ACADEMIA

Enables End Users to Work Interactively with Larger Objects; Improves Data Interpretation, Results and Productivity: ModViz, a leader in software solutions designed to help visualize highly complex or very large 3D data sets, announced today that Shell Exploration and Production Company has reached an agreement with ModViz to deploy its Virtual Graphics Platform (VGP) 2.0 software in North America. This agreement will enable users of Shell’s seismic interpretation application (123DI) to fully leverage multiple graphics processors and multiple CPU cores in a single workstation to dramatically increase the application’s 3D graphics performance and accelerate workflow. 123DI is utilized throughout Shell on the desktop, in collaboration sessions or "Team Rooms" and in the Visualization Centers. The latter facilities enable multi-discipline teams and their managers to view, discuss and make collaborative decisions about reservoirs or prospects. “This is an important milestone for us which solidifies ModViz as a leading global provider of enterprise level interpretation acceleration solutions for the oil and gas industry,” said Richard Thomas, vice president of sales at ModViz Inc. “We presented VGP with 123DI at the 2006 Society of Exploration Geophysicists conference. It has been very gratifying to see such strong user response by SEG conference attendees. The Shell agreement was the culmination of successful evaluations by Shell’s 123DI Development Team and 123DI end users. The initial evaluation concluded that VGP enables them to work interactively with much larger objects, thus greatly improving day-to-day productivity as well as gaining better perspectives on the data, leading to improved quality decisions in shorter time.” VGP 2.0 is the latest version of ModViz’s OpenGL-based software solution that transparently virtualizes 3D graphics-intensive applications across multiple graphics processing units (GPUs) and multiple central processing unit (CPU) cores. “The oil and gas industry has some of the most demanding 3D visualization needs of any industry, which makes it crucial that end users and developers are able to maximize the power of their workstations,” said Tom Coull, chief executive officer of ModViz Inc. “ModViz VGP is leading GPU virtualization technology customized for today’s multi-core, multi-processor, multi-GPU workstations and graphics servers. It provides users working with both mainstream and custom 3D graphics applications the opportunity to immediately experience the power of these advanced hardware developments.”