Siemens Expanding Frontier Partner Program to Include Augmented & Virtual Reality Product Development

Startups of today, and especially within the 3D realm, are redefining the new small business. As they incubate, meditate, kickstart, and enter one round of funding after another—often with astounding and even historical success—we see a whole new process evolving for young companies full of talent.

While it’s still quite a dog-eat-dog world in the technology marketplace, if you are a true innovator and have brought a solid potential product to the table with an appealing plan for the future, you may find it easier than expected to gain support, with larger companies eager to play mentor, commanding the younger set to go forth and invent like rock stars.

Corporate entities like software giant Siemens have started projects such as the Frontier Partner Program, allowing startups access to their software and technology as an investment in the future, betting that these fresh new companies will keep the momentum going within the technological revolution and disruption currently happening. As is the case with many companies today, and in the Frontier Partner Program, the vision has expanded to include numerous other, related technologies to digital design and 3D printing, and robotics, with a perfect example being Siemens just announcing that they will now also include augmented and virtual reality in the program. There are currently 20 Frontier partners being supported in 3D printing and robotics, all enjoying the use of Siemens PLM software, its technology partner program, and other developmental resources.

The Frontier Partner program focuses on giving support to new startups that are just in the product development phase. With entry into the program, they are given one year’s privilege to a development license for the comprehensive suite of Siemens’ PLM software, as well as access to mentors and technology partners. In a year’s time and with the use of these tools, they are expected to develop the new products at hand.

Current examples of partners thriving within their Frontier program include Frustum, integrating their optimization tools into Siemens’ NX software for CAD and manufacturing and engineering analysis, as they work toward the goal of helping designers make items like strong, lightweight 3D metal parts. Identify 3D is another partner and a software leader in its own right, concerned with the safety and standards of intellectual property, processes, and products. They are working within the program to secure part designs from CAD through to the final machined or printed part.

“Digitalization is transforming industries across the globe, shortening innovation cycles even as products become more complex. We are helping our customers, in industries from autos to aerospace to consumer electronics, transform their operations,” said Chuck Grindstaff, CEO and President, Siemens PLM Software.

 

“From ideation to realization and utilization, and from the top floor to the shop floor, our customers are creating digital enterprises with the most complete solution portfolio for digitalization in the industry. We’re proud to offer these same tools to Frontier Partner startups as they work to bring their own manufacturing-focused innovations to market.”

It’s obviously expected that the number of partners will increase with this new technology angle, highlighting the serious intent of Siemens to forge ahead in both the AR/VR markets, along with numerous other companies who are making substantial investments as they test new products, especially in the retail arena with companies like eBay and Australian retailer Myer collaborating in creating the Shoptical virtual reality device, meant to elevate shopping to a whole new level in 3D—or even hardware giants like Home Depot putting considerable effort into augmented reality mobile apps. This technology lends such enhancement to normal processes and customers seem so intuitively engaged with it that it’s hard to imagine demand going anywhere but up. Most likely, more and more corporations will begin to delve into the technology, developing new applications for its uses.

The Frontier program is managed by both Siemens PLM Software and Siemens Technology to Business (TTB), part of Siemens Corporate Technology, which according to Siemens is “chartered with discovering and launching emerging technologies into profitable businesses.”

Siemens PLM Software offers digital software solutions for areas such as:

• Product development
• Manufacturing
• Product data management
• Manufacturing operations management

Their new expansion for the Frontier Partner program was announced at Transforming Manufacturing: Tech Trends in Augmented/Virtual Reality, a program-related event just held in San Francisco on June 22.

“Over the past year, Siemens has made many structural and organizational changes to access more innovation, both inside and outside the company. The Frontier program is a great example of how Siemens is successfully working with many startups to bring their visionary technology to industrial scale and applicability which, in the end, benefits all of us,” said Chenyang Xu, General Manager, Siemens Technology to Business, Berkeley.

With a headquarters in Silicon Valley since the 1950s, Siemens’ commitment to seeing technological innovation emerge and reach the marketplace is certainly nothing new. They are dedicated today to a future where companies in areas like Silicon Valley continue to breathe new life into customer-driven applications and industrial software.

Startups interested in applying for entry into the Frontier Partner program can apply and find out more here.

Siemens Corporation is US subsidiary of Siemens AG, known as a leader in electrification, automation and digitalization, as well as operating as one of the world’s largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies. The US operation employs 50,000 people and reported revenues of $22.4 billion, including $5.5 billion in exports, last year. Siemens PLM Software is a business unit of the Siemens Digital Factory Division, providing product lifecycle management (PLM) and manufacturing operations management (MOM) software, systems and services with over 140,000 customers worldwide, and headquarters in Plano, Texas.

To discuss Siemens and their news, head over to the Siemens to Include Virtual & Augmented Reality in Program forum thread over at 3DPB.com.