Here's an interesting case of disintermediation. It allows a remote customer service guy to walk thru any situation with a customer and more or less use the customer like a robot/partner to repair or maintain complex equipment. If this kind of solution becomes popular and widely available through improved bandwidth, many of the repairmen we normally call won't be needed.
Then, as a teaching tool you have great possiblility. Imagine a merchandise manager can go through every store with local store managers and discuss ways to maximize sales without leaving the office. For that matter, why go to the office?
Sure seems like a way to trim a few layers of support, but then what do I know, I dropped out of college.
Regards,
Mark
First-of-Its-Kind Virtual Service "Transports" Varian Product Experts Into Customer Fabs
Remote Assist Offering Uses Video Conferencing Technology to Link Fabs with Varian Facilities; Increases Uptime, Reduces Service Costs
PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 19, 1998-- A completely new semiconductor equipment service capability that quickly puts product experts ''virtually'' into customer fabs is being offered worldwide by Varian Associates, Inc. Called Remote Assist, and part of Varian's FabCare Plus(tm) suite of customer services, this offering uses advanced video conferencing capabilities and a new video helmet for linking customer engineers with Varian support offices and factories.
''While our primary mission is to increase ion implanter uptime and availability, which will save customers time and money, we are also committed to facilitating on-going process support and helping customers improve training,'' said Walt Sullivan, vice president of Worldwide Customer Support for Varian's Semiconductor Equipment business.
''With our Remote Assist capability, we can conduct emergency or preventive maintenance support in real time, and at far less cost to our customers and to Varian. Remote Assist will also facilitate the transfer of best company practices from fab to fab. Equally noteworthy, Remote Assist capabilities can be used in the support of equipment from other vendors,'' continued Sullivan.
Putting the Factory at the Fab
At the customer site, the Remote Assist technology uses a PC running state-of-the-art video conferencing software and the Varian helmet outfitted with a video camera, eyepiece display, earphone, and microphone. The PC and the helmet can be used in fab cleanroom and chase areas. Video conferencing computers are located at Varian headquarters, district offices, and manufacturing facilities in Massachusetts, Korea, and Japan.
In operation, a customer engineer or Varian field service engineer wearing the helmet will begin a Remote Assist session with the local Varian district office, a particular expert located at another office, or with a factory. The technology allows the on-site engineer to tour the implanter hands free while sending real-time audio and video of the problem area to Varian experts.
In addition to seeing what the on-site engineer sees, Varian personnel can transmit electronic documentation - current schematics, assembly drawings, photos - from Varian's VeDOC system. These images are shown in the helmet's eyepiece monitors. ''White boarding'' capabilities allow Varian experts to annotate areas of interest for the on-site engineer.
The real-time collaboration facilitated with the Remote Assist capability will hasten problem identification and resolution. It will also minimize costly and time-consuming on-site service calls or expensive visits from factory personnel. As part of Varian's escalation management process, the service is also seen as an effective tool for quickly attending to intermittent problems, which often prove difficult to reproduce during on-site visits. In addition to its service capabilities, Varian believes that the Remote Assist offering will be a key tool for cost-effectively training customer engineers.
The Remote Assist capability will be shipping in the third quarter of 1998. For additional information or literature, contact:
Lori Cox VARIAN SEMICONDUCTOR EQUIPMENT Customer Support M/S H-105 3045 Hanover Street Palo Alto, CA 94303 TEL: 650/424-5997 Email: lori.cox@sebcs.varian.com
Varian's semiconductor fabrication equipment is used by virtually every major semiconductor manufacturer in Korea, Taiwan, the U.S., Europe, and Japan. The company is the leading supplier of ion implantation equipment with more than 2,500 systems shipped worldwide. Varian was named the semiconductor industry's top large supplier of wafer processing capital equipment in VLSI Research Inc's 1997 10 BEST customer satisfaction survey.
Varian Associates, Inc., based in Palo Alto, Calif., is a $1.4 billion, diversified, high-technology company with core businesses in semiconductor manufacturing equipment, analytical instruments, and health care systems. Varian has manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia and has sales and service offices worldwide. Press announcements and other information about Varian are available on the World Wide Web at the URL varian.com. |
