JT2Go for Windows 8 facilities mobility processes with Surface for leading Enterprises
Today, at the JT Open International Conference in Tokyo, I shared details about the overall performance of 3D Viewer for JT and JT2Go for Windows 8, how they are used with the assistance of ATK Aerospace and demonstrated a few of the exciting new features targeted for a future release of JT2Go.
Firstly, I’ll recap the App performance for you. We receive anonymous telemetry gathered from the App (if installed via the Windows Store) that provides insights into the overall performance. It doesn’t include any information for Enterprise versions of the App that were deployed within a company via their own internal store using Windows Intune or Systems Center due to privacy settings and controls. In general though, most companies begin with installing the App from the Windows Store in small numbers, due to its ease of initial access, and then move to an Enterprise version for large scale deployments.
It’s also interesting to note how people are using the App. The data is consistent with feedback we’ve received from many companies, that the App is used in conjunction with other applications such as PLM or MRP to fulfill a process such as Electronic Work Instructions or sometimes called Shop Floor Instructions. Furthermore, the App is preferred over inline or browser based alternatives due to the richness of display, interaction and overall performance.
If you are curious who uses JT and where, well, we can answer where easily from the App telemetry. We do not receive end user personal information but JT Open community members have identified themselves as active users (which we would hope and expect!) but so have many other large Discrete Manufacturers who use JT in their work processes.
The most users reside in the USA and the least … Gibraltar with just one!
Another interesting statistic to analyze is age. There is a significant spike in the 22-40 range suggesting that younger people who perhaps were educated in a newly digital world gravitate towards 3D and mobile computing versus the most established workforce that experienced digitization later in their careers or education.
Secondly, I discussed how mobility is enabling key processes within member companies and users of JT alike. It should come as no shock that these processes have a heritage in paper. Today these processes are largely digital, led by the ongoing move to the Model Based Definition (MBD) where 3D computer aided design (CAD) information is used to create digital assets throughout the product lifecycle that aim to replace paper entirely or at least minimize its use.
I was especially pleased and privileged to share details from ATK Aerospace in particular how they use Surface Pro, Siemens PLM Software’s Teamcenter Visualization and JT2Go for Windows 8 to enable shop floor processes for assembly and quality inspection.
What we learnt from ATK’s experience is that there is need for a device that is portable and lightweight so that it handles like clipboard (without the burden of paper) but with the power and precision to run desktop applications when needed. Furthermore they needed a device that would cater to bare and gloved hands of all ages, withstand the wear and tear of the assembly line and importantly, be secure. ATK chose our very own Surface Pro 2 and are presently evaluating Surface Pro 3, which has the benefit of being lighter with a longer battery life and importantly, a screen aspect ratio consistent with paper.
Their choice of Surface Pro 2 also included the availability of key applications and their ability to display product manufacturing information (PMI), perform measurements and connect with line-of-business solutions such as PLM.
And finally I had a chance to put my Surface Pro 3 to work and show a prototype (or beta, in software terms) App of JT2Go for Windows 8 featuring markups that can you add using Surface Pen and of course, the new Azure Rights Management service for securing JT files, known as Protected JT or PJT for short.
What makes Azure Rights Management powerful in this scenario is that it can control the application behavior in addition to provide access controls and encryption. You can, for example, share a JT assembly but prevent 3D printing and markups. It also has options for time expiry limiting the duration of time when a file can be accessed. This helps ensure that the file is current. Finally, and importantly for working with the supply chain, Azure RMS is free and easy for recipients to sign-up in order to gain access to a file. It takes only a few minutes and it’s ready for use.
It was certainly an honor to present at the JT Open International Conference this year and a pleasure to be part of a team at Microsoft who help make JT a more mobile and secure format.
Feel free to contact me if I can be of assistance, via Twitter or LinkedIn.
