Why IT leaders should pay attention to Augmented Reality

Brian Blau, Research VP, Gartner

  03 Nov 2016 , 16:11

By Brian Blau

Magikarp is in the fountain, Charmander is near the park bench, Rattata is by the front desk and everywhere people are throwing digital PokéBalls with their smartphones.

These names represent Pokémon characters, inspired by the popular 1990’s television show, that show up in your GPS-rendered surroundings while playing the new Pokémon Go app. As players walk around their neighborhoods, offices or any physical environs, the phone vibrates to let users know that a Pokémon is nearby. The image of the Pokémon is displayed over the real-world terrain, and players use the phone screen and a live camera view to “catch” the characters.

A Pidgey appears on a car in screenshots from Pokémon Go

Launched in a limited number of countries in July 2016, the app has risen to the top of the app store charts in the U.S. and broken many app engagement records. While Pokémon Go is a game and its augmented reality (AR) feature isn’t sophisticated, the app’s success has turbocharged attention on AR and

Pokémon Go is becoming a part of the course curriculum in colleges around the world

By Aditya Madanapalle /  03 Oct 2016 , 10:19

Pokémon Go was the viral sensation this summer. The game uses the global positioning system, augmented reality and licensed content from Nintendo. Behind the scenes, Google has a team of engineers directly working with the Niantic team to ensure that the servers are up and running. The game is very social, and makes trainers form networks, co-ordinate attacks, and discuss strategies. Pokémon Go is physically demanding, and unlike a conventional video game, it makes you go outside and explore locations in the real world.

Training can also make you oblivious to your surroundings.

These social and technical characteristics mean that Pokémon Go is now becoming a part of university courses around the world. According to a report in the Daily Mail, Salford University students studying Business Information Technology will be required to play and understand the game as part of