iQagent is proven industrial AR software that’s quick to implement, easy to use, works on devices you already have, and provides ROI for your plant immediately.
We’re glad you found us. We think you will be, too.
Industrial AR software is really catching on, and more players are coming onto the market daily. With more choices, how do you pick the best solution? If you’ve looked at PTC, Schneider, Honeywell or other industrial AR software, and are reading this, you are here for a reason: You aren’t sure their solution is right for your plant.
Maybe its price, or concerns over ROI. Maybe the software looks complicated, and you’re wary of how long it will take to implement it in your plant, and what development costs might be. Or maybe you don’t want to get roped into a software subscription using expensive AR hardware that may be gathering dust on your desk in a year. All of these are valid concerns.
We can help. iQagent was created by professionals who have spent their entire career in manufacturing and automated systems; we are intimately familiar with every day challenges on the plant floor because we’ve been there. iQagent’s industrial AR software was built on practical approaches to solving problems, and not on flashy features that won’t deliver ROI for your pilot, and won’t solve your core problems. We are eager for you to see and try our solution, so we have compiled a short list of reasons that you should use iQagent for your next Industrial AR Pilot. (The best one is #9.)
1. iQagent has passed the test of time
iQagent was originally created when the iPad 2 made its debut back in 2011. We envisioned an app that would recognize equipment or process areas on your plant floor and immediately display relevant process data points from your automation system as well as links to documents, schematics, videos & data entry forms. Relevant data when and where you need it. Here’s a quick preview:
Our first customers were a global chemical & pharmaceutical company, and a major American automaker, who immediately recognized the benefit of our industrial AR software. Since then, we’ve adopted new hardware platforms (Android, RealWear HMT-1, Windows, HoloLens), added many new features, and continue to improve and expand our product for our customers.
Because we have been successfully selling product licenses and related services since 2012, we have never needed venture capital or investment money to keep us in business. We’ve done it all on sales alone. Who else in this space can say that?
iQagent has passed the test of time because our software has proven applicability and ROI for our customers.
2. iQagent is an off-the-shelf solution
iQagent is not a software development kit (SDK) and does not require you to hire developers, or to create and publish custom solutions. You can literally install iQagent Enterprise in your plant, create a Point of Interest with live process data, schematics, documents and a data entry form and view it with the iQagent app on any of our supported devices in less than 20 minutes. Want proof? See the video below:
iQagent is easy to use, so you don’t need special skills or knowledge to create and deploy POIs; you just need to know how to use a PC, and be able to identify which documents, data and resources in your plant system are relevant to the POIs you are creating. Here is a quick look at how to create POIs with iQagent:
Once a POI is created or updated, it can immediately be accessed by the iQagent app on any of our supported mobile or wearable devices!
Our forms and work flow procedures are drag and drop, and can easily be created by the same people who use the procedures. Quickly turn those paper forms into mobile data entry or work flow apps that can be accessed by any device with a standard browser. Below is a quick overview.
Because iQagent is an off-the-shelf solution, you won’t have to worry about internal development or deployment costs eating up ROI. With iQagent, ROI begins Day One.
3. iQagent works on the devices you already have, and the new ones you want.
iQagent’s tagline has always been “Practical Augmented Reality for the Plant Floor“. Requiring special hardware for a new industrial AR software solution to work doesn’t seem all that practical to us, but on the other hand, not all phones or tablets support Augmented Reality software applications. It would seem there is a dilemma. Well, there is for those other guys, but not for iQagent!
All iQagent client apps are built with native code to allow users to have the best possible experience, no matter what device they are using! Once you create or update a POI, all client apps can access it immediately, whether they are AR capable or not. Use your iPhone from 2013 to scan the POI, or your RealWear HMT-1 for a hands free experience. Grab your new iPad Pro or HoloLens to build an AR Scene with the same POI. This approach allows us deliver great iQagent functionality on the older devices you already have, as well as the newer AR capable ones you want to buy.
iQagent will continue to evaluate new Industrial AR hardware as it becomes available, and will quickly support those our customers support and want to use. But the good news is, you don’t have to wait for them to come out in order to get your pilot going: we already work on the phone that’s in your pocket!
4. iQagent has all the features you’ll need
A core problem on the plant floor today is about getting the information you need, when and where you need it. It isn’t that plants don’t have the information required to identify and solve a problem, It’s that this information is spread out among many different plant systems that aren’t available where you need it most: standing right in front of the equipment itself.
iQagent’s philosophy centers around the concept of the Point Of Interest, which represents the equipment itself. The POI provides links to relevant information about the equipment, and so you access it exactly when and where you need it. Problem Solved! But, we didn’t stop there.
Since 2012, we have continually listened to our customers and drawn on our vast plant floor experience to build a time tested solution that is truly useful, practical, and delivers ROI.
Here are some of the key features we’ve added that will solve more of your plant floor problems:
Data Entry and Work Instructions – you can quickly create powerful data entry forms and work instructions right inside iQagent Enterprise, and then link them to your POIs. You can add videos, images, even live process data to help your plant floor staff do their job efficiently and correctly the first time.
PUSH & email Notifications – You can configure a PUSH or email notification on a process value to alert users of a condition that needs their attention. For instance, you can configure an alert if a Boolean value is set to TRUE, or a temperature reading rises too high. If the notification value meets the condition, an app alert is sent, as well as an email. The notification message is linked to the POI, which makes relevant information immediately available to those who receive the notification.
Remote Assistance – iQagent has partnered with Augmentalis to offer remote assistance for IOS, Android, and RealWear via Microsoft Teams, WebEx or Zoom. Meeting participants can see and hear the issue through your device camera, or share a document or collaborate on a solution. They can help you solve your problem, so you can get production up and running.
Biometric Authentication – One big issue with wearable devices is entering data into the device, such as credentials. Many companies require users to authenticate for each document or resource accessed. This becomes tedious and cumbersome when using gaze or voice based text entry systems. iQagent has recently added biometric authentication for IOS and RealWear devices. When credentials are required, the user simply shows their palm to the device camera to quickly and securely access the resource.
Augmented Reality Procedures for HoloLens – With iQagent Steps, we allow you to quickly author and deploy AR based procedures for the Microsoft Hololens. use text, images, videos and animated shapes to guide workers through a procedure, such as changeover or training for new job tasks. One of the great features of industrial AR software!
Many of these features were added in direct response to customer requests or feedback on the product; others were drawn from our vast experience in manufacturing. iQagent will continue to add features that provide practical and efficient solutions to our valued customers.
5. iQagent uses standard interfaces, so we can work with your existing applications.
First, we support accessing live data from your PLC and SCADA systems using OPCDA or OPCUA; simply browse your existing OPC interfaces to link desired data points to POIs. We also support linking live data from ODBC data sources so you can show real time production data, right at the equipment.
When workers submit data entry forms or work instruction results to iQagent, the data are stored locally in a database on your network. Choose SQLite, SQL Server or MySQL as your back-end database. You can then easily integrate form submission results into your own database applications for storage and analysis.
You can also access iQagent data and configuration using similar interfaces. Develop solutions to read POIs, data values, or info links from our server using REST, or programatically create these items using ODBC interfaces.
6. iQagent is useful to everyone in your plant.
Most industrial AR software solutions you see mainly target maintenance or production workers. However, iQagent is useful for virtually everyone who works on or is associated with plant floor operations. The more departments that can benefit from iQagent means more ROI for your investment.
You don’t have to scan a QR code to see iQagent POIs. They can be bookmarked, or selected from a menu anytime you are connected to the plant network, even from home. This means production engineers may not have to travel to the plant after hours if there is a problem.
- Plant executives use iQagent to get productions Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) right on their phone, even while travelling.
- Maintenance staff have instant access to schematics, documents and maintenance related procedures when and where they need them.
- Production staff use our snapshot and video features to capture issues and send to remote support technicians for quick resolution.
- Engineers and process technicians access PLC and process data anywhere in the plant; This makes calibration and troubleshooting much easier — no need to find an HMI Panel or connect to a SCADA client to get process data to do your job!
iQagent gives you more ROI for money you have spent on SCADA, document management and other plant systems, because more people can efficiently access it when and where they need it.
7. iQagent is secure.
iQagent is in use on the plant floors and industrial spaces of globally recognized companies. Many of these companies have their own security and risk assessment protocols that software vendors have to pass in order to be accepted into the plant. We have been through quite a few of these, and we are sure we can meet your IT and Production security requirements. Here are a few notes about iQagent security:
- Encrypted communications – network communications between the iQagent client apps and the iQagent server can be encrypted using Transport Layer Security, or TLS. We also allow use of https:// certificates and protocols when accessing iQagent Enterprise.
- AD Support – Windows security can be used to control access to iQagent Enterprise configuration through IIS.
- Protected Process – iQagent doesn’t allow users to write to process values via OPC or ODBC, so it’s not possible for someone to control or change the process from iQagent.
- Biometric Authentication – iQagent uses PalmID to authenticate user access to secured documents and resources through iQagent. This Multi-factor Authentication Approach ensures documents are safe even if the device is taken while another user is logged on.
8. iQagent support is awesome.
One of the biggest and most frequent compliments we get from our customers is our dedication to support. We create relationships with our customers by listening to their feedback and using it to continuously improve our products and services. This approach allows customers to get the most value from iQagent, and ensures they will continue to be our customers for the years to come.
Whether you are working on your initial pilot, or deploying it in your tenth plant, iQagent will be there if and when you need us.
9. You can try iQagent Enterprise in your plant right now, for free.
iQagent Enterprise has a new trial mode that runs perpetually, and you can get it now — just complete our request form! Once you download it, all you need is a Windows 10 or Windows Server 2012R2 or 2016 machine or VM, and a wireless network. iQagent Enterprise Installation only takes about 10 minutes, then you will be ready to go!
You can use all the features of iQagent to ensure it’s the right solution for your plant. Create POIs and associate data points and links to documents, schematics and videos. Create a data entry form or work instruction and link it to your POI. If you have a Microsoft HoloLens, you can create an iQagent Steps AR based procedure. Use it for as long as you like.
If you need help, we are happy answer questions or jump on a screen share to show you how to get the results you want. We also have several videos on the iQagent YouTube Channel to get you started.
Once you agree iQagent is right for your plant, simply contact us to purchase a license, or email me with your questions. We have flexible options for perpetual licenses, or a cloud based subscription model if desired. We are also happy to give volume based discounts to larger customers.
We hope you found this post helpful, and that you will try iQagent for yourself. If not, please do us a solid and share it with your colleagues who might benefit. Please Share via: faceBook | Twitter | LinkedIn| email
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