Having them purchase the software was out of the question. And each additional person who wants to view or access the models needs an Intergraph software viewer, which costs thousands of dollars. In looking for a solution, Jacobs found Vuent Inc., a Sunnyvale, Calif., supplier of collaboration software and services. The software, which comes with a free downloadable plug-in, allows anyone with an ISDN line and access to Jacobs' network to view models at their desktop. If clients want to view the first floor of a building, for example, they can click on that portion of the facility's diagram.
Users can view the file as the data is sent across the network.
They don't have to wait for bulky downloads to finish. The relevant information is sent out in streams. Richards says the only problem clients may encounter is getting through their corporate firewalls. A stream of savings Perey says streaming media technology hasn't caught on with more businesses because managers don't realize the return on investment. Even in companies that do use streamed media, little has been done to track the costs and payoffs.