27 September 2017, Darwin, Australia – Seemingly timeless things in our world, like the trusty tape measure, may soon be a thing of the past with the advent of Augmented Reality, or “AR”, to smartphones and tablets. It comes as Apple last week released iOS 11 and new iPhones engineered for “the ultimate augmented reality experience”, letting you apply virtual imagery to the real world through an iPhone or iPad’s camera.
Now, using Apple’s new ARKit framework, software developers can much more easily create highly accessible augmented reality apps. These apps can deliver immersive experiences while interacting with the real world, similar to the 2016 global phenomenon Pokémon Go. With iOS 11’s launch last week, numerous gaming, design, creativity, lifestyle and learning apps based on the ARKit framework have appeared in the App Store.
Field service app ServiceM8 is a company which has taken a more business-oriented approach with ARKit. Released with iOS 11 last week, the company has now incorporated a virtual measuring tape into its core job management app. This gives their trades and field-based service customers the ability to measure lengths and areas using only their iPhone, then convert measurements to 3D diagrams to document a job’s requirements.
“Augmented reality is powerful. It is stimulating and intuitive, and we believe its business application has just as much potential as its gaming and recreational applications” said ServiceM8 CEO, Mr Kim Ford.
“Now, with ARKit, augmented reality is truly accessible. A single developer can build an AR application in a matter of days, which might have previously taken a team months or even years,” Mr Ford explained.
“Augmented reality has the power to deliver real efficiency and productivity benefits for our field service customers, as well as an unprecedented ability for them to delight and surprise their clients with the “wow factor”, insights and fresh perspectives that AR can bring,” Mr Ford said.
ServiceM8’s AR Measure tool is just one of several new features the company released in a major update last week, also delivering barcode scanning, voice-activated labels for photos, and hosted online booking forms.
“We are constantly looking to apply the very latest technology to help our customers – small businesses, electricians, plumbers, cleaners, mum and dad operations. We want to eliminate administration and help them work smarter, with enterprise-grade technology. Augmented reality, machine learning, wearables – it’s all on the table. If there’s a legitimate use case to apply a new technology, you can be sure we’re looking at how it could help revolutionise field service delivery,” Mr Ford said.
About ServiceM8:
ServiceM8 is a field service management app which empowers small business to thrive. It’s cloud-based software for field-based trades and home services businesses like electrical contractors, plumbers and pool care specialists. Field staff use the software via a native app for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. The ServiceM8 app is exclusive to Apple mobile devices.
With communication, job dispatch, quoting and invoicing capability, and real-time visibility on job status and staff location in the field, ServiceM8 helps businesses get work, complete work, and get paid.
Media contact:
Michael O’Neill
Communications Manager, ServiceM8
Phone: 0414 755 242 (Australia), +61 414 755 242 (International)
Email: michael.o’neill@servicem8.com
For a video of the ServiceM8 app’s AR Measure tool:
For a photo of the ServiceM8 app’s AR Measure tool:
ServiceM8 AR Measure - iPhone.jpg
To demo ServiceM8’s AR Measure (requires iPhone 6s or later, iPad Pro, or iPad 2017):
For an overview of ServiceM8’s latest update (ServiceM8 6.0):
https://www.servicem8.com/september-2017-update
A ServiceM8 press kit including logos and images can be found here:
https://www.servicem8.com/press-media
For more info on Apple’s ARKit and other AR apps:
https://developer.apple.com/arkit/ or search ‘Augmented Reality’ in the App Store.
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