ThinkOne

Java 3D API Customer Success Stories

ThinkOne

"The portability of the Java 3D API, combined with its ease-of-use, allowed us to create our multimedia streaming tools in a very short amount of time, improving our competitiveness in this fast-paced Internet market. As a research & development lab, we plan to use the Java 3D API again and again for future Internet-based applications."

Steve Bjorgan
director of technology development
ThinkOne

Java 3D API Improves Communication

In December of 1998, France Telecom and Deutsche Telekom created a joint research and development company called ThinkOne. ThinkOne is focused on developing technologies for Internet, multimedia, and wireless telephony; among other successes, it produces standards-based streaming media for the Internet, allowing quality video, audio and 3D animation to be streamed over low bit rate networks for applications including interactive education and 3D e-commerce.

In order to create an Internet-application technology that would enable high-quality interactive streaming, ThinkOne needed a high-level 3D graphics programming tool with guaranteed portability. ThinkOne chose the Java 3D API because it allowed the company to build one application for many devices, from laptop PCs to high-end workstations, and in the future, for consumer appliances from advanced wireless terminals to set-top boxes.

The network-centric API gave ThinkOne's programmers the freedom to develop and deploy for a wide variety of computing environments, saving the company time and money in application development, and giving it the ability to repurpose content across many business domains. Additionally, the easy-to-use Java 3D API alleviated programmer dependence on OpenGL, reducing the amount of time developers spend on the mundane rendering tasks associated with low level APIs.

"Most companies take years to develop Java 3D-like features for their applications. Sun has done that work for us and has given developers the flexibility of Java combined with a powerful 3D API. It's a fantastic addition to the many Java tools we use, and a great fit for the kind of work we do," said Stephen Bjorgan, director of technology development, ThinkOne.

Java 3D Technology: The Right Tool for ThinkOne

For ThinkOne, the Java 3D technology's transparency, transportability and seamlessness across multiple platforms made it a perfect fit for developing Internet applications. The API takes advantage of existing hardware accelerators through OpenGL or Direct3D to provide near native performance, so that Java 3D API-based applications are easy to create and immune to the performance degradation often associated with high-level programming tools, another key benefit for ThinkOne.

ThinkOne also benefited from the geometry compression feature built into the Java 3D API. The Java 3D API delivered image and data manipulation to ThinkOne's streaming and compression technology. Geometry compression, which allows very large 3D models to be rapidly downloaded over the network for remote viewing and manipulation, helped ThinkOne manage data for its multimedia applications.

Java 3D API in Action

ThinkOne's Internet application products are targeted to a variety of markets, including remote education and training, gaming, conferencing and broadcasting applications. The company sees the greatest potential for growth in the e-commerce market, where ThinkOne's technology allows retail products to be viewed in life-like 3D representations, letting consumers interact with the products and view product descriptions before buying.

Trois Suisses, a Swiss mail order company, uses ThinkOne's technology to bring its product catalog to life via strategically placed kiosks in France. Potential consumers can review features of Trois Suisses' products (consumer electronics, appliances, clothing), discuss the product with a remote customer service representative and make quick buying decisions. The Java 3D API gives the catalog outstanding 3D graphics, due to the geometry decompression and native performance of the Java 3D API. "It's almost like being there!" said Bjorgan.

Java 3D Technology Delivers Universal Access

ThinkOne dramatically enhances the Internet user's experience by making content engaging to consumers through 3D interactivity, retaining consumer interest and bringing them back again and again. In addition, the technology's network-centric base and its minimal demand on bandwidth mean that more revenue can be derived from the same content, allowing more channels of information to be broadcast over the same pipe.

"We created a fully functional online service and brought it to Beta in about eight months, which was only possible with the help of Java 3D technology. We expect that the ubiquity of the Java platform will enable our technology to be accessed by the vast majority of Internet users," said Bjorgan. "When viewed as a complementary source of delivery to cable and digital television, Internet access to multimedia content means greater convenience for consumers, and hence bigger sales. Add 3D animation and interactivity and consumers can follow up on anything that tickles their fancy, by asking for more information or even by ordering it. It is a model that already works for the Internet in general, and could be even more effective on other platforms, because devices such as television reach so many more potential buyers."

ThinkOne
1000 Marina Blvd Suite 300
Brisbane, CA 94005
(650) 875-1521
http://www.thinkone.com