Orange experiments with virtual reality

OCS VR, a VR pilot available for OCS subscribers beginning October 12th; Orange VR Experience, a new partnership with US start-up Wevr to test VR content distribution

PARIS — Beginning October 12th, OCS subscribers equipped with a virtual reality headset will be able to enjoy their favorite movies and TV shows in a fully immersive environment through OCS VR. OCS VR will be available to OCS subscribers on Samsung’s Gear VR from 12 October and on Sony’s PlayStation VR from the end of October. Thanks to OCS VR, OCS subscribers will enjoy OCS’s entire catalog of premium video content in an immersive VR environment customized to look like a private theatre.

In addition, on 1 December, Orange will launch “Orange VR Experience,” a virtual reality test program in partnership with Wevr, the Los Angeles based start-up that Orange invested in through its corporate venture initiative Orange Digital Ventures. HTC and Samsung, also investors in Wevr, are also involved in the project. With Orange VR Experience, Orange is testing distribution of native VR content on the basis of partnerships with Twentieth Century Fox Innovation Lab, Warner Bros., Felix & Paul Studios, Apelab, InnerspaceVR, Okio studio and Wevr studio. The pilot program will run in France for a period of six months from 1 December 2016 and will be extended later to other European countries. Starting today, users can sign up for Orange VR Experience at www.OrangeVRexperience.com

Orange stores already distribute virtual reality headsets, including Samsung’s Gear VR, which are both compatible OCS VR and Orange VR Experience.

By experimenting with virtual reality, Orange is reinforcing its position as an innovative telecommunications operator aiming to leverage its first-mover advantage. Guillaume Lacroix, SVP Partnerships and Services TV & Video at Orange’s Content Division, declared: “At Orange, we see virtual reality as a new medium that’s still in its infancy: everything from the software and technology, to the development of new uses and the development of a business model is still a work in progress. We’re looking at the space to better understand the new ways that content will be delivered and consumed in the future as this will impact our activities as a mobile network operator and Internet service provider.”

For Georges Nahon, CEO of Orange Silicon Valley in San Francisco, virtual reality is finally ready for prime time. “At Orange Silicon Valley, we are strong believers in the potential of VR. We’ve identified Wevr early on as a pioneer and leader in the field of high-quality virtual reality content production and distribution. Orange has been helping the company’s development especially around “Transport”, Wevr’s distribution network for virtual reality content.”