Google appoints senior exec to dedicated VR role

Google has reportedly set up a dedicated Virtual Reality (VR) division and has appointed company executive Clay Bavor to run the unit.

According to a Re/Code report, Bavor will now focus solely on VR projects, with recently appointed senior vice-president Diane Greene to look after Google’s web apps.

Bavor previously lead product management and user experience design for Gmail, Google Docs, Google Drive, and Google Apps for business and education, as VP of product management.

He was also a creator of Google’s low-cost VR headset initiative Google Cardboard.

The Princeton computer science alumnus now lists vice president, Virtual Reality at Google as his job title on social media, though Google made no formal announcement about his internal move.

The news comes after Google-owned YouTube added VR video support to its Android app in November, allowing viewers to experience immersive, 360-degree content.

According to recent research by The Diffusion Group, global revenues related to VR will top US$18 billion (€16.6 billion) by 2025, with the technology to have a global user base of more than 275 million people by this date.