IRVINE, CALIF., May 17, 2010 – EON Reality, Inc., the world’s leading provider of interactive 3D software and integrated systems, and the Boeing Company, the world’s leading aerospace company and largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft combined, sponsored a special event for community college presidents from across the country attending the 90^th Annual Convention of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) in Seattle, Washington on April 20, 2010.  The AACC is the primary advocacy organization for over 1,100 of the nation’s community colleges and represents almost 1,200 two-year, associate degree-granting institutions and more than 11 million students.

This special event was designed as a unique opportunity for community college Chancellors and Presidents to see and experience first-hand how industry and education use interactive 3D visualization technologies.  The tour and presentations were held at Boeing’s Everett Assembly Factory, home to the 747, 767, 777, and 787 Dreamliner production lines.

For a number of years Boeing has utilized EON’s virtual reality technology solutions for creating sales, marketing, and training applications to support their commercial aircrafts.  Steve Haro, Boeing’s 777 Marketing Director, demonstrated the power of visualization technologies and how they are used within their marketing and sales to brand their products. Boeing’s use of such technologies is relevant to educational leadership in that Boeing illustrated how their industry and others have a great need, and, thus, demand for utilizing such sophisticated applications.  These applications for Boeing are being outsourced mostly to countries around the world because there is a workforce gap in the U.S. ready to fill this demand.

Representatives of EON Reality, Mats Johansson, President, and Marly Bergerud, Vice President, Education, discussed the need for a strategic shift in education to engage today’s learners.  They showed examples of ways in which colleges are utilizing visualization technology solutions to meet these needs and illustrated how the use of interactive 3D images and immersive learning environments truly can improve learning. Dr. James M. Walton, President, CentraliaCollege in Washington remarked, «We are in the process of designing a classroom of the future into our new instructional building at CentraliaCollege. This tour opened our minds to new ideas around 3D immersion technology and how it could be incorporated into an instructional space. I can see applications in engineering, medicine, marketing and science. This technology will engage our students and facilitate a higher quality of teaching and learning.»

Dr. Michael McCall, President and CEO of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS), presented how KCTCS leadership have successfully implemented a Visualization, Learning and Innovation initiative system-wide (16 colleges on 67 campuses) and are beginning to bridge that U.S. workforce gap with the capacity to create much needed visualization content.  He shared examples of how KCTCS is working with their colleges’ industry partners to implement visualization strategies, similar to those used by Boeing.  These partnerships are providing KCTCS a unique way to generate a self-sustaining visualization development environment.  Kentucky companies, such as LBX, are collaborating with KCTCS to reduce their costs in sales, marketing, training and maintenance.  Another visualization content project that has won national awards for KCTCS is an in-depth 3D training application to improve workforce training to instruct coal miners on the proper maintenance and use of their rescue breathing device.  Now, KCTCS is working with leadership on an initiative with all 16 of their colleges to infuse visualization technologies state-wide within their educational programs.

Another presenter from Boeing, Thorin Rogers, Advanced Programs-Strategic Missile Systems, presented via telepresence from Southern California to the group at Boeing and discussed the impact of integrating interactive 3D visualization with simulation based learning for engineering training.

«The world of virtual instruction and marketing is a rapidly changing one as evidenced by this special event at Boeing during the recent AACC Convention,» said Dr. G. Edward Hughes, President and CEO, Gateway Community and TechnicalCollege.  «While I had been familiar with the technology, the chance to hear from representatives from colleges and businesses demonstrated clearly how the technology can revolutionize the way community colleges can link classroom and business.  The opportunity to have students participate in real world projects …is cutting edge and is a triple win: students win by experiencing real world business;  faculty win by (engaging) demonstrations they can add to their instruction; and, businesses get great marketing and training products. The VIP tour of Boeing was eye popping!»

About EON Reality Inc.
EON Reality provides education environments and industry clients visually rich, interactive, and reusable 3D experience through its software and technology solutions. EON’s solutions enable all organizations to more effectively visually communicate and collaborate and accelerate knowledge transfer. As the leader in providing 3D interactive visualization software, EON Reality Inc., as one of their core business markets, Education, offers Simulation Based Learning («SBL») solutions. Their SBL strategy enables educators the ability to effectively transfer knowledge/content by using sensory (visual, audio and touch) computer-mediated communication solutions through interactive, experiential learning experiences. Critical today in education is the creation of 3D interactive content for the learning environment. The utilization of EON’s powerful software can provide solutions for the learner that are engaging, compelling, retained longer, recalled faster, and resonate with the expectations of today’s learner (classroom or web) for effective knowledge transfer (games and Internet). For further information regarding EON Reality, visit www.eonreality.com or contact directly Marly Bergerud, Vice President, Education Development, EON Reality at [email protected].