What an event not to be missed. My goodness. The buzz and the build up was pretty awesome but it goes without saying with the excitement of the latest Trimble releases, the Trimble network and community are getting more passionate and excited. And this is what's really grabbing my attention. I loved every chance to network and talk with many different people. It is quite something to be in a room surrounded by innovative, and energetic people who all share common interests. Being a part of the latest in technology will always hold a certain kind of energy that’s for sure. For we are transforming the way the world works, Trimble’s ever correlating and significant strap line. With the releases of SketchUp Viewer with Microsoft’s HoloLens and the latest in autonomous robots and tractors, it was quite an exciting experience to learn about what’s new in the world of Trimble and be at the forefront of these releases.
Trialling Microsoft's HoloLens with SketchUp Viewer at Trimble Dimensions 2016
Sketchup Viewer for hololens:
"awesome for everyone"
How cool is that? One of the many awesome new releases from Trimble
For me it is exciting to see Trimble combine forces with so many great companies and products. Having grown up surrounded by the survey industry and now an avid SketchUp fanatic it figures that my worlds have come together and I love the way Trimble does this. Trimble continues to expand and grow yet it maintains the companies it buys to stay true to their culture and individual brand. Growing up with laser scanning technology, I always associated it with mining, offshore oil rigs, ships and forestry, I mean… rocks! I love a rock like the next person but I wasn’t particularly inspired growing up. The industry too has always been very rigid and traditional to me. Very unlike me. But when I started learning SketchUp, that was a different story. The culture, the community and the product! This is what I am about. I’m telling you, SketchUp made Trimble cool. For me at least. And so, my interest and involvement with Trimble has increased and I now get to work directly with Trimble and Trimble Dealers through my sisters Marketing Consultancy, EBTM. I get to see Trimble from lots of different vantage points and I can tell you, I am pretty excited about what I am seeing. I believe the oh so cool SketchUp vibe is rubbing off on Trimble and I am starting to feel a community build up. Yes there are lots of traditional dudes who have very traditional views but that’s okay. Us cool kids will show you the way!
My Top Three Presentations
As well as seeing demonstrations of SketchUp Viewer for HoloLens I would say I am also excited about a few other areas within Trimble. I am more of a Buildings kinda girl with an Interior Design background, so my focus was here of course. I loved all of the mixed reality around the digital workplace and where it is headed. Joseph Poskie gave an excellent presentation about this. The presentation followed the story of Wendy, a future buildings professional and how she goes about her workday. It was exciting to see how our work life might change and adapt in the future. Story of Wendy
Joseph Poskie, Segment Manager, Trimble Buildings Real Estate & Workplace Solutions Division
I also loved Allyson McDuffie and Richard Hassler’s presentation on the Atlantic Slave Trade. It is fantastic to see Trimble doing some amazing things working with Cyark to help preserve heritage sites around the world.
My other favourite presentation was by David Daniels, Director of Store Design for Starbucks. What a dude! I love hearing stories from fellow SketchUp geeks and how they fell in love with SketchUp. David was firing out SketchUp quotes left right and centre. I lapped it up! “SketchUp, Making Better Designers!” YESS! And to combine SketchUp and Starbucks! Wow! Trimble you are seriously getting cool points! SketchUp Interview
Aside from Trimble Buildings I didn't attend too many other areas of Trimble product sessions, but I did prance around asking about different products and software around the exhibition hall. I got some great insights into some of the new product releases including the Trimble SX10 which combines both Total Station and Laser Scanner. An all in one solution for the 21st century surveyor. The design is pretty good too.
Photo of SX10 taken at this years Intergeo in Hamburg, Germany
As I tend to look at things from a Marketing perspective I found myself at the more interactive booths, the forensics had a beaten up car and dummy, the autonomous robot demonstration area both inside the exhibition hall and at the offsite locations, the simulator, and of course the HoloLens demonstration area. What can I say, I’m like a fly attracted to the light, I go where the fun stuff is.
"SketchUp Made Trimble Cool"
Dimensions for me this year was seeing different worlds come together. For me this is quite spectacular. I am in the mind that we should not work against each other in life, but rather we should work together to create something amazing. To advance at a quicker rate, together and transform the world.
What I would like to see more of, from Trimble and the next Dimensions
The ever cheesy video montage was a classic this year and I would love to see more of that! Thanks Bryn Fosburgh (Vice President and Executive Committee Member) for your energy to get us started for each day of Dimensions. I would like to see Trimble fully embrace what it is doing already. There was one weakness at the show and that was being unable to navigate through the booths and find what you were looking for. I mean I couldn’t find SketchUp and that is a travesty. Haha! I would like to see Trimble let their hair down and really embrace the brands they have procured and reflect that in their marketing and culture. Lets shout about it. Big flashing arrows pointing to what you want to find. No more reserved traditional business approach. I think we are all bored of that. Leave it back in the 90s folks. I loved the idea of the concert on the final night instead of Trimble’s usual Formal Gala dinner although I was a little upset I didn't get to wear my dress and heels. Haha! Not really.
Some things I personally want to see advance at Trimble; I would like to see Trimble fully bridge the gap with a laser scanning to SketchUp workflow that is much smoother and resemblant of the SketchUp ease of use, workflow. I would love to be able to upload scan data almost directly into SketchUp without having to go through the tedious and heavy software solutions I have come to detest.
I want to see more mixed reality solutions making smarter cities and more efficient workflows. I want to see surveyors have a little more fun! Embrace their job and shout out about it.
Omar-Pierre Soubra, Marketing Director of all things cool in Trimble, namely autonomous robots
I want to see the advancements of autonomy in Trimble. I am particularly excited to see what this cool Trimbler has under his belt.
I also want to see more advances in Trimble, more collaborations with other awesome communities and companies and to see Trimble fully excel.
Trimble is on its way to being a super cool company like Google, Apple or Lego but I think work needs to be done in some areas. I think they should just go all out and push forward with the new Trimble. Embrace who they are and where they want to go. If they want to transform the world, they should lead by example not only in their amazing products and workflow solutions but in their culture and community too. We are definitely starting to feel this though as I have already mentioned. Bryn Fosburgh's influential closing keynote speech is a great example of this;
"You are every bit a part of Trimble as the 8000 employees. You are every bit a part of Trimble as the 500+ distributers. You are Trimble". Bryn Fosburgh
I mean WOW! A powerful feeling of community is already taking a hold. I want to see it explode. I want to really feel that community strengthen and become one of Trimble's best known qualities.
Okay I’m super excited for what is to come! I know Trimble are going to keep pulling amazing things out of the bag so keep an eye on them! They are a big deal!
Trimble Dimensions from a Marketing and SketchUp lovers perspective! :)