collaborates with large industry partners such as LG to develop more products.
The new optimizations for Workrooms could highlight how Meta is developing its Metaverse platform, which is poised for big results later this year. Workrooms users can now experience upgraded features, including a new experience, improved meeting management options, improved screen sharing, and optimized virtual screens.
Meta has not announced any further updates to the broader Horizon Worlds platform. However, the company may follow suit by optimizing the Quest ecosystem, signing new significant partnerships in 2024.
Meta completes transition from Oculus Branding.
Just days before Meta updated Workrooms, the company deleted all Oculus user data on March 28.
Meta’s move means Quest users will no longer be able to log in to XR devices with their Oculus accounts. At the time, the report stated, “Once your Oculus account is deleted, you will no longer be able to use Meta Quest with your Oculus account and you will not be able to reactivate or search for anything on your account.” Meta also noted: Oculus account users can migrate their data through the Meta website.
Meta is expanding its enterprise XR services and eliminating the need for Oculus login and data. Meta Quest for Business services provide companies with a variety of XR hardware, software, and management tools to help their employees get started with immersive technologies.
Premium features added to Meta’s enterprise services allow end users to skip login requirements and simplify the onboarding process. This move by Meta marks the end of Oculus, which was officially rebranded as Meta in 2021, with all Oculus products and technology now falling under the Meta banner, along with the company’s social media portfolio.
All systems are meta
Now all systems are Meta. The latest partnership, amid a shifting industry paradigm, could highlight how Meta is looking at the future as a hardware provider.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg met with LG CEO Joe William and Home Entertainment President Park Hyung-se last month to discuss future XR device cooperation, announcing the beginning of a strategic partnership between LG and the Meta technology portfolio.
The intention is to build a technology ecosystem by combining LG’s TV division services and Meta’s XR portfolio to lead innovation in XR devices and customer experience. LG will lay out the benefits of a smart device OS that can work with Meta’s AI system to create competitive XR devices. LG’s Smart OS is currently worth approximately $750.5 million in app revenue, potentially providing a valuable revenue stream and service to Meta’s XR hardware ecosystem.