Mobile
video collaboration including the ability to quickly locate available company experts,
communicate across multiple locations/devices and pull multiple parties into a
collaborative session offers new tools for sharing expertise and resolving
manufacturing problems.
Cisco, partnering with Librestream, is providing a solution
that integrates its unified wireless network and communications technologies with
Librestream's Onsight Expert solution. This enables hardened wireless video
cameras to be used for voice, video and data sharing between remote employees.
"Our core technology is what we call
borderless networks including our switching, routing, wireless and security
solutions," says Chet Namboodri, Director for Manufacturing Industry Solutions and
Marketing for Cisco Systems. "With that as a basis, we are able to offer
distributed data centers and virtualization across various areas from control
design to operational excellence. Enabling engineers to collaborate includes
telepresence, video and Webex capabilities that unify communications, and all
of these technologies combine to provide core solutions for manufacturing."
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Integrated WebEx provides immediate, secure
conferencing where users can initiate conferences with one click and take
advantage of audio, video and desktop sharing. TelePresence real-time
conferencing can replicate the power of a face-to-face meeting, so that
employees and partners may communicate with each other as naturally as though
they were at the same table, from any location in the world.
The key advantage of the Manufacturing Mobile
Video Collaboration (MMVC) solution is how it enables real-time mobile
collaboration between local personnel and remote experts. Examples include reducing
plant downtime and improving worker productivity through faster response to
issues on the shop floor, and accelerating time to market through effective collaboration
between engineering, manufacturing and suppliers during prototype and initial
production runs.
Cisco
TelePresence solutions provide a consistent, high-quality image and sound
with voice-activated switching at virtually zero latency, scaling from groups
of one or two up to large meeting areas with 48 screens. A TelePresence Manager
automates much of the collaboration process, supporting groupware scheduling
with an easy-to-use "one button" interface and integrated calendars and
administration.
A MultiPoint Switch can scale up to 16 units
for a single call, supporting site or segment switching to maintain image size
and aspect ratio for a reliable, high-quality conferencing exchange. One-touch
auto-collaborate tools include a PC projector and the ability to conveniently
share physical objects with an optional high-definition document camera. For
example, engineers can share CAD files or detailed, instant images of product
designs for assessment and review.
"The telepresence capability facilitates
solving problems in real-time and applications such as training. If you think of this technology applied to
machinery development, OEM machine builders have the opportunity to extend
their services over the lifecycle of the machine," says Namboodri. "This is not
just remote access to information on how the machine is being used, but also an
ability to collaborate in real-time with the users of the machine."
Librestream Onsight wireless mobile devices
offer a built-in microphone, speaker and headset jack for full voice
communication. Illumination, zoom and
focus controls help ensure clear visuals, and a macro capability provides excellent
detail for collaboration close-ups. Other cameras such as borescopes or microscopes
can be connected to these mobile devices to further enhance functionality.
Using the desktop collaboration software,
Onsight Expert operators can see video from the field and interact through
voice and onscreen telestration. The software can remotely control all the
device functions such as zoom and illumination. Users can share images or
prerecorded videos, and bring in additional experts running Onsight Expert or
WebEx. A secure, web-based administration system facilitates centralized
updates, configuration and management of Onsight devices and Onsight Expert
applications. Companies can also view session statistics to track and analyze
usage details.
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