Meta's Quest for Business Program: A Comprehensive Overview and Its Sudden End
Meta, the tech giant formerly known as Facebook, is making a significant shift in its virtual reality (VR) offerings. The company has announced the discontinuation of its Quest for Business program, a comprehensive solution designed to help businesses adopt its VR headsets. This decision comes with a series of changes that will impact both existing and potential customers.
The Evolution of Quest for Business
The program's history dates back to 2017 when it started as Oculus for Business, offering a premium SKU of the original Oculus Rift for $900. Over time, the program expanded to include enterprise versions of the Oculus Go and Oculus Quest, which were later rebranded as Meta Quest for Business in 2023. Last year, the program underwent another transformation, being renamed Meta Horizon Managed Services and made mandatory for enterprise use.
Features and Subscription Model
Meta Horizon Managed Services provided a range of features, including a commercial license and warranty, priority support, and mass device management (MDM). The subscription model offered two tiers: Individual Mode, which cost $15 per month per headset and was ideal for a single user with their own Meta account, and Shared Mode, which was $24 per month per headset and featured a streamlined interface with pre-configured settings and apps selected by the administrator.
The Sudden End
In a surprising turn of events, Meta has announced that the Quest for Business program will be shut down in 2030. From February 20, the company will cease selling commercial SKUs of Quest headsets and stop accepting new customers for the Horizon Managed Services subscription. Existing customers will have their subscriptions reduced to $0 per month, and the program will officially end in four years, on January 4, 2030.
Impact and Counterpoint
This decision comes at a time when Meta is also shutting down its Horizon Workrooms VR meeting software, closing acquired VR game studios, and shifting its focus from VR to smart glasses. Some industry experts argue that this move is a strategic shift towards more profitable areas, while others express concerns about the impact on businesses that have already invested in Meta's VR ecosystem. The company's response to these concerns remains to be seen, and the future of VR in the enterprise sector is a topic of ongoing debate.
