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A gust of VR news swept through the tech community last week when it was announced that Intel acquired VOKE, a startup which focuses on virtual reality broadcasts of live events, including NBA games and fashion events.
"VOKE's technology lets fans be where the action is without ever leaving their living rooms," Intel's James Carwana wrote in a blog post. According to TechCrunch, VOKE will be part of a brand-new division called Intel Sports Group, which Carwana is general manager of.
VOKE's signature product is TrueVR™, which allows viewers to delve into the midst of events from various angles and zoom in on specific details. Since VOKE does not manufacture its own headsets, TrueVR™ is also created to be compatible with Gear VR and Rift headsets.
VOKE CEO Sankar Jayaram, who co-founded the company with Uma Jayaram, his wife, says he's excited about VOKE being acquired by Intel because it will allow the company to bring TrueVR™ to more people's homes. To do that "you need someone with big muscle," he acknowledges.
The headquarters of both VOKE and Intel are located in Santa Clara. Chelsea Hossaini, Intel's NW communications manager, says that there is no official headquarters for Intel Sports Group, but she does note that "we have employees across Intel sites working" on the new division.
The acquisition is part of Intel's plan to diversify beyond the struggling PC market. Intel, the largest employer in Oregon, has acquired other intriguing companies recently the Israeli company Replay Technologies, which specializes in 3D sports, and the San Francisco startup Itseez, which wants to improve navigation in self-driving cars.
In other words, if you want to go full Intel, maybe you should pick up your next batch of VR gadgets in a Google X car.
Willamette Week