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NGRAIN Announces Industrial Application Suite for Transformative AR Deployment in Enterprise

| 8th June 2015

NGRAIN Announces Industrial Application Suite for Transformative AR Deployment in Enterprise

Powerful Interactive AR Tools Include Inspection and Damage Assessment, Field Support, and Manufacturing Analytics

Augmented World Expo – San Francisco – June 8, 2015 – Combining the power of augmented reality (AR) with the industrial Internet of Things, NGRAIN today announced its comprehensive suite of industrial applications – NGRAIN Scout, NGRAIN Consort and NGRAIN Envoy – firmly placing the organization at the forefront of deploying AR technologies across the data-intensive enterprise. Each industrial application focuses on a specific business use case and helps businesses maximize productivity, manage risk, and prevent costly mistakes before they happen.

“The importance of integrated augmented reality capabilities in industrial settings continues to grow. With customers across the Global 2000 in aerospace, defense and manufacturing already using NGRAIN technology, we are making it possible for the enterprise to obtain unprecedented levels of performance” said Barry Po, Director of Product Management. “The power of the NGRAIN industrial application suite is that it provides businesses with an innovative technology and deployment platform that leverages big data investments, visual elements, and AR to deliver critical information to enterprise workers at the point of need.”

The NGRAIN industrial application suite includes:

NGRAIN Consort An interactive 3D application that powers streamlined design inspections, quality control reviews, repair planning, and sustainment activities across an organization. NGRAIN Consort allows organizations to combine digital information about an assembly, vehicle, or other complex equipment with the actual machinery. Using innovative interactive augmented reality and virtual 3D, inspectors and technicians can directly annotate areas of concern, review maintenance histories, and plan for repairs on the spot.

Lockheed Martin is using NGRAIN Consort to effectively assess airframe damage and increase technician efficiency. Learn more about how NGRAIN and Lockheed worked together to solve these challenges.

NGRAIN Envoy A virtual 3D and augmented reality application that eliminates inefficiencies in field-based operations. By providing on-demand access to crucial equipment information and field-based data, specialists in the field can make critical decisions in real-time and collaborate with other field teams and colleagues remotely. Live updates to operational variables can be monitored at all times. Valuable knowledge captured in the field can be instantly assessed and disseminated to others, improving operational efficiency, asset management, and logistics planning.

NGRAIN Scout A 3D visual analytics application that supports real-time visual analysis and real-time decision making in manufacturing execution environments. Floor supervisors can access data at a glance, including current state, product lifecycle data, supply chain, and inventory information. Through a combination of augmented reality and interactive 3D experiences, every worker on the shop floor is always ready to act on work orders and rapidly changing operating conditions, to ensure that manufacturing activities are operating at maximum effectiveness.

For more information on NGRAIN and its products, please visit www.ngrain.com.

Visit NGRAIN at booth #14 this week at Augmented World Expo in Santa Clara to see NGRAIN industrial applications in action.

About NGRAIN

NGRAIN allows the world to see beyond reality. Our innovative, interactive 3D technologies empower decision makers in the most challenging markets around the globe, building a world where the enterprise workforce is always connected to the right information, at the right time, on the right device — maximizing operational uptime and eliminating costly mistakes.

NGRAIN’s patented virtual reality and augmented reality software is used by leading Fortune 500 organizations in aerospace, defense, energy, healthcare, and heavy industry; transforming the way they communicate, collaborate, and understand the world around them.

Through industry-first 3D development platforms, authoring tools, and industrial applications, NGRAIN enables organizations to accelerate decisions by interacting with the world’s data in 3D. For more information, visit www.ngrain.com.

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NGRAIN Media Contact:

Victoria Berry
King & Weber Communications
[email protected]
+1 519 362 5347



APX Labs Delivers Skylight R5, Expands Enterprise Software Platform to Smart Watches

| 8th June 2015

New version of Skylight features voice command and support for smart watches among other new capabilities enabling hands-free work

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 9, 2015 – APX Labs, the developer of the Skylight platform for enterprise wearable technology, today announced the availability of Skylight R5. The latest version of the business software product features important new capabilities including voice command and control, a unique work management system called Workstreams, claims-based Active Directory authentication and improved high-resolution photo capture. The new release also extends the Skylight platform to support smart watches.

“With this new version, Skylight extends our comprehensive platform for enterprise wearable technology,” said Brian Ballard, CEO and co-founder, APX Labs. “Using Skylight to support smart watches is a natural progression for our customers and fits our mission to give millions of people the tools to do their work using whatever wearable device best suit their needs.”  Skylight R5 supports Android Wear devices with a planned software update for Apple Watch.

Skylight_Logo_Blue_Website

Skylight enables hands-on workers to access the information, applications and systems necessary for their jobs, without the interruption of turning away to use computers, phones or paper manuals. The new voice enabled interface in Skylight R5 allows workers wearing smart glasses and smart watches to speak commands and communicate in a simple and natural way. The addition of Workstreams in Skylight R5 allows companies to create very powerful workflows where their users can quickly see and interact with their daily work and drill down to get help whenever they need it.

By supporting a wide range of devices, Skylight R5 provides companies with a common user experience and a single, manageable back-end across their entire mobile operations. For the first time, businesses can leverage the full ecosystem of wearable technologies and outfit workers with whatever combination of smart glasses, smart watches and other devices best fit their needs.

Attendees at the Augmented World Expo (AWE) 2015 can see a live demo of Skylight R5 on smart glasses and smart watches at the APX Labs booth (#15) on the exhibitor floor, or by contacting [email protected].

To learn more about APX Labs and the Skylight platform, please visit http://www.apx-labs.com/products/skylight/

About APX Labs

Since 2010, APX Labs has been the market leader in developing wearable technology for the hands-on workforce. APX Labs’ Skylight software product runs on many types of devices, integrates with existing business systems, and is used today in a wide range of industrial operations including manufacturing, field service, repair, training, and compliance. For additional information, visit www.apx-labs.com.

 

Media Contact

Katherine Verducci
MIX Public Relations
[email protected]

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Bosch Announces Expanded Support for Augmented Reality in Automotive Service, Repair and Training

| 8th June 2015

AREA member Robert Bosch has been investing resources and significant effort in its Augmented Reality solutions for several years. The key to making it widespread and easy to deploy by its automotive industry customers and internally in Bosch business units is integration with existing information and technical documentation systems. The company has announced in this press release that it has released a new version of its Common Augmented Reality Platform (CAP), introduced in 2014.

Out of the box, the Bosch Common Augmented Reality Platform CAP can be configured with a comprehensive database from which it extracts content for visualization in Augmented Reality view. In addition to written information and explanations in text format, the updated platform supports video clips, photos, safety instructions with audio clips, 3D models, circuit diagrams, technical drawings and markers for configuration of tracking. Also noteworthy that the cross-platform system is modular and independent of specific tracking or rendering techniques.   



Atheer Labs Joins the AREA

| 8th June 2015

In this press release issued by Atheer Labs, CEO Alberto Torres explains why the industry association is vital to the future of enterprise Augmented Reality. Atheer is one of the sixteen Founding Sponsor Members of the AREA which launched today.



NGRAIN Joins the AREA

| 8th June 2015

In this press release, NGRAIN announces it’s role as a Founding Sponsor member of the AREA, launched today. NGRAIN is one of the sixteen Founding Sponsor Members of the AREA, formed to accelerate enterprise Augmented Reality adoption.



The AREA Launches with Goal to Accelerate Adoption of AR Technology

| 8th June 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Augmented Reality for Enterprise Alliance (AREA) Launches with Goal to Accelerate Adoption of AR Technology

Leading companies collaborate to expand and mature Augmented Reality ecosystem

WAKEFIELD, Mass. USA – May 19, 2015 – Leaders in enterprise and industrial Augmented Reality (AR) today launched the non-profit Augmented Reality for Enterprise Alliance (AREA), the only global member-based organization focusing on accelerating AR adoption through development and expansion of a vibrant technology ecosystem. Though AR for the enterprise offers great promise, published pioneer experiences are scarce, and few programs exist to help organizations seeking to deploy AR to navigate the many uncharted integration challenges. The AREA is the first group to address these needs.

When integrated with enterprise systems, Augmented Reality technology can improve workplace performance by increasing access to information in the context of the physical world. According to Juniper Research, mobile AR use in the enterprise will drive annual revenues for software licenses to $2.4 billion in 2019, up from $247 million in 2014.

The AREA’s mission is to help organizations achieve greater operational efficiencies through smooth introduction and widespread adoption of interoperable AR-enabled enterprise systems. The group will work toward this goal by advocating best practices based on shared knowledge, experience in live deployments, common business values, and addressing known and emerging challenges. The AREA will also promote learning, communication and collaboration among technology provider segments so that they can offer greater value to their customers. The collaborative relationship between users and providers of AR technologies is a core component of the AREA’s approach to its mission.

Founding Sponsor members of the AREA are thought leaders 1066 Labs, APX Labs, Atheer Labs, Augmate, The Boeing Company, Bosch, CN2 Technology, DAQRI, Design Mill, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), IEEE Standards Association, NGRAIN, iQagent, Newport News Shipbuilding, Perey Research & Consulting and Talent Swarm.

“We forecast rapid enterprise AR revenue growth but feel that the ecosystem faces significant obstacles,” said Steffen Sorrell, Juniper Research analyst and author of Augmented Reality: Consumer, Enterprise & Vehicles 2015-2019. “There are challenges with, for example, integrating AR in legacy enterprise systems. Content and programs such as those the AR for Enterprise Alliance is beginning to provide will increase awareness, reduce barriers and drive adoption in more use cases and at larger scale. It’s exciting to see early enterprise AR adopters and providers of AR technologies pooling their resources and sharing their valuable knowledge to mature the market.”

“Through our members’ collaborative efforts, the AREA will address challenges and lower barriers to AR adoption within the enterprise, at technical, business and societal levels,” said Christine Perey, AREA Executive Director. “A highly functional ecosystem of AR customers, non-commercial entities and providers of core enabling technologies, solutions and services is quickly going to emerge.”

The AREA’s membership benefits include access to high-quality, vendor-neutral content and participation in programs, early access to beta software and hardware, a research framework to address key challenges shared by all members, discounts for fee-based activities, and more. Sponsor members have a direct role in shaping the rapidly expanding AR industry, and demonstrate their companies’ leadership and commitment to improving workplace performance.

“As a founding member of the AREA, Boeing can help lead our industry to new and greater levels of knowledge,” said Paul Davies, Boeing Associate Technical Fellow. “Our business goals are in alignment with the AREA’s mission, and being a member delivers other specific benefits, such as leveraging our research budget through collaboration with other members and hearing the insights of the brightest minds in the field.”

“Bosch joined the AREA to drive the development of Augmented Reality-enabled solutions and customers,” said Juergen Lumera, Director, Global TIS Product Management and AREA Vice President, Customer Segment. “The organization is a win-win for us because we both use the AR-enabled systems for our products and provide Augmented Reality, such as our CAP Automotive platform, to our customers.”

“As an organization dedicated to advancing technology for humanity through open innovation and collaboration, we fully support and align with AREA’s focus on engaging corporations to advance augmented reality for the social and economic benefits of industry and consumers,” said Konstantinos Karachilios, Managing Director, IEEE Standards Association.  

The AREA will produce significant and measurable impacts for both AR ecosystem customers and providers. Customers will be able to rapidly choose from a large, diverse ecosystem of products and services, and build or purchase complete solutions based both on best practices and on modular architectures using ratified standards, where available. Providers of enabling technologies, products and services will have more opportunities to provide value to a greater number of customers, and will be able to integrate AR-enabling solutions more fully into existing and future enterprise workflows. 

About the AREA

The Augmented Reality for Enterprise Alliance (AREA) is a global member-based organization focusing on accelerating AR adoption through creating and expanding a vibrant technology ecosystem. The AREA’s mission is to help organizations achieve greater operational efficiencies through smooth introduction and widespread adoption of interoperable AR-enabled enterprise systems, and its members collaborate to deliver content and programs that further these goals.

Founding Sponsor members of the AREA are thought leaders 1066 Labs Inc., APX Labs, Atheer Labs, Augmate, The Boeing Company, Bosch, CN2 Technology, DAQRI, Design Mill, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), IEEE Standards Association, NGRAIN, iQagent, Newport News Shipbuilding, Perey Research & Consulting, and Talent Swarm. More information about the AREA is available at https://thearea.org or by writing to [email protected].

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Direct media inquiries:
Judith Vanderkay
+1 781-876-6208

[email protected]

Editor’s Note: Additional supporting comments from Founding Sponsor members are available upon request to [email protected] or at https://thearea.org.



NGRAIN Introduces Vergence Platform for 3D Augmented Reality

| 8th June 2015

NGRAIN, an AREA Founding Sponsor member, has announced in this press release, the immediate availability of its newest release of Vergence, a platform for authoring enterprise and industrial AR experiences with a graphical user interface. The authoring environment makes it easy for experience designers to use their 3D assets created in MAX, Maya, Inventor, CATIA, Creo, and SolidWorks. The results of Vergence experiences can be used within NGRAIN Iris, a free companion app for mobile devices and smart glasses.



DAQRI Announces Acquisition of ARToolworks and Release of Open Source ARToolkit Pro

| 8th June 2015

ARToolworks has been providing an AR Software Development Toolkit for nearly a decade and is very popular in academic and research environments but the professional version found it difficult to compete with low cost (and free) alternative software development environments. AREA member DAQRI announced in this press release that it has acquired the ARToolworks brand and software and will be making the technology and software available using Open Source. The extra features in the professional license will be valuable to existing ARToolkit customers as well as those who seek an alternative to other commercial systems.



iQagent Releases Windows Support

| 8th June 2015

Many enterprises standardized on Windows operating system devices decades ago. Meanwhile, many Augmented Reality prototypes and solutions leverage the ease of use of Apple products. This dichotomy can leave customers in an awkward position. To support customers in their plant floor deployments of its iQagent platform, the company announced in a press release that it has released a Windows 8.1 compatible version of software. Support for tablets that are safe for use in hazardous environments will be the natural next step.



Geospatial Augmented Reality Promises to Bring Value to Businesses

| 8th June 2015

Geospatial Augmented Reality does not get a great deal of attention. Yet, it could be highly valuable for geospatially-referenced enterprise assets. At the SPAR 2015 conference in Houston, Andy Lowery, CEO of AREA Member DAQRI, spoke about the opportunity to enable workers in the field with Augmented Reality. Speakers from other companies, such as, BP, the oil giant, spoke about new technologies for productivity improvement. Trimble announced that it would be distributing DotProduct handheld scanner. There were many other developments announced and reviewed by Gene Roe, editor of LiDAR News Magazine, in an editorial published by the American Surveyor, a publication for surveying professionals.