LG Launches Business Metaverse – XR Today

Following its recent partnership with Meta, LG Electronics is launching its first enterprise-ready Metaverse platform for HVAC installers and professionals. According to the firm, its “LG Air Solution Village” Metaverse offers HVAC professionals an immersive space for several use cases, including virtual showrooms and functional installation simulation.

LG is creating a platform for HVAC professionals under its Air Solution Europe division. Despite the recent partnership with Meta, the Menlo Park-based firm is not working with LG on its Metaverse platform; instead, Spatial is providing its hardware-agnostic service for the LG Air Solution Village service.

LG plans to host product launches, Q&A sessions, and industry talks during virtual showcase events. Moreover, LG is attempting to use its Metaverse platform to allow B2B clients to review new LG Air Solution products, such as THERMA V air-to-water heat pumps and MULTI VVRF systems. The firm states that the product digital twins capture accurate data, allowing for a “comprehensive understanding” for its B2B clients.

Peter Verkempynck, Senior Vice-President at LG Air Solution Europe, added:

We’re thrilled to introduce LG Air Solution Village – a virtual experience tailored for HVAC Installers. This Metaverse opens up new possibilities for exploration, learning, and collaboration within the HVAC industry.

LG and Meta Initiate Partnership

LG’s CEO Cho Joo-wan announced in January that the company’s TV division is developing an XR device and intends to launch it next year. More recently, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg had a two-hour meeting with LG CEO William Cho and Park Hyoung-sei, the President of the Home Entertainment Company, to discuss future collaborations on XR devices at LG Twin Towers in Yeouido, Seoul.

The meeting began a strategic collaboration between LG and Meta to drive innovation in XR devices and enhance customer experience using their combined technology portfolios.

During the meeting, LG’s William Cho tried out Meta’s Quest 3 headset, Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, and large-language models. Cho noted the potential of leveraging Meta’s technology for AI-ready XR devices and said, “We see opportunities for next-gen personal devices in the XR business arena.”

LG believes it can create a technology ecosystem by combining its TV division services with Meta’s XR portfolio. Additionally, LG plans to showcase the benefits of its smart device OS, which will work alongside Meta’s AI systems to create a competitive XR device.

LG’s smart OS provides a roughly $750.5 million platform of app revenue to Meta’s immersive product portfolio. The OS could provide a valuable income source and services for Meta’s XR hardware ecosystem to compete with Apple’s Vision Pro offerings.

While LG’s Metaverse launch appears pretty much separate from its hardware ambitions, LG’s internal efforts to leverage XR services, such as Metaverse platform providers, show that the firm is investing in and researching the benefits of immersive applications.

The repercussions of the LG Air Solution Village may not lead to a consumer or broader enterprise product. However, LG could also be laying the stepping stones into further forrays into XR solutions.