14 DAY TRIAL // Visual Simulation is nothing new, and in this field Microsoft is not reinventing the wheel by any means. The Redmond company has evolved its Flight Simulator technology into a fully fledged and mature visual simulation platform, but Microsoft ESP will not revolutionize the creation of training and simulation tools. Microsoft ESP, which is currently scheduled to ship in January 2008, will however bring to the table the streamlining of the implementation process associated with building visual simulation along with a new licensing model.
"We've had a number of customer and partner requests over the years to license the Flight Simulator engine, but we decided to go a step further and deliver a full platform, including engine, tools and content," explained Shawn Firminger, studio manager for Microsoft's ACES Studio. "Partners, customers and systems integrators can use Microsoft ESP to develop high-fidelity, dynamic, 3-D immersive experiences and create visual simulations across many serious learning and training endeavors. And future versions will go well beyond flight capabilities."
Microsoft ESP, the company's new visual simulation development platform, is an offering addressed at the military as well as civil aviation, but not limited to these industries. ESP is based on the same PC-based simulation "engine" that is the foundation of Flight Simulator, and comes to the table with high-fidelity 3D visual imagery delivering models of the whole world, as well as a configurable weather system, and realistic vector and geography data.
The novel approach taken by Microsoft is that simulation solutions no longer have to be created from scratch. The Redmond company is in this manner offering an alternative to proprietary simulation solutions that require an interested party to obtain a range of licenses, from the engine to the tools and to the integrated content.
"We're turning that around and saying here's a great opportunity to take a full platform of tools, engine and content and build new solutions on top of it, rather than starting all over from scratch each time with the base capabilities you need for a rich immersive experience," Firminger added. "Our licensing model is unique, and our cost model is unique, allowing developers to deploy a simulation in a shorter time period and for less cost."