With many staffers expected to be working from home for the long haul, UBS has begun looking into the creation of a virtual reality trading floor using Microsoft HoloLens headsets.
As it faces up to the reality that traders may not be back in the office for a long time, the bank has set up a working group examining how to reimagine the trading floor, according to the Financial Times.
Some London-based traders have been issued HoloLenses to help recreate the experience of being on a full trading floor from their homes.
"If people really can’t come to the office, can we create a virtual presence?” Beatriz Martin, UBS UK chief executive, tells the FT.
UBS is letting most of its employees decide for themselves whether to return to the office. Earlier this month, JPMorgan Chase brought traders back to offices in London and New York but was quickly forced to send some home after one tested positive for Covid-19.
UBS is not the first bank to look into using the HoloLens for VR trading; Citi experimented with the technology in 2016 but did not move ahead with a full rollout.