D2 TEAM-Sim mentioned in NDIA's National Defense Blog

National Defense Industrial Association mentions D2 TEAM-Sim in their National Defense blog posting. The blog post, entitled "Hollywood 3-D Tech, iPods, iPads, Augmented Reality Draw Crowds at Military Training Expo: UPDATED", discusses new and exciting technologies featured on the exhibition floor at I/ITSEC 2010. D2 TEAM-Sim was mentioned for our computer-based training games which we have ported to mobile devices such as the iPod and iPad. You can read the full blog posting here: http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/blog/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=266

D2 TEAM-Sim to exhibit at I/ITSEC 2010

D2 TEAM-Sim will once again be at I/ITSEC. We will be in booth #531, and encourge you to stop by and see what new and exciting training solutions we have developed!

I/ITSEC is one of the world's largest annual training technology conferences with approximately 19,000 total registrants in 2009. It connects the Department of Defense with members of the industry and academia to foster new ideas and explore ways to create better training. The conference is being held from November 29 to December 2 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. For more information about I/ITSEC 2010, please visit its website at www.iitsec.org.

Augmented Reality as an Emerging Military Training Technology

D2 TEAM-Sim and SDI Government Solutions have been selected to present a white paper titled, "Augmented Reality as an Emerging Military Training Technology," at I/ITSEC 2010.

The paper, which assesses the current state of augmented reality in the military and predicts several future applications is co-authored by James Cimino of D2 TEAM-Sim and Daniel Donovan of SDI Government Solutions. Its acceptance comes just several months after an announcement for an augmented reality roadmap was released by the Aberdeen Proving Ground.

"This technology is rapidly taking root in the military," said Donovan. "It's just another example of how innovations within the training industry can be adapted to deliver critical information to Warfighters in the battlefield."

Cimino agreed, adding, "Logically, it only makes sense for the military to pursue augmented reality. As we described in our paper, it is a technology that is well suited to the challenges of the warzone and it does not necessarily require a tremendous initial investment by the military."

The presentation will feature several demonstrations of augmented reality technology and ways the technology can be deployed by Warfighters. Attendees will be eligible for Continuing Education Unit (CEU) credits upon the successful completion of the credit requirements.

D2 TEAM-Sim to attend Unity developer's conference

D2 TEAM-Sim will once again be attending the Unity developers conference. Held this year in Montral, Canada, UNITE 10 is the 4th Unity developers conference. This year, UNITE will feature:

• Unite features 25+ sessions with 50+ speakers
• Speakers include Unity founders and engineers, expert Unity developers, and educators
• 1-on-1 lab time with key Unity engineers--talk directly to the people who create Unity
• Business speed dating to connect developers and opportunities
• Hardcore technical sessions for advanced Unity programmers
• Business panels to asses the state of the industry
• Sessions for console, web, mobile, MMO, social platforms
• Unique content for educators using Unity in the classroom
• Open Mic time during lunch
• Unity Awards 2010 featuring the best content created with Unity

James Cimino, the Director for Technical Innovation for D2 TEAM-Sim will be attending the conference, along with one of D2's senior game developers. "We are looking forward to a very educational conference", said James, "and are looking forward to meeting the Unity developers and the entire Unity team."

D2 TEAM-Sim to present at MODSIM World 2010

James Cimino, Director of Technology Innovation for D2 TEAM-Sim, will be giving two presentations at this year’s MODSIM World, to be held on October 13th – 15th in Hampton VA. MODSIM World is a unique multi-disciplinary international conference for the exchange of modeling and simulation knowledge, research and technology across industry, government and academia.

James will be giving two presentations on Wednesday afternoon as part of the Defense Applications of Serious Games & Virtual Worlds track. The Serious Games & Virtual Worlds Track, chaired by Dr. Benjamin Bell of CHI Systems, Inc., will explore all dimensions of serious games and virtual worlds, including those relating to the broader MODSIM World 2010 tracks. By exploring the applications, technologies and future directions of serious games and virtual worlds, this track intends to challenge traditional perspectives, cultivate new ideas, and foster dialogue focusing on how these capabilities can extend the reach of modeling and simulation.

The first presentation is entitled “Leveraging Gaming Technology to Deliver Effective Training”. The best way to engage a soldier is to present them with training content consistent with their learning preference. Blended Interactive Multimedia Instruction (IMI) can be used to teach soldiers what they need to do, how to do each step, and utilize a COTS game engine to actually practices the skills learned. Blended IMI provides an enjoyable experience for the soldier, thereby increasing retention rates and motivation while decreasing the time to subject mastery. And now mobile devices have emerged as an exciting new platform, literally placing the training into the soldier’s hands. During this presentation, James will discuss how we leveraged commercial game engine technology, tightly integrated with the Blended IMI, to train soldiers on both laptops and mobile devices. We will provide a recent case study of how this training is being utilized, benefits and student/instructor feedback. This session’s paper was also selected to be included as part of the proceedings for this year’s MODSIM World.

The second presentation James will deliver that afternoon is entitled “Leveraging M&S in Soft Skills Training for the DoD”. Soft skills, also called “people skills,” are typically hard to observe, quantify and measure. These skills have to do with how we relate to each other: communicating, listening, engaging in dialogue, giving feedback, cooperating as a team member, solving problems and resolving conflicts. Most of the soft skills training is scenario based, utilizing written or video-based scenarios, with limited or no branching, as well as quantitative feedback. This paper will outline a game-based approach to configurable, scenario-based, soft skills training. In this presentation, James will discuss the application of realistic visual behavior cues (e.g. body language, vocal inflection, facial expressions) and how these can benefit the learner. Using the concept of a “virtual vignette,” this presentation will show a prototype system intended to teach suicide prevention and provide qualitative feedback to the learner.

To learn more, or to register for MODSIM World 2010, go to: http://www.modsimworldconference.com/track_games.html#01

D2 TEAM-Sim: Selected as one of the 2010 Top Simulation and Training Companies by Military Training Technologies Magazine!

D2 TEAM-Sim is proud to announce that we have been selected as one of the 9th Annual Top Simulation and Training Companies by Military Training Technology magazine. This listing will be published in the September 2010 issue of Military Training Technology.

The MT2 Top Simulation & Training Companies is a listing of companies that have made a significant impact in the military training industry throughout the current fiscal year; whether it is in simulation, distributed learning, serious gaming, visual systems, embedded training, targets and ranges, database modeling or any other training component.

These companies’ products allow service men and women to train and rehearse for missions in theater, or to prepare for deployment at home station. An impartial panel selected the winners from a very competitive group. Companies were selected based on various criteria, which in part, included total military sales, innovation, and program effectiveness. The 2010 submissions were especially competitive.

D2 TEAM-Sim was selected for its work on “Launcher Dogs: March Order and Emplace”. “Launcher Dogs” is an interactive, self-remediating program to help soldiers learn how to setup the major end items of the Patriot air and missile defense system. It reinforces classroom training by allowing the soldier to study anywhere, anytime via the Internet and using a handheld device such as the Apple iPod touch, iPhone or iPad. It complements traditional training methods and allows for individual development needs.

The “Launcher Dogs” application is part of a larger interactive multimedia instruction (IMI) platform that is currently being evaluated by soldiers at Ft. Sill (Oklahoma). The SCORM-conformant solution utilizes COTS hardware and software. The IMI platform includes an avatar instructor, video, simulation, a self-assessment feature and more. The handheld device application was created by observing soldiers’ step-by-step procedures and tasks in setting up the Patriot system. The end result is a detailed, life-like simulation with text and audio instructions that guide a soldier through the tutorial.

By leveraging decades of commercial multimedia design and development expertise while simultaneously integrating COTS software and hardware, D2 TEAM-Sim continues to push the envelope by building cost-effective, web based and SCORM-conformant training solutions for the DoD. Our award-winning approach to developing engaging blended learning products continues to catch the eye of senior army leadership, setting the standard and raising the bar in terms of quality, effectiveness, value and usability. A privately held minority woman-owned small business, D2 TEAM-Sim prides itself on consistently delivering high production-value training, using cutting edge technology and by being laser-focused on budget and deliverables.

Military Training Technology magazine is published by KMI Media Group. KMI Media Group is the leading independent publisher of targeted information about military technologies and operations, focusing on information required by Congress to facilitate the acquisition process. With a sharp editorial focus coupled with pinpoint accuracy and depth of circulation, KMI Media Group is your competitive information advantage and offers the most powerful and cost-effective way to reach senior military and Department of Defense leadership.

D2 TEAM-Sim to speak at 10th Annual ADL Co-Lab ImplementationFest

Orlando, FL - D2 TEAM-Sim will be speaking at this year's ImplementationFest, hosted by the ADL Co-Lab. James Cimino, Sr. Program Manager for D2 TEAM-Sim will be speaking on Thursday, August 12th, about "Launcher Dogs: March Order and Emplace". The game "Launcher Dogs: March Order and Emplace" is the solution developed by D2 TEAM-Sim that won an "Innovations in DoD Gamining" award at GameTech 2010. D2 TEAM-Sim will also be exhibiting at ImplementationFest, and will be showcasing the "Launcher Dogs: March Order and Emplace" solution, along with other examples of our innovative PC and mobile training products and solutions.

ImplementationFest is the premier event for the DoD training community hosted by the OSD Advanced Distributed Learning Initiative. It provides an opportunity to a unique gathering of military, government, industry, and academic learning/education/training professionals to share lessons learned. The conference focuses on a range of topics including effective use of distributed learning technologies for DoD training, training standards and specifications, innovative learning capabilities, and other ADL topics.

Yee-Haw!! D2 TEAM-Sim participates in the CSDA Rodeo!

FORT BLISS, Texas - The Army Capabilities Integration Center (ARCIC), a Directorate of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), hosted the "Connecting Soldiers to Digital Applications (CSDA)" Digital Rodeo at Fort Bliss on July 28 - 29th. The Digital Rodeo is intended to showcase industry "Best of Breed" technology with the potential to provide new mobile tools to Soldiers via CSDA.

D2 TEAM-Sim demonstrated our innovative training solutions which leverage commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) gaming solutions, for the PC, Apple iPhone, iPod and on the iPad. D2 TEAM-Sim was demonstrating these capabilities in the Raytheon CSDA booth. The D2 TEAM-Sim solution is part of the CSDA Phase 1 pilots.

The CSDA program was initiated in September 2009 and involves soldiers in the Army Evaluation Task Force (AETF) who are testing smart phone technology in different scenarios, including intelligence gathering on the battlefield. The program will fundamentally change the way soldiers access knowledge, information and communications in order to create a persistent learning environment without regard to where they are serving.

D2 TEAM-Sim in Janes Magazine

D2 TEAM-Sim was mentioned in the July 7th, 2010 online edition of Jane’s International Defense Review, in an article entitled "Raytheon venture develops interactive media for Patriot operator training".

D2 TEAM-Sim Creates Animation for New ITT Weapons System

D2 TEAM-Sim has produced a short video for ITT and their new Infrared Countermeasures (IRCM) system. ITT Defense in Clifton, teamed with Lockheed Martin, is among the companies developing a laser-based electronic warfare system designed to throw missiles off course. The Army wants electronic warfare systems that are reliable and inexpensive enough to be outfitted on 5,000 helicopters. Each system is expected to cost about $500,000 or less — about half the cost of electronic warfare units deployed today. A new-generation of missiles can avoid traditional countermeasures such as hot flares that helicopters release as decoys to distract them. They can detect a flare, and ignorte them.

The video animation produced by D2 TEAM-Sim illustrates how this new missle defense system works. You can see this video here: http://es.itt.com/microsite/2/index.html

D2 TEAM-Sim Speaks at 32nd Annual SOLE Symposium

On May 18th, 2010, D2 TEAM-Sim was one of the Industry speakers to address the Garden State Chapter of SOLE - The International Society of Logistics (District 10, Chapter 7), at their 32nd Annual Symposium. Held at the Eatontown Sheraton in Eatontown, NJ, the theme for this year’s SOLE Symposium was "Life Cycle Logistics: Accomplishments and Challenges”. The Keynote Speaker for this event was Mr. Chris Lowman, the Director of Maintenance, Policy and Programs for the Department of Army.

James Cimino, a Sr. Program Manager for D2 TEAM-Sim, gave a presentation providing insight into Web-based Distributed Learning, featuring Interactive Multi-media Instruction (IMI) and Training Technology Products. D2 TEAM-Sim was also one of the exhibitors at this year’s Symposium as well.

SOLE – The International Society of Logistics is a non-profit, professional society devoted to scientific, educational and literary endeavors to enhance the art and science of logistics technology, education and management. The Garden State Chapter provides the activity for TEAM C4ISR professionals to collaborate about logistical activities, processes and programs across organizational and program lines.

D2 TEAM-Sim GameTech award on ADL Co-LAB website

The Innovations in DoD Gaming Competition was designed to determine and publicize a use of game technology that is utilized in an innovative manner to accomplish realistic and effective military training. Thirteen games entries were submitted and evaluated on qualities such as innovative approach, training effectiveness, and replay value.


Will Wright, creator of the strategic life-simulation computer game “The Sims,” joined Frank DiGiovanni, Deputy Director, Readiness and Training Policy and Programs, Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense, and Paul Jesukiewicz, Director, ADL Initiative to present awards to the winners of the inaugural "Innovations in DoD Gaming" Competition at the 2010 Defense GameTech Users’ Conference, held in Orlando, FL on March 29-31.


Two teams tied for second-place, and awards were given to Battle Command Training Center Joint Base Lewis-McChord (represented by Captain Jeremy Guy, Chief of Small Unit Training and Jon Sullenberger, SAIC Lead, Plans & Training Support) and D2 TEAM Sim 3-6 Air Defense Artillery Schoolhouse (represented by James Cimino, senior program manager). The exposure created at GameTech will allow all the winners to create more awareness and bring more attention to the possibilities afforded to military training via games.


Read more at:


http://www.adlnet.gov/Documents/Feature%20Stories/GameTech2010WrapupWinnersRepositoriesandPresentations.aspx

http://military-training-technology.com/mt2-home/227-mt2-2010-volume-15-issue-1/2701-team-orlando-organizations-initiate-two-new-gaming-awards-winners-announced-at-gametech-2010.html

D2 TEAM-Sim in MT2 e-Zine

D2 TEAM-Sim in April issue of Military Training Technology e-Zine
http://www.military-training-technology.com/mt2-archives/227-mt2-2010-volume-15-issue-1/2701-team-orlando-organizations-initiate-two-new-gaming-awards-winners-announced-at-gametech-2010.html

D2 TEAM-Sim appears in the April 2010 issue of the Military Training Technology e-Zine. MT2 attended the GameTech 2010 conference, and covered the "innovations in DoD Gaming" awards, where D2 TEAM-Sim was awarded 2nd place.

The Innovations in DoD Gaming competition was created by the Joint ADL Co-Lab to determine and publicize how game technology is utilized in an innovative manner to accomplish realistic and effective military training. Frank DiGiovanni, Deputy Director, Readiness and Training Policy, and Programs, Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense, and Paul Jesukiewicz, Director of the ADL Initiative presented awards to the winners. Of the 13 entries, the II Marine Air-Ground Task Force Expeditionary Force Simulation Center, Camp Lejeune, Luke Devore and Tess Reavis, Site Manager at Cubic Applications, Inc. took first place. Two second place awards were given: one to Battle Command Training Center Joint Base Lewis-McChord, CPT Jeremy Guy, Chief of Small Unit Training and Jon Sullenberger, SAIC Lead, Plans & Training Support and one to D2 TEAM Sim 3-6 Air Defense Artillery Schoolhouse, James Cimino, Senior Program Manager.

D2 TEAM-Sim wins Innovations in DoD Gaming competition

New Patriot Training 'App' Wins Gaming Competition Award

"Launcher Dogs: March Order and Emplace" application, developed for Patriot crew drill training, was selected as one of the second-place winning entries in this year's Innovations in DoD Gaming competition sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of Defense Advanced Distributed Learning Co-Laboratory (ADL Co-Lab). The award for creative application of a game product was presented on March 30th at the GameTech 2010 conference in Orlando, Fla.
Launcher Dogs is an interactive, self-remediating program to help soldiers learn how to setup the major end items of the Patriot air and missile defense system. It reinforces classroom training by allowing the soldier to study anywhere, anytime via the Internet and using a handheld device such as the Apple iPod touch or iPhone. It complements traditional training methods and allows for individual development needs.

The application is part of a larger interactive multimedia instruction (IMI) platform that is in development and currently being evaluated by soldiers at Ft. Sill (Oklahoma). The IMI platform includes an avatar instructor, video, simulation, a self-assessment feature and more. Jim Cimino of D2 TEAM-Sim explained that having a variety of interactive components gives instructors great flexibility in designing the overall training. "It's about creating engaging and impactful instruction. It's also about delivering a fun experience, which motivates people to learn and gives them the tools to complete training 'refreshers' more regularly."

Developed in partnership with Raytheon, the handheld device application was created by observing soldiers' step-by-step procedures and tasks in setting up the Patriot system. The end result is a detailed, life-like simulation with text and audio instructions that guide a soldier through the tutorial.

"Training is a critical component of delivering a total quality program to our customers," said Dave Hartman, Business Development for Patriot Programs, IDS. "The development of Launcher Dogs supports the Army's desire to modernize training and use digital applications to provide a more engaging learning experience for soldiers. By developing new training tools, we are able to help our customer find more effective and efficient ways to help soldiers attain the necessary skills to do their jobs."

Betty Lau, CEO of Appliedinfo Partners, Inc., emphasized: " Beyond improving the user experience, IMI learning has the potential to decrease the amount of time for Patriot training (currently a 10-week program). It may also present an opportunity to reduce the amount of Patriot hardware needed to support training."