TeamViewer partners Siemens to bring AR-MR solutions to the PLM space

Siemens Digital Industries Software, a business unit of Siemens, focusing on the product lifecycle management (PLM) space, has partnered with remote desktop application firm, TeamViewer, in which the latter will offer its augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) platform ‘Frontline' to Siemens’ PLM solutions, Teamcenter. These solutions are part of Siemens Xcelerator, an integrated portfolio of software, services and application development platform.

According to Siemens, this collaboration allows their global customers to improve their product development process based on “immersive experiences with interactive, 3D content connected to the digital twin of a product”, the companies said. The 3D models of products can be easily modified, enabling more teams across the product lifecycle to collaborate, thereby driving more informed product decisions and innovation.

“Providing our customers with rich, immersive experiences is the key to broadening the adoption of the executable digital twin. Our collaboration with TeamViewer brings another way for our community of designers, engineers and managers to engage with their product data using the latest interactive Mixed Reality technology,” said Tony Hemmelgarn, CEO and President, Siemens Digital Industries Software.

According to the company, the Spatial module within TeamViewer’s enterprise AR platform Frontline enables employees wearing MR smart glasses such as the Microsoft HoloLens to execute tasks in a more intuitive, interactive way by providing them with digital information, three-dimensional elements and multimedia content in an AR/MR environment.

“Virtual information or holograms are placed on top of objects in the real world to enrich each employee’s reality for visual process guidance,” it added.

According to a statement from Teamviewer, users can create AR content based on PLM information without programming knowledge, as there is a built-in no code editor. This feature helps owners easily manage and update the underlying workflows without including their IT department, for example, they can create digital twins from CAD model data, it said.

Stating that the new solution is expected to be available later this year, Oliver Steil, CEO of TeamViewer, said that with the help of which organisations can leverage their existing investment in CAD and PLM for increased productivity, efficiency, and process quality throughout the product development process and in aftermarket service and maintenance.

Studies show that the global PLM market size was valued at $26.86 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.6% from 2022 to 2030. The major factors expected to drive the growth include a rising focus on developing smart products and factories and increased adoption of cloud technology to facilitate remote working and ensure business continuity. Technologies such as AR/VR/MR are further driving the demand for this market.