BUSINESSLETTER
News and Information from the 3D Business World - April 2006

Dear readers,

Each new Bitmanagement software release showcases not only new features but also provides an insight into our overarching company strategy. This is no less the case with the new release 7.0 of our core 3D software platform, BS Contact VRML/X3D (see below). Readers will note that BS Contact has become not only a more universal platform, but also more 3D and multimedia application oriented, with native support for viewing a rich variety of 2D and 3D media file types. Bitmanagement is focused squarely within this market trend of integrated multimedia application development, a trend that, incidentally, was confirmed by a recent survey conducted by the VDI (The Association of German Engineers).

We offer customers and developers a complete solutions palette from simple 2D/3D visualization right through to highly integrated multimedia applications development. Whether it is for process simulation, construction, architecture, medical technology or applications for mobile devices, immersive displays or the Internet – each of these application areas and deployment options can now profit more comprehensively from our 3D software solutions. Our tailored, market-centric software products are called BS Contact Geo, BS Contact Mobile, BS Contact Stereo and so on, to meet the individual needs of customers working within highly specialized fields. With this ongoing evolution of our product line based on the core BS Contact platform we are committed to exceeding the technical requirements of these diverse markets and our existing customers to become the undisputed frontrunner.

The recent invitation from the German aerospace company (DLR) for Bitmanagement to attend the GMOS Workshop came as no surprise to us. The event focused on the topic of “Crisis Scenarios” and their management. This is a timely topic indeed given the unfortunate frequency of major disasters, both natural and manmade, that authorities around the globe are expected to respond effectively to.

The application of modern technologies can assist emergency services in identifying the source and scope of the problem, analyzing its potential impact and communicating directly with first-response personnel in order to seize the initiative and rapidly apply the most appropriate preventative or counter measures. Geographic information systems (GIS) and full-spectrum communication systems now form the core of this effective crisis response, as examples from France and elsewhere have clearly demonstrated. But the tremendously large GIS data sets required to gain a complete understanding of a crisis still represent a major challenge.

How can one reliably transmit and interactively display such large data sets in time and mission-critical scenarios? The answer is obvious: Via the Internet to consumer-level PC hardware. Software such as BS Contact can display large geo data sets in real-time 3D but the World Wide Web has serious bandwidth limitations, which are further hampered by unpredictable fluctuations in network traffic. A new business model now aims to make vast quantities of geographic information "Internet digestible" for rapid and secure transmission to where it is needed. This seems like a very small contribution to the security and stability of the world but, in fact, it is a vital and timely element in our overall capacity to respond to crises, where and whenever they occur.