‘Metaverse’ Is In, ‘Mixed Reality’ Out: Reading the Tech Tea Leaves in Microsoft’s New Words
‘Metaverse’ Is In, ‘Mixed Reality’ Out: Reading the Tech Tea Leaves in Microsoft’s New Words
The metaverse, hybrid work, flexibility, trust, and technology’s role in the global economy are some of the new additions in the latest version of a key piece of text that Microsoft publishes each year.
Presented under the heading, “Embracing Our Future,” it’s the first section of Microsoft’s annual Form 10-K report to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Microsoft still uses “mixed reality” elsewhere in the document, its preferred phrase for the technology that includes virtual and augmented reality, as exemplified by its HoloLens headset. However, the phrase has been replaced by “metaverse” in this key section, reflecting the broader evolution of the company’s vision for virtual worlds (and a tendency to gravitate toward industry buzzwords).
This brief passage states Microsoft’s reasons for being, presents its vision for the future, and doubles as a sign of the times.
Want to learn more about Microsoft’s exact full text 10-K filing and its potential Metaverse market focus in the near future?