CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
26 January 2005
Company News
Hitachi Consulting Announces Capability to Deliver Intel's Universal 3D -U3D- in Solutions for High Complexity Manufacturing
Hitachi Consulting Corporation, the business and IT consulting company of Hitachi, Ltd., announced support today for Universal 3D (U3D), a new, breakthrough standard for the sharing and visualization of 3D graphics, created recently by Intel, the 3D Industry Forum and Ecma International.
The manufacture, sales and support of products in the aerospace & defense, high tech, and automotive industries will soon undergo dramatic change as these manufacturers take advantage of U3D. Aimed at becoming the "JPEG" for 3D graphics, the U3D standard is already supported in a range of software products, including the recent release of Acrobat 7.0 by Adobe, but the full implications are only just being realized.
In industries that manufacture, service or maintain complex products, the significant short- and long-term cost savings and revenue increases that can be realized from including 3D graphics within maintenance, sales and training materials will make U3D an essential technology. So say Hitachi Consulting and Intel, in their jointly authored white paper "The Impact of U3D on Product Lifecycle Management" available on the Hitachi Consulting web site at http://www.hitachiconsulting.com/whitepapers/U3D .
"For some industries, like automotive, for instance, U3D has the potential to be a revolutionary technology, providing early adopters with significant competitive advantage through decreased maintenance costs, faster time to market, and increased sales. Eventually, U3D will become pervasive in all industries that market either consumer products or highly complex products," said Damian Smith, Managing Vice President, Corporate Management Solutions at Hitachi Consulting.
Some companies will utilize U3D to enhance maintenance manuals, thereby reducing maintenance costs dramatically. Others will use U3D in interactive sales brochures and on websites to increase revenues. Still others will realize value through advanced training programs, particularly where critical, just-in-time learning is needed.
"The use of 3D images in solving business problems is primed to take on a whole new role. With the development of a Universal 3D format, U3D, this data can now be cost-effectively incorporated into marketing, sales, maintenance, customer service and others business processes," said Richard Benoit, Program Marketing Manager, Intel Corporation. "Having a company like Hitachi Consulting adopt this vision and implement it in client environments will provide viewers the ability to visualize 'real' products early in the development cycles as well as for long term purposes over the life of the product. This will allow manufacturers to reap benefits from their 3D data in new meaningful and profitable ways."
Hitachi Consulting is currently working with several leading manufacturing companies on a range of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) initiatives. "Our parent company, Hitachi Ltd. is one of the world's largest manufacturers of complex products. So, when we became aware of U3D through our relationship with Intel, it was easy for us to see how revolutionary this new standard will be," said Lee Palmer, Managing Vice President of Hitachi Consulting's High Tech and Aerospace & Defense Industry practices. "As the price of computing power and memory continues to decline and more software products support U3D files, the use of 3D graphics will likely become as commonplace as 2D graphics are today."
Hitachi Consulting is Hitachi, Ltd.'s global business and IT consulting company. Hitachi Consulting serves Global 2000 companies across many industries. Hitachi Consulting delivers practical solutions to generate demand, ensure supply and help the client manage their enterprise effectively.
To find out more about how Hitachi Consulting can inspire your next success, please call 1.877.664.0010 or visit http://www.hitachiconsulting.com .
Hitachi, Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company, with approximately 326,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2003 (ended March 31, 2004) consolidated sales totaled 8,632.4 billion yen ($81.4 billion). The company offers a wide range of systems, products and services in market sectors, including information systems, electronic devices, power and industrial systems, consumer products, materials and financial services.
For more information on Hitachi, please visit http://www.hitachi.com .
Become a member of the CIMdata PLM Community to receive your daily PLM news and much more.
Tell us what you think of the CIMdata Newsletter. Send your feedback.
CIMdata is committed to your privacy. Your personal information will never be sold or shared outside of CIMdata without your express permission.