You’re probably familiar with VR for movies, entertainment and gaming, but not many know about its untapped commercial potential for helping soldiers and first responders to be better at their jobs.
It’s one of the reasons that Jason “Jay” Fraser went from serving as a Marine to working in one of the most cutting-edge areas of tech. As HP’s VR business development manager for its Workstations business, Fraser spends his time on the road, meeting with potential content partners and customers, and exploring the possibilities of VR for training people who routinely put themselves in harm’s way.
“Bringing VR to market for training applications is making our servicemen and women more proficient at their jobs and face less risk when they are overseas — that’s a great job,” says Fraser who works in business development for the military, first responders, and for specialized training in aviation, energy, oil and gas, and other technical fields. “We can use technology to give back to this community and at the same time provide a benefit to society at large.”
As the youngest of three brothers growing up in Boston, Fraser’s desire to serve others is modeled after his father, a firefighter, and his mother, a nurse. He’s proud of this blue collar raising, and the legacy of military service in his family: His father, Joe Fraser, served as a Marine during the Vietnam War and then as a Boston-area firefighter for 33 years. He and his brothers followed in their dad’s footsteps. “I always wanted to join the Marine Corps,” he says. “It was instilled in us as kids.”