Los Angeles-based media startup Byond wants to make it easier for enterprises to create their own content for virtual reality and augmented reality, so today the company announced the beta launch of an all-in-one publishing platform called the Byond Immersive Suite.

Most content created for VR or AR today is made using a game engine such as Unreal Engine or Unity, which can both have a steep learning curve even for experienced coders. Byond said its new platform allows businesses to create content for VR, AR and 360 video without any special coding skills required.

The suite includes features designed for different media use cases, including consumer engagement, ecommerce and training, and Byond said it’s already helping several major brands create their own virtual experiences, including Coca-Cola Co., Samsung Corp. and HP Inc. Byond’s software can also publish media for a range of platforms and devices, including Android, iOS, Google Daydream, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and several web browsers.

“Byond offers a platform as a service to empower brands and agencies to create their own personalized interactive and immersive experiences,” Eran Galil, founder and chief technology officer of Byond, said in a statement. “By using the Byond Immersive Suite, we significantly reduce the complexity of creating, publishing and analyzing new media applications, across all multiple display and interaction devices.”

The new publishing suite has been under closed beta testing for the last two years, during which it reached more than 300,000 viewers with more than 2 million immersive interactions. The platform is now available to more businesses as an open beta test, and Byond said it hopes that will allow it to scale usage for the suite and further expand its tools. The company said it’s especially interested in working with businesses in the travel, media and entertainment industries.

There are a few other companies that offer new media publishing tools, such as Zappar Ltd., which raised $3.75 million in February for its VR/AR publishing app. Like Byond, Zappar’s platform targets businesses that want to build their own VR experiences without requiring specific training for more complicated content creation tools. Another example of simplified VR content creation is InstaVR, which is aimed at mobile 360 video content.

Photo: Byond