Mobile Augmented Reality Under the Spotlight

Mobile AR: Overhyped, but more than a gimmick, says ForresterForrester Research has released a report on mobile Augmented Reality (AR). The report notes that while AR has become a widely referenced technology in less than a year, the technology is, in fact, just emerging and will take years to scale.For now, says Forrester, it is primarily used by brands willing to launch innovative mobile services and in search of a "wow" effect.

But while Forrester believe the technology is currently over-hyped, it also contends that it is much more than a gimmick. In the years to come, it says, it will be a disruptive technology that changes the way consumers interact with their environments. It will bridge the real and digital worlds, enabling new ways to engage with customers via advanced digital interactivity.

Indeed, says Forrester, since mobile AR makes the most of mobile's unique attributes, it will help transform mobile phones into the new remote control of our personal daily lives. Consumer product strategists should benchmark innovation in this space very carefully, conceive their mobile services as if the technology were already mature, but integrate it very cautiously in their 2011 mobile road maps, the analyst advises.

There’s more information about the report here.