The Future of Virtual Reality is here

After sitting in on an enlightening discussion hosted by AD2ATX last month, Geomedia is confident in their decision to expand into the Austin market and sees great opportunities for their interactive department.

The event, which was sponsored by GSD&M, consisted of four prominent innovators with notable insights into the future of tech in Austin. The panelists included Kevin Callahan, COO of Maggie Louise Confections, Brian Dainton, SVP Engineering for Spredfast, Mike Westgate, VP Marketing for RealMassive and Kristie Taylor, VP of Technology for Edelman. Each panelist, and Geomedia, collectively agreed that the use of VR and AR would increase significantly in the near future.

“We’re going to get to a world where VR will become relevant,” Brian Dainton, SVP Engineering for Spredfast said. “We’re finally at a point where we’ve tricked our brains into thinking it’s real.”

Even with all the advances in technology and vast improvements, VR and AR still seem to have a less than established presence, at least on the consumer level. The key to turning this around is the elimination of the “dork factor”. Right now, people don’t want to be that person with the huge headsets on their face stumbling aimlessly around a space.

Despite the stigma, the positives outweigh the negatives. According to Mike Westgate, VP Marketing for RealMassive, there are big hopes and ideas for this new market.

“I can’t imagine a world in five to 10 years where this [VR] isn’t a primary means of entertainment and communication,” said Forest Key, chief executive of Pixvana in an interview for the New York Times.

At Geomedia we’ve witnessed firsthand how VR and AR are changing the way people gather information by bringing learning to life. Geomedia’s DinoTrek VR Experience is just one of the many educational ventures it’s succeeded in developing.

“It’s important that students are equipped with the right resources that provide an opportunity for them to experience knowledge, not just read out of a textbook,” Murray Breit, Partner and Director at Geomedia said.

As communication channels through technology more and more, and education becomes more about interaction, Geomedia remains assured that its company is headed in the right direction.

Geomedia Attends the First Ever Women of Tech Bloc Luncheon

In celebration of our fearless female leaders, and day one of Women’s History Month, Geomedia attended the San Antonio Tech Bloc’s first ever Women of Tech Bloc Luncheon at one of it’s corporate sponsor’s headquarters, Rackspace.

The board of panelists included Carla Sublett, CMO, Rackspace Hosting, Cristal Glangchai, Ph.D, and Founder of VentureLab, April Downing, CFO, WP Engine and Debra Innocenti, Partner, Strasburger & Price, LLP.

The event began with a strong opening made by Ivy Taylor, Mayor of San Antonio, who described the event as “purpose driven” and “changing the stereotype”.

The message to be your true, authentic self was loud and clear. After being in the shadow of men for decades, women have a tendency to grow a tough skin, forcing them to put their femininity aside in an attempt to be taken seriously.

“You have to stand your ground. You need to know your stuff. Be vulnerable,” April Downing, CFO, WP Engine, said about being successful as a woman in tech.

Carla Sublett, CMO Rackspace Hosting, expressed that in order to connect with others on a professional level, you don’t need to act like a man to gain respect or get to the top, just be your honest self.

The Women of Tech Bloc encouraged women to nurture and lift each other up instead of tearing each other apart. Being surrounded by successful, hardworking people will help you to be the same.

“We need to develop little microcosms of women to surround ourselves with and help each other,” Debra Innocenti, Partner, Strasburger & Price, LLP.

Another important topic of the afternoon was the importance of a good mentor and being a good mentor to someone. According to Innocenti, you don’t need to have one specific mentor in your life, and the mentor(s) you end up with may not be the person you expected.

“There’s not going to be one person who’s going to satisfy all the things you’re looking for,” Innocenti said. “It needs to be a thoughtful relationship. Make an effort to talk to people of all generations.”

Being an entrepreneur or woman in business can be a challenge, especially when you’re figuring out where to start. According to Downing, the first mistake people often make is not asking whether or not what they’re trying to do is an actual business.

“Try to figure out if what you’re doing is really a business,” Downing said. “Give yourself honest criticism.”

Though many vital topics were discussed during the afternoon, the panelists collectively agreed that the most imperative factor in one’s success was following your passion and not giving up.

“We can be or do whatever we want,” Cristal Glangchai, Ph.D, and Founder of VentureLab said. “If you follow your passion success is going to follow as well.”

To see more of the event or get involved in future events with Women of Tech Bloc, visit their website at www.satechbloc.com.

OUR FAVORITE GAME DEVELOPER JUST GOT MORE AWESOME

GEOMEDIA, INC is proud to announce that one of their primary programmers, Joe Guerra, received one of the top ranking scores on their Unity Certification exam thus far in San Antonio, TX. After scoring an admirable 97%, Guerra is officially a Unity Certified Developer, or in other words, a badass game developer.

Since Guerra was young, he’s had an undying passion for game development, computer programming and advances in technology. Before joining the ranks at Geomedia, Guerra tutored in programming and 3D and did contract work in 3D.

“I discovered programming when I was in eighth grade and pretty much haven’t stopped since,” Guerra said.

According to the Unity Certification website, “future levels of the Unity Certification Program will address progressively more advanced and specialized skill sets, offering a growth path for professional development and the means to validate even higher levels of skill and experience.”

“Having the certification is a way for me to show that I truly understand how to use the software,” Guerra said.

An advocate for education, Guerra also spends as much time as he can teaching other aspiring programmers and developers the valuable lessons he’s learned over the years. This Friday, Guerra will be leading a lecture in a game designing class at Northwest Vista College. The class, GAME 2336, teaches principles such as lighting, shading, and texture painting for 3-D models using digital painting techniques. It emphasizes lighting, shading, and texture creation of limited resolution to increase system performance for digital games and simulation training models.

Even though Guerra mainly specializes in game development and programming, he also has intricate experience with 3D software, photoshop, texturing, ZBrush and lighting. Using his knowledge in this subject area, Guerra will be teaching about lighting, shading, and texturing from a Unity (Game Engine) perspective.

When he isn’t creating substantial, quality work at Geomedia, Guerra enjoys spending his free time playing video games, juggling, watching eSports, 3D modeling and creating video games.