Transfr and ManageXR create classroom-to-career pathways for the workforce of the future

Summary

• Transfr is using VR-based simulations to train millions of people for well-paying careers in high-demand fields, like manufacturing and the automotive industry.
• With ManageXR, Transfr has changed their VR devices into secure, enterprise-grade workforce training tools.
• The ManageXR platform enables Transfr to:
  • Have full control of their devices, regardless of where it is and who is using it.
  • Block access to social media, the internet, or unapproved applications.
  • Provide a home screen that is easy to navigate and reduces friction for first time users.
  • Remotely update and distribute new content with just one click.
  • Offer excellent support to their clients at any time from any location.

About Transfr

Transfr was built on a simple idea: get everyone on a pathway to upward mobility. As Transfr CEO Bharani puts it, "When we speak about upward mobility, what we're really talking about is empowerment and freedom."

Transfr is building an economic development platform to train millions of people for well-paying careers in high-demand fields. Powered by VR training, Transfr's trainees gain experience practicing the skills they need for technical jobs. Transfr works with community organizations, workforce development groups, educational institutions, and industry leaders to create what they call the classroom-to-career pathway: starting with career exploration, moving through skills training, and ultimately connecting learners to employers who are ready to hire.

Real jobs, right now, in high-growth industries: Transfr’s job training programs and career exploration

In partnership with Alabama’s Ready to Work and JumpstartAL programs, Transfr serves college students seeking jobs in manufacturing. Transfr’s hands-on simulations deliver high-quality and repeatable trainings without the need for additional staff, or the cost of expensive materials and training facility buildouts. Students use VR-based training to learn plant safety, precision measurement, and blueprint reading. These skills make them more employable and ready for on-the-job training when they step on-site.

In Texas, Workforce Solutions of West Central Texas (WSWCT) has pioneered the use of Transfr to upskill and reskill workers in manufacturing, automotive, and other skilled trades. After successfully finishing Transfr simulations, learners receive certificates of completion from WSWCT that can lead to career advancement and help them along their training and career development journey. With VR simulations, workforce boards can serve their populations without specialized equipment or access to expensive facilities. Transfr partners with 18 of 28 total workforce boards in Texas, covering over 80% of the state, with 4,800 youths and job seekers having completed over 6,300 career exploration simulations.

ManageXR enables Transfr to offer training that is secure, safe, and easy to use

As Transfr and their partners invested in VR-based simulation training, concerns were raised about the security of the devices, the safety of students, and ease of use for people who have never used VR before. As Broderick Graham, Transfr's Senior Procurement and Provisioning Manager, explains: "Virtual reality is still a relatively new technology... if we can remove any friction points by getting them completely ready to go and use out of the box, then it makes that experience that much smoother and more enjoyable for the customer."

This is the challenge ManageXR and Transfr have partnered on to solve. Transfr's content is changing the way students learn and get jobs. However, if the content is hard to find, unmanaged, and unsupervised, partner organizations lose trust that students are engaged in the learning system.

Finding an Enterprise-Grade Solution

The Transfr team knew they needed an enterprise-level solution to support the complexities that come with managing thousands of VR headsets. Plus, they needed a partner that would be ready to migrate their fleet onto a management software, which entails pulling thousands of headsets from across the nation back into their warehouse. After an extensive vetting process, ManageXR emerged as the clear choice, not only for its off-the-shelf capabilities but for its team's willingness to collaborate, pivot, and build the custom tooling Transfr needed.

Remote Management at Scale

Transfr ships VR headsets across the nation in large quantities. ManageXR gives Transfr and their partner organizations full control of every device regardless of where it is or who is using it, enabling them to push and pull software and make changes in the field remotely. With ManageXR, Transfr can also block access to social media, the internet, or unapproved applications, ensuring students stay focused on their training.

A Seamless, Branded Home Screen Experience

The ManageXR Home Screen feature enables Transfr to provide a home menu that is easy to navigate for first-time users. It is critical that students experience little to no friction when using VR for the first time. When students can get into the learning content quickly and seamlessly, it is easier to complete the job training and enjoy the immersive experience.

The ManageXR Home Screen is also fully customizable. Partner organizations can upload their own branding and tailor the look and feel of the environment so it feels like their own.

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Faster, Smarter App Updates with App Patching Technology

One of ManageXR's most impactful contributions to Transfr's operations has been transforming how app updates are delivered. Previously, any software update required customers to completely re-download all simulation content — roughly 60GB of data — on a headset-by-headset basis. For partner organizations relying on substandard Wi-Fi, this was a significant burden.

Using ManageXR's patch update feature, Transfr now pushes only the incremental difference between versions. What once required downloading ~20GB per app now requires only ~2GB, so app updates are 80% faster. ManageXR also built in a background download feature, allowing users to set the headset down, go about their day, and return to a fully updated device, eliminating one of the biggest friction points in Transfr's deployment workflow.

App Governance helps Transfr scale confidently

As Transfr grows, one of its major strategic initiatives is encouraging partner organizations to own their own fleets of VR headsets. ManageXR's app governance features are central to making this model work. Through ManageXR, Transfr can seamlessly push software from their instance to a customer organization's instance, while maintaining control over licensing. They can specify the number of devices a solution can be licensed on, setting expiration dates, and defining what happens when those parameters are exceeded. This level of governance is unique to ManageXR and essential to Transfr's ability to scale.

A Platform Built for the Long Term

Broderick's advice to any organization starting a VR deployment: think with the end goal in mind. Organizations may start with just five to ten headsets, but the right management platform should grow with your deployment. For Transfr, ManageXR has proven to be the platform that checks all the boxes.