Customer Support Gets Augmented
Tuesday March, 12
3:30-4:p30
Austin Convention Center Ballroom BC

Augmented reality enhances the perception of reality by offering a “real-world” environment through computer-generated sensory input like video, graphics or GPPS data. Typically this innovative form of reality has been used for marketing purposes.  Hewlett-Packard is taking it one step further by using 3D overlay instead of video in order to provide their customers with a differentiated support experience. Ben Johnson and Fulvio Marfoni are involved with different support aspects for the technological company and will be two of the four presenters on the panel “Customer Support Gets Augmented.” Johnson focuses on the planning, creation, publication and management of rich media for HP home and home office printers, and Marfoni is responsible for worldwide content localization support strategy.

During SXSW, Johnson and Marfoni along with Wendy Farrell, Manager of Content Solutions at Lionbridge and John Havens, an AR expert will be opening up a conversation in order for people to share ideas, successes and failures when working with augmented reality.

“SXSW is a crossroads of a lot of different people from a lot of different backgrounds,” said Johnson. “We are using this new tool and we want to share the different ways it can be used, and we want ideas to be shared.”

Thus far, HP is the only company using the 3D overlay method for support, however Marfoni and Johnson stressed that this panel is not about showing off. “We are are sharing what we are trying to do, we want to build relationships by discussing problems and communicating about the programs,” confirmed Marfoni.

Augmented reality has become popular in Europe and on the west coast. “Some locations have used it more than others and it has been used in all different applications ,” said Marfoni. “Many are using trial and error to figure out how it works best.”

HP decided to integrate this platform into their support strategy because of the problems customers faced when trying to read what model they had on a printed out instruction manual. “Written instructions can get convoluted,” explained Johnson. “Augmented reality shows an overlay of the exact product along with its dimensions and shows the consumer exactly how to do what they need.”

Get a sneak peak at HP Supports Augmented Reality App:

The panel will be broken up into specific sections:

• A look into the customer side will be discussed by Wendy Farrell, Manager of Content Solutions at Lionbridge, the company that has helped to develop this new tool.
• Fulvio Marfoni will discuss localization, where a product is located and what you are influencing with what you are doing with it.
• Ben Johnson will dive into the support side of the conversation
• John Havens is an augmented reality industry expert.