VR company Spinview has bought social VR platform Agority in an aim to grow the business and expand services.

Agority provides virtual break-out rooms, where up to eight team members can connect. Each room provides ‘real-world environments’, and the acquisition gives Spinview the opportunity to develop this further.

Those joining the virtual meeting have an avatar and can communicate with gesture and voice – something Agority says heightens users’ sense of connection and presence with their colleagues.

The platform aims to reduce barriers to sales and streamlining business processes, and take away the need and environmental cost of business travel.

Greg Roach, co-founder of Agority and now CTO at Spinview, said the platform was designed as a tool to remove friction points within businesses by creating real-life connections within a virtual environment.

“We believe that by showcasing the value of Agority within Spinview, the goal is for it to be used as easily and as regularly as the mouse or mobile phone on your desk,” said Roach.

Linda Wade, CEO at Spinview said the acquisition allowed the company the opportunity to provide a cost-effective but highly valuable solution across a whole host of industries.

“Fundamentally we are all social animals, therefore the science behind the work that Agority has done to create something as close to our natural social interactions as possible is incredibly powerful.”

VR has been a growing area of interest for businesses.

Accenture acquired CGI and VR content creator Mackevision

 in January. While companies such as

Airbus

,

MSA

,

Lloyd’s Register

, and

Inmarsat Aviation

 have all used the technology to display its products and interact with customers.