From: "Per A. Jonasson" Subject: ANNOUNCE: Virtual Reality Institute Date: Thu, 13 Jun 1996 17:51:55 +0200 Message-ID: <31C0391A.7061@clarus.se> Organization: Prosolvia Clarus AB For release 9 a.m. EDT Tuesday, June 11, 1996 CONTACT: Rene Merem, EDS (810) 265-5080 rmerem@cps.cio.eds.com EDS AND PROSOLVIA ANNOUNCE COLLABORATIVE AGREEMENT TO OPEN VIRTUAL REALITY INSTITUTE IN THE UNITED STATES TROY, Mich. EDS and Prosolvia Research and Technology Inc., a pioneer in virtual reality consulting and the world's largest privately owned virtual reality training company, today announced a collaborative agreement to establish their first Virtual Reality Institute (VRI) in the United States. The VRI, which will offer training and consulting services in virtual reality (VR) technology and is scheduled to open in August, will combine the resources of the two leaders in information technology. Prosolvia will provide the curriculum, experienced instructors, an expert research and development staff, and consulting expertise and methodologies. EDS will provide its vast marketing network, technical resources, facilities and administrative support for the VRI. In addition, EDS and Prosolvia also will work together to expand the VR curriculum, identify new business applications for VR technology and launch additional centers in North America. "Interactive Visual Simulation and VR are technologies that have been rapidly evolving toward becoming efficient product development and process reengineering tools," said Mats Johansson, president of Prosolvia. "However, many companies have been restrained in their use of these dynamic technical tools because of a scarcity of trained personnel." "The center will focus on creating an environment in which students can use new tools and processes applied to projects in marketing and sales, manufacturing, simulation, assembly, design, product development, medicine, entertainment and Architecture Engineering Construction (A/E/C)," added Johansson. Matt Vickers, a business manager for the EDS Detroit Virtual Reality Center, said that, "Students at the VRI will have the opportunity to work on real-world problems with instructors who have created VR solutions for other customers. In addition, companies will have the opportunity to submit VR problems for students of the institute to work on. We think this blending of advanced training, problem solving and research will make the VRI unique." VR can be used for modeling complex systems, visual design engineering and simulations. By using virtual designs, users can configure, test and optimize products and processes such as parts assembly lines, facilities or process flows. The use of VR in visual design and engineering can eliminate both the materials and the time required to create numerous physical prototypes. Simulation training, once used almost exclusively for flight simulators, can now be used for the training of assembly workers, surgeons and nuclear console operators. Prosolvia, a privately owned company based in Sweden with offices in Troy, Mich., and Salt Lake City, Utah, specializes in software development and consulting for VR applications. Prosolvia currently operates five successful VR colleges in Europe. Some of Prosolvia's clients include Volkswagen, BMW, Volvo, Ericsson and Swedish Telecom. Prosolvia's staff of approximately 200 employees specializes in product development, advanced engineering services, research and training. The staff whose primary discipline is engineering is academically strong, with 70 percent of the employees holding a master's degree or higher. Prosolvia serves customers in Europe and the United States. The company reported revenues of $26 million for 1995, and approximately 50 percent was generated from VR applications. EDS is a leading proponent of VR technology. In 1995, EDS brought together 40 companies, universities, and government organizations to create the Detroit Virtual Reality Center, the first commercial virtual reality center in the world. Since its opening in April 1995, more than 5,000 visitors have been through the center. In addition to the marketing center in Detroit, EDS has a VR center in Plano, Texas, and a European VR center in Brussels, Belgium. EDS is a leader in the global information services industry. The company's more than 95,000 employees specialize in applying a range of ideas and technologies to help business and government customers improve their economics, products, services and customer relationships. EDS, which serves customers in 42 countries, reported revenue of $12.4 billion for 1995. Anyone interested in more information or registering for training may visit the EDS/Prosolvia VRI Web site at http://www.vrinstitute.com or call (313)872-2363. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Per A. Jonasson Project Manager, Virtual Reality Centers PROSOLVIA CLARUS AB Gårdavägen 1 412 50 Gothenburg SWEDEN Phone: +46-31-703 51 40 Mobile: +46-70-728 68 71 E-Mail: pejo@clarus.se Fax: +46-31-703 51 20 WWW: http://www.prosolvia.se VR Institute: http://www.vrinstitute.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [MODERATOR'S NOTE: Commercial postings are offered on this newsgroup as a public service. Their appearance here does not indicate endorsement by the moderators or by the USENET or its administrators.]