If you’re reading this, you’ve already discovered one of three big things we’ve launched today at Layar - our new website! Today, we are also very proud to introduce both an entirely redesigned Layar App and a brand new Layar logo.

This marks the beginning of a new era for Layar as we continue to help bridge the gap between print and digital. Based on our insights as thought leaders in AR, we felt now was the time to make some big changes and take the next step forward. Here’s what’s new!

The redesigned Layar App, the world’s most popular mobile AR app with over 33 million downloads, now features a sleek design and new features that make the user experience for AR easier and more friendly. With the new Recent Content feature, users can revisit a handy list of previously viewed AR content whenever they want - something no other AR app offers.

The new Layar logo, which does away with the previous logo’s cloud design, is cleaner, more recognizable and claims the company’s position as the undisputed leader in augmented reality. The logo is an improvement both as a stand-alone brand and as a call-to-action in print for readers.

A completely redesigned and rethought website completes the launch, creating a one-stop portal for information on augmented reality, interactive print and Layar. You’re looking at it right now! The website shows, tells, shares and lets everyone experience what AR can do for businesses and consumers. Start exploring now!

“The market for AR and interactive print has really begun to develop itself, and it is clear that Layar is fueling the ecosystem at the vanguard of this development,” says Layar CEO Quintin Schevernels.

Following the launch of the self-service Layar Creator in June of last year, we’ve seen promising month-over-month growth. Over 55,000 publishers currently use the do-it-yourself Layar Creator to add interactive digital content to the printed page. More than 200,000 interactive pages have already been published.

The Layar App continues to see more than 1 million downloads each month, and campaign engagement has reached as high as 45% among readers. Of those that use Layar to scan a print page, and astonishing 87% interact with the content on that page.

“In the next 12 to 18 months, we expect to see further acceleration in the amount of magazines, newspapers, brands and industries embracing AR and making it a part of their content and marketing strategies,” add Schevernels. “With our technology, products, knowledge and expertise, we believe that we will play a crucial role in this growth.”

AR is no longer a thing of the future, it is here now and it is real!

Download the new Layar App for iOS and Android in the App Store and Google Play Store today!

If you’re a frequent user of Layar, you may have noticed some improvements to the speed of the app lately. From the end user’s perspective, speed is one of the top priorities for having a positive experience when viewing things like interactive print.

No one wants to sit around waiting for data to load, and that’s why we’ve recently taken steps to improve the speed of the information we send to your mobile device when you scan interactive print content.

When Layar launched, there was no way that our trio of co-founders could have foreseen where the app would grow to in just a few quick years. The Layar App has been downloaded 28 million times all over the globe, so it makes sense that our data be global as well.

Previously, no matter where you were, scanning interactive print content meant transferring data to and from our main servers in Europe. But now, thanks to the wonders of the cloud (Amazon CloudFront to be specific), we can spread multiple “nodes” out across the world closer to our users, increasing efficiency and speed.

There are close to 40 nodes in all, located in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Now, no matter where you are on Earth, chances are you are a lot closer to the data you want than you were before.

It’s faster, it’s more efficient, and it’s all part of how we’re dedicated to providing the best interactive print experience for our users.

The all new Layar SDK - a toolkit for embedding Layar’s interactive print technology into your own app - joins the Layar App, the Layar Creator, the Layar App Service and the Layar Development Platform to round out our interactive print product family.

Just as the Layar App Service gave brands a white-label solution for interactive print apps, the Layar SDK lets you embed the easy-to-use and robust Layar technology into your very own iOS or Android app. Provide the engagement of interactive print within the context of your brand identity while building and launching the apps all on your own.

Target your audience and installed base with your interactive print content by linking your app to your print products. Now retailers can link the products in their catalog to those in their online stores, magazine and newspaper publishers can treat readers to exclusive digital content in their app, and so much more.

So how does it work? After you design and build your brand’s app (or if you already have one) just create an interactive print campaign with the Layar Creator or the Layar API, hook the Layar SDK into your app to connect it with your campaign, and publish the app!

Interested in the Layar SDK? Fill out this form and leave us your contact details and we’ll reach out to you as soon as possible. You can try out the SDK for 30 days free of charge, after which a fee of $3,250 (€2,500) per app, per year is required for continued use.

Learn more about the Layar SDK here, or dive into the technical documentation to learn the ins and outs.

Earlier today, Layar surpassed a monumental milestone. Across all platforms, the Layar app has now been downloaded over 25 million times!

We’re thrilled to hit the 25M mark, and we wanted to take this opportunity to thank you, the users of the Layar app, who made this amazing feat possible. We now average 1 million downloads each month as more and more people choose Layar as their AR app of choice.

“We’re seeing that mobile augmented reality is really starting to hit the streets,” said Layar CEO Quintin Schevernels. “AR is going mainstream, and we’re leading the way thanks to our loyal user base.”

Layar is the global leader in mobile augmented reality. More people download and use the Layar app than any other AR application on the market. So thank you again for making Layar the best!

Today we’re announcing a bunch of great improvements to the user experience of the Layar app which have created the easiest, most intuitive version of Layar yet.

Ease of use is imperative to any mobile application - especially AR apps - and this is exactly what we have aimed for with Layar 7.0, available today for iPhone and Android.

Here’s a quick breakdown of what you’ll find in the latest version of Layar:

Point, Scan, View - We’ve streamlined and simplified the scanning experience. A redesigned welcome screen invites users to seek out Layar-enabled content, scan it and view it - making the process easier than ever.

Separating Geo from Vision - In this version, users no longer need to select a “layer” after scanning something - all relevant content appears automatically. Because this effectively breaks the concept of “Vision layers” (only Camera View, no List or Map View), Geo-Layers have been compartmentalized into their own section. Users can still browse and search for Geo-Layers in the catalogue. Additionally, Vision layers will no longer appear under the “Test” tab. To test your layers, simply scan your pages as the user will.

Improved Handling of Location Services - You no longer need to have location services enabled on your device for Vision layers to work, improving both performance and battery life! Plus, iPhone users will no longer be shown the compass calibration screen while viewing Vision layers.

Improved Messaging - We changed and added feedback messaging to users to guide them through using the app, making it the easiest experience yet. Additionally, we added a 30-second help video that quickly shows the three-step Point, Scan, View process. Users are invited to watch the video upon launching the app for the first time, and can view it again later in the Layar Settings/About screen.

More AR Video Support - AR Video - which allows users to view videos directly on top of physical objects - is now available on more devices, providing a more consistent user experience. Supported devices now include iPhone 3GS and 4, any Android device running v4.0 or higher or any dual-core Android device running anything below v4.0.

Android Redesign - To provide a more native Android experience for users, we have redesigned the app to fit with Google’s new Ice Cream Sandwich guidelines. This provides familiarity to users when using Layar and other applications.

Layar 7.0 is available today in the iOS App Store and the Android Play Store.