Last year Microsoft discontinued the HoloLens 2 and the company has now revealed that it will be fully getting out of HoloLens hardware. In 2021, Microsoft took over US Army, Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) program in which the company made HoloLens headsets for the US Army. But now Microsoft plans to hand off this program to Andruil Industries, Palmer Luckey’s defense startup.
As per the blog post, Microsoft Corp. and Andruil Industries expanded their partnership to drive the next phase of the US Army’s IVAS program. Through this partnership agreement and pending Department of Defense approval, Andruil will assume oversight of production, future hardware and software development, and delivery timelines. This agreement also establishes Microsoft Azure as Andruil’s preferred hyperscale cloud for all IVAS and Andruil AI technologies workloads.
As per The Verge, on being asked whether Microsoft is done with HoloLens hardware, Microsoft mixed reality CVP Robin Seiler said, “We are transitioning away from hardware development but will continue to provide support for HoloLens 2 hardware and software through 2027, as announced in October. We remain committed to the IVAS program and will shift our focus to cloud and AI technologies which will serve as the foundation for IVAS as a situational awareness platform. ”
Commenting on this new partnership, the founder of Andruil Industries, Palmer Luckey said, “The IVAS program represents the future of mission command, combining technology and human capability to give soldiers the edge they need on the battlefield. The ultimate goal is to create a military ecosystem where technology acts as an extension of human capability. By empowering soldiers with the tools they need to make faster, smarter decisions, we’re building a future where technology and human ingenuity combine to ensure mission success.”
