Microvision Launches Nomad Expert Technician System
BOTHELL, Wash.--Jan. 3, 20040, 2004--| Head-worn, display with easy-to-use integrated wireless wearable computer increases throughput and productivity by up to 40% in automotive service bays |
Microvision, Inc. today announced the launch of the Nomad Expert Technician System, the first wireless wearable computer with a head-worn, head-up display.
Scheduled for first commercial shipments in the first quarter of 2004, the Nomad Expert Technician System allows automotive service technicians to superimpose text and diagrams from electronic service manuals directly over their workspace, so that they can stay focused on their task and perform diagnostic and repair work faster and more accurately. As a result, dealers, service managers and service technicians can keep customer satisfaction high and new technicians can be trained quickly to achieve peak performance levels.
The Nomad Expert Technician System will be unveiled in a national advertising campaign aimed at full service automotive dealerships and independent service chains, beginning with a "Sneak Preview", held at the Embassy Suites - Convention Center Hotel in Las Vegas during the National Automobile Dealers Association Conference and Exposition, January 30 - February 3. Details can be found at www.microvision.com/sneakpreview.
The Nomad Expert Technician System is the world's first "connect and work," wireless, head-up, wearable computer, and is specifically designed to be familiar, intuitive and easy to operate.
Weighing only 4.5 ounces, the Nomad head-worn Display Module delivers high contrast, high-resolution (SVGA) transparent images that can be overlaid on the user's vision. Users can choose from two comfortable headgear options: A version mounted under the brim of a baseball cap or integrated into a stylish contemporary headband. The Nomad Expert Technician System includes a fully integrated wireless (802.11b) Windows CE.Net "thin client" computer, so that it can be easily connected to an existing computer terminal or remote server to access automakers' web-based service content via the included Internet Explorer browser. The user controls input and navigation through a handy touch pad and keypad on the belt-mounted Nomad Control Module.
In separate field trials at American Honda Motor Company and Volvo Trucks North America, technicians using the Nomad Expert Technician System reduced their time to perform a range of repair and maintenance tasks by up to 40%. As part of a recent study by Microvision, a formula for return on investment (ROI) with the use of the Nomad Augmented Vision System was created for a typical automotive dealership. At a conservative 18 - 20% time efficiency gain, a dealership would realize a net ROI of $2,292 per technician per month. Annualized for an average dealership repair shop consisting of eight technicians, the ROI could be as high as $113,000.
Strong Industry Acceptance
Automotive industry reaction has been strongly positive according to Tom Sanko, Vice President of Marketing for Microvision. "We've received an enthusiastic response from every segment of the automotive repair market during the last few months of pilot trials, from car and truck manufacturers to new car dealerships, and from aftermarket digital content providers to large independent service and parts chains," said Sanko. "They become believers in the benefits of the Nomad System after seeing how easily technicians and other front line workers adapt to a new way of working that improves quality and productivity."
"The Nomad product will help us to have more accurate, more timely repairs and services for vehicles," said Larry Mallory, General Manager, Honda of Kirkland, Kirkland, Washington and Chairman of the e-Business Committee, Honda Dealer Council. "Our customers want perfect Hondas, we want to give them perfect Hondas and American Honda Motor Company wants that too ... it's a win, win, win product."
"The Nomad Expert Technician System gives us a competitive advantage by providing quality repairs, quickly," said Chud Wendle, President, Wendle Motors, Inc., a Ford dealer in Spokane, Washington. "The customer, dealer and manufacturer all win by 'getting it right the first time.'"
"Nomad gives us the opportunity to be more productive and efficient with the diagnosis and repair services we offer," said John Wiegand, Senior VP of Operational Programs, Precision Tune Auto Care, Inc. Leesburg, Virginia. "The Nomad System allows us to instantly access the needed repair data to promptly handle our customers concerns."
"I've been a service technician for 19 years, and this is the most significant change that I have seen in that 19 years," said Ray Mesa, Master Service Technician, Roger Beasley Lincoln-Mercury, Victoria, Texas. "Nomad is going to revolutionize the industry. Words can't describe how neat it is and how much time it can save you, because the more complex these cars get, the more information you need. Instead of having information just in the manuals, on a computer or a laptop, it's right there at your fingertips ... right there in front of you ... information all the time."
The Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for the Nomad Expert Technician System is $3,995 for a complete system with integrated wireless computer. Distribution of the product will be through Microvision's direct sales organization and a number of certified resellers, OEM partners and approved automotive distribution centers.
According to the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association the service portion of the automotive aftermarket is estimated at $132 billion in 2003, with roughly $59 billion of that coming from labor. Sales of tools used in aftermarket service and maintenance were estimated at $7.9 billion for the year.
There were 25,200 separate new car dealer franchises listed in the 1997 U.S. Economic Census. Worldwide there are an estimated 73,000 new car dealerships, 3,200 heavy truck dealers, 448,000 Repair Shops, and 48,000 tire dealers. In total these enterprises employ more than 1.37 million technicians. More than 43% or 591,000 technicians are employed in the U.S.
About Microvision: www.microvision.com
Headquartered in Bothell, Wash., Microvision Inc. is the world leader in the development of high-resolution displays and imaging systems based on the company's proprietary silicon micro-mirror technology. The company's technology has applications in a broad range of military, medical, industrial, professional and consumer products.
Microvision has been working with Canon, BMW, the Electronics Research Lab of Volkswagen of America and others to develop a number of display and image capture product applications based on its proprietary scanned beam technology.