AR/VR DiT Trade mission to US West Coast

skignz was invited alongside a host of other British companies for a AR/VR Trade mission to visit Los Angeles and San Francisco over 10 days.

The mission was run by the UK DiT in conjunction with their local offices in LA & San Francisco, who had lined up a plethora of presentations and meetings with some of the world's biggest brands in this space, and one or two lesser known ones.

Apple, Universal Studios, Lucas Film, IMAX, reFramed etc. were just a few of the organisations we visited on the trip. The experiences and knowledge gained was amazing, this was one of the best missions any of the skignz team had undertaken. Instead of being bored to death with presentations from Inward Investment organisations encouraging you to invest in their locality, this trip focussed on brands and organisations who were willing to open their doors to British Companies and engage in quite frank and honest conversations.

Some of the companies admitted despite being global players in their own verticals and marketplaces they felt they had learnt not only about what other tech and resource is out there, but were surprised at the talent from the UK that they hadn’t tapped into.

Our CEO, Si Brow said , "To visit the Lucas Film, see the original StarWars Artwork, experience what they are currently working on was a memorable experience that will live with him forever. 

Especially being able to fight Darth Maul in AR with a lightsaber and seeing a real hologram of Princess Lea. His favourite film coming to life was the icing on the cake. 

The first experience in the fourth instalment of StarWars, was way back in the latter part of the 1970’s. So to see the developments and progressions of the film tech was mind-blowing".

skignz were super keen not only to visit, but also understand more of what the world's most famous and leading branding, Apple, are looking for in Augmented Reality.

Apple have made no secret over the last 12-18 months about where they see the importance of AR and how they are focussing quite heavily on it (obviously without telling us what exactly they are doing beyond ARKit). 

We hope that a potential follow up meeting in early 2018 will provide us with more guidance, direction and opportunity for the skignz technology and platform with Apple. Watch this space ...

In addition to the companies we visited the delegates on the mission proved, as ALL missions do, that sometimes it's not where you are visiting or what work /relationships you aim to establish whilst there, it's actually the people you're with (sort of a Big Brother intensive shared experience) that actually brings more immediate opportunities and scope for partnerships. 

This was certainly the case on this trip and the skignz team are looking forward to more focused meetings with quite a few of the other delegates. Again watch this space ...

As the skignz team have considerable experience from these Trade Missions to various locations across the world, we asked Si what did he think were the 3 most important things you need to consider when ‘Investing in a DiT Trade Mission’, because that's exactly what you are doing, you are investing time, energy, resources, and above all, funds to be involved.

Si’s three key points to consider are:
1. Research the location, does it fit with a business metric? Can you realistically produce 5-10 times more in revenue than the trip costs? If it's not about revenue and it's about understanding a marketplace, then be careful to make sure it's the marketplace you can not only deliver and do business in, but to understand also the impacts on the rest of the business if it's successful.

2. Pick the right people in your team to attend. Sending one person is more than enough. The reason I say that is, it forces you to engage with the other people attending and gets you out of your comfort zone, too easy with 2 to 3 of you attending for it to become a jolly. Focus is key!

3. Request what the likely agenda will be, who you will be seeing, when and why? If it's inward investment bodies, accountants, lawyers and other professional firms, don’t waste your time! 

If you want to do business in that country/location then you need to meet prospective customers, then if there is a market for your product or service, they will not only clarify that for you in more detail, but also all the other things will come after if you secure a new client or three.

In summary Si commented: “These trade missions are only as good as what you put into them, long intensive days, strict timetables of activity that if you don’t adhere to them, you will fail to get the benefit you seek.

Furthermore, you have made all the effort to get there, don’t be a wallflower, talk to the people around you who are also in the same boat and ask questions … especially of those people who are presenting or showing you demonstrations/examples. 
They are giving up their time to ‘host you’, get as much out of it as you can.

Also, be brutally honest with yourself and your colleagues when you return, debrief them:

What was good?
What was bad?
What inspired you?
What did you find out?

Everything you think will help you and the team in your business who weren’t present. 

They may ask questions of what you did, answer them honestly, they may see things that you don’t”.

Finally you need to enjoy it … yes you are there to work but in our experience ‘highest energy wins’.

We will keep you updated through our blog and reference this DiT inspired and creative event with our follow up and further actions as a result of ‘being there’ on the West Coast.

If you would like to know more about the UK DiT or the GREAT campaign then please visit.

If you want to find out more about skignz, then please visit our new recently launched website (www.skignz.com) as well as the usual social media channels 

If you would like to download our FREE App then please Press here http://get.skignz.com

Additional Images:

  

 

Un-Augmented Reality:

Tales from the AR Trenches
by Si Brown, Founder & CEO, skignz

Long time readers of this blog – friends and family of skignz – know I’ve been pursuing the very real dream of making Augmented Reality easy, fun, and useful for the masses.

In the beginning, finding articles on the topic was as rare as finding Venusaur, Blastoise, or Charizard in Pokemon Go!. (Of course, back when we started, there was no Pokemon Go!) Try as I might to find something tangible, most of the articles were related to the promise and potential of the technology.

As time passed, it got a little easier because 'the space' was heating up. However, we still couldn't find much in our specific territory. (Don't get me wrong...that's not a bad thing!). The growing amount of information was about AR triggered by images (e.g. a QR or UPC code) or 'features' (e.g. logos or open spaces in a kitchen to place an augmented microwave). 

While location-based (what we use) is another known trigger, it’s surprisingly rare. In fact, we studied the 109 applications in Super Ventures AR Landscape and could only find a couple of possible examples.

Then came two thunderclaps: Pokemon Go! and Apple’s AR kit announcement. 

Boom. Boom.

Pokemon Go! was indeed the game changer that it gets the credit for. It taught us all lessons about the possibilities and established a credible example of how a niche technology could explode into the main stream. ARKit clearly will do all that and probably more.

Add Facebook’s pronouncements and you might think skignz would want to crawl into a virtual cave. 

How could a small angle-round startup possibly compete? This is how:

* We use 'geofencing' in a very different way than all other location-based experiences (AR or other)

* We don’t place content in the App (we’ve <5 MB on your phone vs +300mb for Pokemon Go!) Take a look for yourself www.skignz.com/download 

* We have real use cases under our belt and a growing sense of what works (and what doesn’t) for our particular flavour of AR see www.skignz.com

In addition, those same longtime readers know skignz has been identified by some of the largest brands in the world (Coca-Cola, IHG, Cox Enterprises, Porsche, to name just a few) and have selected us to be part of The Coca-Cola Bridge Community program. That prestigious recognition gives our partners the opportunity to bring location-based AR to the masses.

For this we offer our very real thanks to the teams at companies like Apple, Niantic and others for doing what we couldn’t do by ourselves: Make Augmented Reality a 'reality'.

Credit: Apple's WWDC 2017 KeyNote

If you want to find out more about skignz, then please visit our website (www.skignz.com) as well as the usual social media channels.

Face Time on the Move...

The desire to see people's faces when talking to them?

Why when you can just have it on audio?

Surely FaceTime is better suited to private talking, business or pleasure, not whilst walking down the street, getting on a bus or even as we experienced the other day... 

Talking on FaceTime whilst boarding a plane, from the gate, right through till being seated and the doors closing on the aircraft.... What extra benefit is a visual call rather than an audio one in these circumstances... Discuss?

Now you have read this, it will heighten your 'senses' and for whatever reason you will notice this more and more on your daily travels.

We are not saying it's right or wrong? We are not saying it's unsafe or safe... 

I suppose we are looking at it from a 'user habits' point of view and wondering if this is an indicator of people wanting more. 

Usual stimulation in all aspects of their lives, or even as we have coined the phrase, don't look down at your phone, look up through it... this is where skignz as a 'behaviour' will change how we interatc with the world around us!

OK we used a bit of artistic licence in the last part, because on FaceTime you are not looking through your phone, you are still looking at it.

But and this is where we see the but...

The position of the phone is changed and it's not laid flat in your hand perpendicular to your body, but up, in front of your parallel with your body... 

In a more engaging with the world around you way. Not the insular, looking down at your phone (your feet) way which society now sees every day.

We are just throwing this out there, a little musing on something we have noticed more often recently. 

Have you? What do you think? Will FaceTime whilst walking catch on? Or is it pointless and a waste of your battery life when you can have the same conversation simply using Audio? or might we suggest its a precursor to the new world enhanced by skignz?

If you want to find out more about skignz, then please visit our new recently launched website (www.skignz.com) as well as the usual social media channels 

Business Rocks Partners with skignz

skignz are excited to announce that we have been named as a partner for the upcoming Business Rocks 2016 in Manchester, UK.

Mixing the dynamism of the organisers with the easy use of skignz technology, attendees now no longer need to get lost in Manchester in April when they attend Business Rocks 2016.

What's more, the opportunity to listen to keynote speaker Steve Wozniak is obviously something no one wants to miss out on, or be late...

As well as speaking our own Co-Founder & CMO Si Brown be on the same bill as the Apple Co-Founder, skignz will place digital content in all of the areas of Manchester which will be useful to attendees, including transport links, hotels, where to find those who are exhibiting, and of course, the main stage to see the keynote and other speeches.  

This will be a great opportunity for the skignz team to demonstrate the effectiveness of the skignz technology platform, following our very successful trips to SXSW(Austin, Texas, US) & Web Summit (Dublin, Ireland) in March '16 and November '15 respectively.

Si Brown will deliver a speech aimed at opening discussions about the possibilities of AR for everyone, and update on the progress of skignz, and of course a 'live interactive demo'.

Si said, “I’m extremely excited about speaking at the event.  

It’s always good to get up on stage and spread the skignz Gospel, but to do it in the same event, as someone of the calibre of ‘The Woz’ will be a huge highlight for me, and for skignz".

We will also be exhibiting in the main area alongside some of Britain’s Best Tech companies, so what better way to showcase what we are about and how we can impact on people's lives with skignz than by providing a live demonstration on the stage.”

Business Rocks takes place on 21st & 22nd April 2016 in Manchester UK, and is expected to be the first in a long line of global events for the BR team. As a partner moving forward, skignz will be on show at events on a global basis as the BR brand gathers momentum as one of THE events for Tech Entrepreneurs, Music and Investors to attend.

Nothing has been left to chance; the event includes a competition for start-ups and a chance to win a massive £50,000!!  As well as established companies in attendance, the event will also feature an opportunity for Start Up’s to come and showcase their products, Bands to perform and people to enjoy, after all, attending an event like this should be fun as well as informative!!

If you would like to attend, skignz can help you with a reduced price ticket special offer, limited for the first 9 people. This offer ends on Friday 15th at Midnight, so click here to secure your ticket now.

Don't miss out, it's not very often you get chance to hear the likes of Steve Wozniak speak. Hopefully he will reveal some stories about his early days at Apple and his close relationship with the late, great Steve Jobs.

And as always for further information on skignz then please visit us on the usual Social Media channels or drop us a line info@skignz.com

What's happening in the AR Market?

Over the last 12-18 months you may have heard and read an awful lot about VR (Virtual Reality), especially since Facebook bought Oculus Rift for $2billion. 

Many of the world's biggest tech hardware & software companies are developing alternatives with VR Headsets ranging from a few thousand dollars right down to google cardboard.

The headline have been dominated by VR. What it can do? How it's developed over the last year or so and how it will change certain sectors / markets / industries.

However with skignz being an AR (Augmented Reality) company we have been taking a keen interest in our own market. If 2014/15 was all about VR, then 2016 onwards will be dominated by AR.

Yesterday blippar announced a further $54 million investment (Series D Raise) on top of the $45 million (Series C Raise) they raised exactly 12 months ago, making them one of the world's biggest and dominant forces in the AR market.

The blippar announcement comes on the heels of Google's investment of $568m into Magic Leap, Microsoft's Hololens & Apple's acquisition of Metaio. Also last year Blippar acquired Layar (Main Competitor), leaving Wikitude, Aurasma and skignz as the main AR platforms.

The acquisitions, investment etc... not only show the confidence in the potential of AR (blippar pre money valuation of £1.5 billion in Aug 2015), the relevance it has to a wider market than VR provides. Most of all it is showing ways that AR can be useful, rather than just an advertising platform (gimmick or campaign based activity), games platform or simulator.

We have been asked a lot in the last 24 hours... How does Blippar's investment effect skignz? We only think it's a very positive one! Especially as the skignz technology platform is complementary to Blippar's 'image recognition' based offering.

Blippar's latest investment (in our very modest opinion) is fantastic, not just becuase they are a UK AR company, but becuase they are pushing the boundaries of what is possible and moving towards a more Visual Search, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning platform. 

Across the AR market offering the majority is focussed on Image recognition and holographic based AR technology. Other than Magic Leap (Google) who have not announced exactly what they are doing, the skignz technology is based on a different method/approach of AR technology.

skignz (like blippar) works through a Free APP on the billions of smartphone or mobile devices across the planet. However skignz aims to provide hyperlocal relevant information, when and where you require it, anywhere on the planet, without have to point your device at something... You just pan around to find what you are looking for... and if you don't see anything, then you have the ability to place your own content!

If Google, Facebook (Mark Zuckerberg Quoting skignz strapline a few months ago), Microsoft and even Apple (although at present it's rumoured to focus AR on its driverless cars) along with VC's and other global tech companies like Qualcomm etc... are focussing billions and billions of investment dollars, surely there is something about AR that's extremely attractive?

With Digi-Capital predicting that AR spend will hit $150 Billion by 2020 compared against VR spend of $30 Billion, you will certainly be hearing more about the investment and growth of Augmented Reality.

Here are some articles over the last 12 months that we have come across you may find interesting on Augmented Reality:

AR to be far bigger than VR...

Blippar's latest investment & turning down £1.5bn acquisition offer last year...

Expensive Hardware for AR (Oculus Rift Style Headset)...

AR spend set to hit $150 Billion by 2020...

blippar CEO on being bigger than Google & connect to IOT...

And as always for further information on skignz then please visit us on the usual Social Media channels or drop us a line info@skignz.com

Review of 2015

2015 proved to be an award winning and interesting time for skignz, as well as externally, in the world of AR.

The landscape of AR changed quite significantly throughout 2015, as either acquisitions, or investments were made, reducing the number of companies in the market. Blippar invested heavily (increasing their worth to circa £1.4b) whilst also acquiring their biggest rival, Layar.

Other companies such as Apple acquired Metaio and Google invested even further ($542m) into MagicLeap.  

Other companies apps were not renewed and many digital/ad/creative agencies had to look for other ways to offer their client AR experiences, with Junaio being acquired and stopping its SDK for others to use. In addition, INTEL acquired RECON.

Also across the wider market, Apple introduced the ability to be able to open one app from another, something that was not previously available on the iTunes App store.

We know that skignz are focussed on AR, however VR's emergence over the past few months made some waves, with more progress from Occults Rift and even Facebook. Founder & CEO Mark Zuckerberg, quoting our own Co-founder & CMO Si Brown, stated that "Why look at your phone, when you can look through it!". 

Other VR progress was made in line with the huge interest in the technology. The first Oculus Rift Headsets were due to be shipped in the final quarter of 2015.

Moving on to skignz, the biggest difference you will have seen is the aesthetics of the skignz website and the skignz app. Considerable time was spent in developing 'version 2.0' for IOS with Android being currently finalised. 

In addition to the new look and feel, skignz were present at many outdoor events such as PRIDE LDN, Glastonbury, EDC & Leeds Festival. 

The feedback on the tech and also the performance exceeded even our high expectations.

Another key milestone was the development and introduction of the 'ARtAbove' channel, allowing ANY Artist, ANYWHERE in the World to place their own Art ANYWHERE they want, essentially making the whole world a gallery. 

This was developed in conjunction with artist Martin McCloon and was even showcased at Disgraceland (Banksy's Installation in Weston Super-mare), actually subverting the subversive.

2015 was an award winning year for skignz as they were voted as 'The UK's Most Disruptive Tech Startup' by Ignite, 'TechAwards NE', 'Thinking Digital' and the 'Marketing Award' at the BNBA'15. 2016 has already started with a bang, with skignz being shortlisted again in the BNBA'16 and last week coming Runner up in KPMG's 'Best British Mobile Startup'.

skignz increased their team with key additions of Jamie Clarke (Head of DV Partnerships) and David Murphy (Head of Sports Partnerships) both settling in quickly and hitting the ground running across the many conferences and events in the final quarter of the year.

In the final weeks of the year skignz launched their #skignzsanta experience, which allowed parents to follow the 12 days lead up to Christmas eve whilst learning each day how to set up their own personalised #skignzsanta. 

Parents placed two skignz outside their homes so when Santa was close (following on the NORAD or Google Santa websites) parents could show 'Santa' flying past through their magic santa camera Smartphone or tablet.

Initially they saw what looked like Santa in his sleigh being led away by his reindeers, then parents 'panned across the sky' to reveal a special 'personalised note' to their child(ren), telling them he can only deliver when they are fast asleep. 

The hundreds of people who did this across the globe said their children were simply ‘blown away’ by the experience, and getting them to sleep was a lot easier than normal! 

We will be looking into doing a similar thing for Christmas 2016 but we have a lot of other interesting and exciting 'skignz' projects to deliver before then...

And as always for further information on skignz then please visit us on the usual Social Media channels or drop us a line info@skignz.com

Matching facebook with a subtle 'brand refresh'

As some of you will see when either using the skignz App, looking at the website or you have come across us on Social Media - change is afoot.

We are currently refining, refreshing and updating all areas of the skignz brand, from slight refinement to the logo (you may not be able to tell) through to whole new look and feel to the website & App.

Facebook have recently announced in the press a similar type of change to their brand, logo, imagery etc...

On first glimpse there seems to be no change but the subtle changes of font, thickness and weight all add to this evolution of the facebook logo, rather than revolution. 

They have also made similar subtle changes to their 'App/Tile Icon'.

Over the years many brands have changed their logos quite dramatically almost overnight. 

However some of the world's most iconic brands choose evolution of revolution. 



Their subtle changes every few years, alter their brand ever so slightly, so until you see them all against each other you don't quite realise the dramatic change.

So using similar logic as these globally successful brands and bringing all the skignz brand style under one theme, colour pallette and structure; We have evolved the logo, the 'App/Tile Icon' and all the associated imagery.

As you can see the changes are not immediately obvious, but the more you look especially looking at the old and the new side by side you can then see where we have tweaked, changed, tightened and improved all aspects of the brand logo.

The 'App/Tiles Icon' we have actually changed quite drastically, as the original one was not exactly within our brand guidelines and we wanted to bring everything inline.

The 'App/Tile Icon', colour wise is more inline with IOS/Androids style and layout but we felt that we needed the brand name on their and not just an icon at this stage in our development.

We hope you like the changes we have made and the direction skignz is taking, not only as a technology platform but also how we represent this through our brand. 

No doubt we will make further changes in the future as we respond to our users and their needs and wants, however we aim to maintain the same ethics and integrity of our brand through evolution, whilst our product (the skignz technology platform) continues to be revolutionary ;-)

If you haven’t already please take a look at the new skignz website www.skignz.com and if you have not either downloaded the app or taken a look for a while please do so. 

We would be very interested to get you feedback if you have 2 mins to email us at discover@skignz.com

As always you can take a look at www.skignz.com aswell as follow us across the usual social media channels.

NEWSFLASH: Facebook Confirm $30B bid for skignz

Apple, Google, Facebook - Reaching out to brands across the world

At skignz we like nothing more than to reach out across the world to brands to let them know of skignz and how we would love to do some awesome work with them! 

We love working with brands locally, however GLOBALLY is where skignz was designed and developed to be used. In everyones local area, regardless of where they are on the planet. 

We have recently been thinking of global brands and how best to introduce them to skignz. We felt that skignz is best 'experienced' so we began by finding a number of specific places where we could skignz up the environment for the local people to experience it for themselves. 

For our inital foray, we have chosen Apple, Google and Facebook to be our 'Guinea Pigs'. We believe that we could demonstrate to them the varying ways in which skignz could help them, especially as most of the people who work at these companies are early adopters and very tech and marketing savy.

Its this approach we hope will provoke thought, questions and ideas of not only how their brands could use skignz but also how skignz could link in with their brands, their technology for the mutual benefit of not only the companies, but also the end consumers, by creating something very different, yet very exciting! 

Initially we have decided to skignz up their HQ's/Main Campuses. We created different skignz personalised to each brand and then placed them around their headquarters! (If any employee from Apple, Google or Facebook is reading this, then please download skignz now and take a look at the interactive digital content we have created and place in the sky above your Headquarters/Campus!). 

                                








The skignz above each of the brands campuses shows just a small amount of the what skignz is capable but hopefully enough to peek interest for people to find out more.

There is a whole lot more that skignz can help with and the possibilities are almost endless, especially when partnering and working with others who have complimenting technology and the same outlook to development as us. There can be general skignz, personalised skignz and now even 3D skignz! They can be placed on map, in situ where you and and even follow objects, people etc... around!

We are working on a range of further developments for increased functionality and hopefully soon users will be able to pull in their Social Media profiles/updates into a skign above their own head! (Sounds impressive?...) That's just a small taster of what skignz has got planned for launch in the near future.

Below you can see an example video that we have created for the Apple brand itself, to show you how we can improve the enhance the experience of staff and visitors alike at thier HQ! 

If you enjoyed watching the video then we would love for you to get in touch with us. skignz's passion is supporting you, so your brand can help improve the lives of others. 

We have already opened an office in Las Vegas, NV, US in the early part of 2014. So our global reach is already well underway! However we would love to expand our partnerships into more global consumer tech brands. 

skignz keeps up to date with technology changes in the market everyday, and right now we have technology that is changing the way people see the way things are and how they could be using skignz.

If you would like to know more on this or what skignz is or how it can help you, then please take a look at our social media sites and our YouTube channel where we have a range of great videos to show you just what is possible with skignz! You hopefully will have more ways in which skignz could be applied or used.

www.skignz.com

www.facebook.com/skignz

www.twitter.com/skignz

www.youtube.com/skignz