Quick read

➨ Challenger commercial insurance broker hubb is using Horizon Workrooms on Meta Quest internally and externally

➨ The broker is using Workrooms to host board meetings, onboard new members of staff and even meet clients

➨ It provides a third option to meeting in person or remotely via screen or telephone, fulfilling the expectations of any clients that expect hubb to be present and working in the metaverse

The story

Virtual reality (VR) collaboration platforms, used mostly for meetings and considered more productive than video conferencing, are yet to become the software of choice for professional services businesses such as challenger insurance broker hubb, as they attempt to work differently after the global pandemic.

The technology required (headsets and platform) are an added cost, both staff and clients may not be comfortable with them yet, and, if we are being honest, there are plenty of easier alternatives.

But one business making the leap raises the benefits of, if not moving over to VR collaboration platforms entirely, at least establishing a presence on them, investing in the required technology and building up that internal expertise and experience, essentially the advantages of becoming a first mover.

Commercial insurance broker hubb, launched in 2019 and selling policies based on usage rather than set monthly premiums, is using Horizon Workrooms on Meta Quest internally and externally.

The Scotland- and England-based broker is using Workrooms to host board meetings, onboard new members of staff and offer a true hybrid working model for those that are based at home.

Hubb points out that using a VR collaboration platform gives new staff instant access to senior colleagues in a more personal and productive manner than video conferencing, while enhancing the work-from-home experience.

The broker is also using VR to better engage clients, giving hubb the opportunity to literally ‘meet’ them wherever they are located.

It provides a third option to meeting in person or remotely via screen or telephone, fulfilling the expectations of any clients that expect hubb to be present and working in the metaverse, much like they might be surprised to find the broker absent from social media.

Edward Halsey, chief operating officer of hubb, posted on Twitter about the broker’s motivations behind moving to the metaverse, saying: “What it really does, is it enables us to hire the best talent, globally, and have them in a room together without the physical limitations of the real world.”

“The opportunity for hybrid working and learning through osmosis is huge.”

What it really does, is it enables us to hire the best talent, globally, and have them in a room together without the physical limitations of the real world.

The opportunity for hybrid working and learning through osmosis is huge.#insurance #insurtech #metaverse https://t.co/t66dIzF5fn

— 🟪 ED HALSEY (@InsurTechEd) February 9, 2022

Meta’s Horizon Workrooms launched last year to disrupt an already competitive field and position Quest 2 as the all-in-one headset of choice for business.