What is a web-based model ?

Fully operational virtual products running on your Web Site provides potential customers real visibility of your products. This is the essence of our web-based modelling service.

Web- based virtual products are complete executable programs written in Java and platform independent. In this way the can be run directly from your server.

Examples are given in the right hand panel - click to view them.

How are they different from virtual reality views and animations ?

There are many solutions available to give the look and feel of a product. They can provide 3D views, walkthroughs and animation of operation. They do not however provide the real product functionality. The AND modelling service uses the actual functional software within the product and links that to a graphical image of the product. In this way the virtual product performs and behaves just as the real thing using the real code.

Why would I want a web-based model ?

First and foremost as stated above they provide potential customers real visibility of your products and using the web-based' try-before you buy' produces the following major benefits

• Reach more customers - Ecommerce sites are becoming an accepted method of doing business. This service can extend the benefits to more complicated electronic products where the real functionality sells the product.
• Reduce cost of sales - The cost of sales demos can often mean that some market sectors are worth attacking even though the product may suit. Even where the economics does stack up reducing cost of sales makes sense
• Reduce the cost of samples sent - Samples are sometimes the only way to entice a customer to buy. A virtual product once commissioned costs you nothing the reproduce and by making it web-based is easily distributable
• Training - Virtual products are often a good way of providing training to potential users distrubutors etc. The product can be annotated with operation explanation.

How easy are they to build ?

AND have considerable experience in virtual product development.. We have pioneered Virtual prototyping as a development method and are now using these techniques to produce the web-based models.

The first stage is to obtain a standard graphical image of the product and to isolate all parts of the image which can be animated. The images will normally be a standard graphics file.

The second stage is to take the software resident in the product and link it to images to make the product come to life.

The final stage is to take form a Java applet of the result virtual product and load it onto the web-site.

For the techies :- The majority of software written for electronic products uses thje 'C' programming language. This (or the parts required for the model) is translated into Java (a relatively simple operation) and then linked using the AND Virtual prototyping tools and techniques to the images.

How do I obtain a model of my product ?

At AND we provide a complete product builder service. Please contact us for a quotation for your product.