What’s Happening with OLIVE? Find Out.

Checkpoint Training in a 3D environment of OLIVE.

The other day, I caught up with Warren Haseley at SAIC about the 3D virtual world of OLIVE (On-Line Interactive Virtual Environment). Since Forterra was purchased by SAIC a while back, I had been curious about what the company was up to and how they were doing since they were purchased. So I asked Warren a few questions and you can see his answers below.

1) What’s your role at SAIC and what do you do on a daily basis?

My role at Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) is On-Line Interactive Virtual Environment (OLIVE) Business Development Manager. I support global commercial business sales, international virtual initiatives, and assist on government virtual world projects. OLIVE commercial sales are focused on providing enterprise-wide solutions for financial services, pharmaceutical, insurance, healthcare and life sciences, energy, technology, and consulting markets.

OLIVE is one of the only enterprise-grade, virtual world technology solutions available today that is capable of providing private, secure, persistent three-dimensional (3-D) environments behind or in front of firewalls. With OLIVE, organizations can host their own virtual world tailored to their needs, processes, culture, and industry. OLIVE-based virtual worlds bring together physical presence, action, voice, data, and media in a realistic, context-specific simulated environment that can run in an organization’s IT environment to enhance collaboration.

2) SAIC was purchased back in Feb, 2010. Since then, we haven’t heard much in the press about SAIC and its flag ship software, how was the transition to SAIC and what has that meant for the company?

The transition to SAIC is accelerating the implementation of the OLIVE product roadmap for development and expansion. With over 10 billion in revenues and 120 offices in 15 countries, SAIC’s global reach is expanding the visibility and application of OLIVE virtual worlds for collaboration, meetings, learning, training, rehearsals, simulations, operations, and growing variety of special applications–from cognitive behavioral therapy and medical simulation to first responder and emergency management.

OLIVE is part of SAIC’s portfolio of end-to-end modeling and simulation, and training solutions, and the SimInsight™ platform of simulation services. The portfolio includes live, virtual, and constructive simulation, gaming, and convergence products, technology, and services. OLIVE enhances SAIC’s 3-D virtual environment capability and offerings.

3) What types of projects has SAIC been working on recently? Can you name any clients?

Recent contract wins and virtual environment initiatives include:
• USDA vGov-SAIC is delivering the OLIVE software platform to support the development of virtual world solutions for federal employees and managers through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). SAIC is providing development, integration, fielding, and training services to support the building, customizing, and hosting of 3-D worlds for meeting, collaboration, interaction, training, learning, rehearsals, and operations in the government-only online virtual world being created in the vGov project.

• USAF-SAIC, along with subcontractor InWorld Solutions, is supporting the delivery of Operational Assessments (OA) and two virtual systems for Virtual Family Support and the Use of Avatars in Mental Health for airmen and women on the front line of U.S. Air Force (USAF) combat action for the Office of the USAF Surgeon General Telehealth (AF/SG6), Air Force Medical Support Agency (AFMSA) under the Avatar Virtual Support contract.

• NICoE-The National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE) in Bethesda, Md. selected the InWorld Solutions system and OLIVE to provide a new virtual therapy modality of treatment to military personnel and veterans with mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and complex psychological health (PH) issues.

• Commercial activity includes collaboration with:

o A major Canadian financial institution to provide retail training for distributed branch managers and call center staff.
o A global energy company on using OLIVE in the development of a global mining safety program and open pit mining simulation to reinforce safety procedures, reduce accidents, and improve safety of mine workers.
o An international global pharmaceutical giant to use OLIVE to create virtual customer support groups supported by experts and aimed at sustaining healthy lifestyle practices in diet, exercise, and nutrition.
o Partner Workplace Technology Research Institute to test the use of OLIVE virtual environments for different activities in the workplace, such as HR.

4) What do you see as the future of 3D virtual immersive environments?

SAIC envisions the future of immersive, 3-D environments as the foundation of an integrated, fully-functioning, virtual workplace where the common technologies and tools for meeting, working, learning, and operating are accessed through OLIVE, and support a globally-distributed workforce, saving time and money. SAIC also sees OLIVE as a powerful, 3-D simulation site where organizations can effectively and efficiently achieve training goals, transfer learned tasks, and maximize retention of employees.

5) Can you “leak” any innovations or technology SAIC is working on?

Since SAIC acquired OLIVE in February 2010, we have released two new software versions and launched new perpetual software licenses and hosting services in July. We plan to release updates consistently. Our roadmap for development is constantly evolving based on OLIVE user feedback. SAIC’s focus is to provide faster, easier access to OLIVE worlds, tools, content, and customization for users from anywhere in the world. We’re simplifying content creation and working on OLIVE web-based interfaces and new mobile computing capabilities. We’re also thinking about Cloud computing and developing a thinner client download that accelerates access to OLIVE and maintains rigorous security protocols.

Conducting CRP in a virtual world.

6) Do you see more acceptance of 3D virtual immersive environments within organizations that you are working with?

Definitely. From our vantage point, there are three drivers behind this trend.
1. SAIC’s customer relationships and reputation for science and technology excellence is supporting OLIVE’s expansion into the commercial and federal markets.
2. In this economy, there is greater focus on increasing productivity and decreasing costs. OLIVE can help reduce employee travel, overhead, and operations costs.
3. With globalization of the world economy, there is new focus on building global teams, supporting collaboration, and increasing operational efficiency among distributed teams.

Virtual briefing in OLIVE

7) Finally, any last words or comments about 3D, SAIC, OLIVE, SAIC, etc.

From a business development and marketing perspective, the interest, pipeline, and activity around OLIVE is greater today than at any point in time in the past. With SAIC behind OLIVE and accelerating interest in virtual solutions, we see a bright OLIVE future.