XR is the most fragmented technology ecosystem since the early internet — and Sean Mann, CEO of RP1, thinks the industry is making the same mistake AOL did.

Get a front row seat to the conversations about AI, AR smartglasses, and the future of enterprise technology from Augmented World Expo 2026.

Everyone is building walled gardens. Devices don't talk to each other. Enterprises can't build things that will work everywhere. And every developer who invests in one platform risks watching their skills disappear when that platform does.

The web broke all of this open in the '90s with one thing: an open-standards browser. Sean's argument is that spatial computing needs the exact same move right now.

At AWE 2026, RP1 launched OMBI — the Open Metaverse Browser Initiative — alongside Sneeze, an open-source spatial rendering engine designed to sit inside any web or metaverse browser the way Blink and WebKit do today.

Their goal isn't to win the browser war — it's to make the browser war unnecessary. Walk up to a location in AR glasses, connect to what's around you, and not have to think about which platform you're on. Just like going to a URL.

Key Moments:

• [00:01:25] The walled garden problem: why XR fragmentation mirrors the early internet's AOL era
• [00:04:15] From mass multiplayer to open metaverse: how RP1 found its real mission
• [00:07:07] The SOM: inventing a spatial evolution of the DOM for multi-origin experiences
• [00:10:08] Sneeze: the open engine any web or metaverse browser can embed
• [00:18:44] The Open Metaverse Academic Alliance and partnering with the University of Rochester

Sean's read is that the standards being written right now will determine whether the spatial web is open to everyone or controlled by a few. He's betting on the former — and building the infrastructure to make it happen.

Watch on YouTube → https://youtu.be/KcsIsXU0s8c

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#OpenMetaverse #SpatialComputing #TechGlowUp #AWE2026 #XR

About Sean Mann

Sean Mann, CEO of RP1, is a visionary leader with 25 years of entrepreneurial and technology expertise. In 2023, he was named 'Innovator of the Year' at the WebXR Awards, ranked as a top 20 Metaverse Industry founder by Metaverse Insider, and a featured Industry thought leader on CNBC.

Sean shapes RP1's strategic direction, drawing from a diverse background in B2C and B2B sectors, including medical, consumer electronics, software technology, fitness, and wellness. His career highlights encompass business transformation, strategic partnerships, and pioneering marketing strategies.

Sean and RP1 are active members of the Metaverse Standards Forum, the Open ARCloud, IEEE, The World Wide Web Consortium

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