Earlier this year, we featured Layar Partner Network member Magnetic London in our Partner Spotlight, showcasing some of the amazing campaigns the agency had launched in 2014. So far, 2015 is turning out to be a big year for them as well.

In February, Magnetic London was appointed as the official designers for Istanbul Chamber of Commerce’s “Istanbul Pavilion” at MIPIM (The International Market for Real Estate Professionals) by THEPARTNERS, the executive producer of the campaign. MIPIM is the world’s most prestigious real estate exposition, held in Cannes, France. To help advance the event’s theme of “Digital Revolution,” the agency heavily incorporated Augmented Reality with Layar into the pavilion experience.

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We’ve released a big update to the Layar SDK, which lets you easily embed AR and interactive print functionality into your own mobile apps.

As the popularity of AR and interactive print continues to grow alongside mobile innovation, more and more consumers across the globe are looking for instant, real-time data about their surroundings. Layar’s widely popular Geo Layer technology allows location-based information to be displayed in a “heads up” augmented view of the real world. Popular examples include Funda, a collection of local real estate properties, and archINFORM, which displays architectural information for nearby buildings.

Brands have been turning to the Layar SDK solution to provide their own custom interactive print app experience to customers while maintaining their brand identity. Now, brands can also use the SDK to display relevant, real-time location-based data with the inclusion of Geo Layers.

With the new Layar SDK, either scannable content or Geo Layers can be used on their own, but when used together, the combination of opens up exciting new possibilities. Imagine scanning an ad for a shop to see a Geo Layer of nearby locations, or viewing the locations of nearby events by scanning an event calendar.

But that’s not all that’s new. Here’s a breakdown of what’s included in the new Layar SDK…

Location-Based Geo Layers
In addition to scannable images, you can now also use the SDK with Geo Layers, which are great for displaying location-based content like nearby shop locations, real estate information and more! When used together with scannable content, the combination opens up exciting new possibilities. Imagine scanning an ad for a shop to see a Geo Layer of nearby locations, or viewing the locations of nearby events by scanning an event calendar.

New Layar 8.0 Look and Feel
The SDK has been updated to including the more responsive and user-friendly “Scan” animation, which has shown to not only “wow” users but also help them keep their device correctly pointed at the scannable content. The SDK now also includes improved feedback messages which help users achieve better results with the application.

Enhanced Options and Functions
Brands will now be able to more deeply integrate the Layar SDK into their own apps by making use of new advanced features. App developers can create a history of recently viewed content for the user, implement their own custom feedback messages and more.

“With our unique SDK solution, we enable developers and organizations to reach out to consumers in their everyday life,” says Layar CEO Quintin Schevernels. “By combining the collective data of your surroundings, information becomes meaningful, real-time and instantaneous.”

Over 35 million users have downloaded the Layar App for iOS and Android, and over 64,000 publishers and marketeers are using Layar’s technology to build and manage interactive print campaigns.

The new and improved Layar SDK is available now by request at layar.com/sdk.

The real estate industry has a long history with Layar. In 2009 when Layar began with geo-located layers, Funda, the Dutch real estate search engine, was one of the first and most popular layers on our platform. Today, individual agencies like 4one4 in Australia are using interactive print to provide relevant information about properties to their customers.

Interactive print goes far beyond the pages of magazines, pamphlets or business cards, and Van Santvoort, a real estate agency here in the Netherlands, is showing just what that can mean. At the recent Regionale Nieuwbouwbeurs real estate exhibition, the Van Santvoort stand featured walls full of digital interactivity built by Layar partner Limebizz.

Visitors to the Van Santvoort booth could scan the images and descriptions of real estate properties to view extra photos. Users could swipe through photos in and around the properties as well as view floorplans. Videos offered booth visitors with tours of properties, and a 360º interactive “walkthrough” really made them feel like they were there!

This project is a clear leg-up for Van Santvoort over the competition. Instead of a single picture and description, Van Santvoort could provide multiple pictures, videos and even 360º experiences at an in-person exhibition, instead of online where these experiences traditionally live. Bringing the digital to the real life really made the difference for Van Santvoort.