Snap Inc., previously known as Snapchat Inc., announced in late March that it will be offering its augmented reality (AR) technology to businesses through its new AR Enterprise Services (ARES).
The ARES program is being overseen by Jill Popelka, who previously held leadership positions within Accenture and SAP before joining Snap in June of 2022. Speaking about the new offering, Popelka noted that Snap has been “bringing fun and personal AR experiences to Snapchatters” for the last decade but is now “excited to take [Snap’s] world-class AR technology to businesses’ websites, apps, and even into their physical locations.”
ARES users will reportedly be able to integrate Snap’s AR technology into various aspects of their businesses, which includes their websites and apps. This, Snap said in its press release, is useful because “brands need to be able to engage with their customers beyond Snapchat and across platforms.”
Initially, users will have access to Snap’s so-called Shopping Suite, which is primarily beneficial to stores that sell apparel and accessories as consumers would have access to features such as Fit Finder, AR Try-On, and 3D viewer. These features are integrated directly into merchants’ websites and apps, meaning consumers can try on apparel and accessories while also determining accurate sizing information and how the products might look in 3D.
Image source: Snap, Inc.
According to Snap, these features would work by “using proprietary photogrammetry hardware and machine learning creation pipelines to deliver high fidelity assets optimized for end user performance.” ARES can also assist businesses in measuring performance analytics and finding the optimal utilization of the technology while also having access to Snap’s Shopping Suite support team.
Snap noted that over 300 businesses are currently using the ARES suite, including Goodr, Princess Polly, and Gobi Cashmere, who each reported seeing positive results from it thus far. This includes a reduced return rate, a higher conversion rate, an increase in add-to-cart actions, and an overall uptick in revenue.
Snap has placed a lot of focus on AR technology to date, including various AR resources for desktop, iOS, and Android devices. Snap has also released its own AR Spectacles, which are currently only available to “creators looking to push the limits of immersive AR experiences.” The company is also working on creating AR technologies for other industries including entertainment, games, and education.
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