Dynamics 365 'Remote Assist' and 'Layout' mixed reality apps hit general availability

Microsoft is ready to mix reality with the virtual world at the workplace. The company today officially launched Dynamics 365 Remote Assist and Layout out of preview, opening them up to eligible businesses and organizations around the world (via MSPU).

Both apps initially launched into a limited preview in May before being taken under the Dynamics 365 banner in September. Both are designed to help workers get work done more efficiently. Remote Assist, for example, allows workers to use a HoloLens headset to call in virtual help from a technician or colleague anywhere in the world. The remote collaborator can see everything the worker sees, allowing them to communicate with virtual ink and documents overlaid on the real world.

Layout is a handy app that allows the user to lay holograms of 3D objects over the space around the worker. This makes it a virtual design studio that can help plan out things like workspaces and retail setups at real-world scale. Once a design is plotted out, you can save the file and bring it back to your PC to continue work or share it with others.

If you previously had the preview versions of each app, they're no longer available to download from the Microsoft Store. Instead, you'll have to switch to the release versions, which appear under new Microsoft Store listings.

Dan Thorp-Lancaster

Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl