Challenge:
Tasked with designing the LinkNYC communications kiosks for all the hazards of outdoor survival in a big city, TEN TECH LLC needed advanced simulation technology to ensure the robust functionality of these novel structures.
Solution:
3DEXPERIENCE solutions on the cloud enabled the TEN TECH team to access the full portfolio of SIMULIA simulation tools, collaborate effectively, and achieve results efficiently.
Benefits:
By working on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, the TEN TECH team helped produce a robust design ready for manufacturing that is now operating successfully on the sidewalks of New York. TEN TECH was able to demonstrate high-quality, visually superior results to both their clients and the City of New York, enabling swift approval of the project.
The days of the analog pay phone are almost over. Even if you can find one, it’s likely in poor condition, especially if located outdoors. The cell phone is now king of digital communications and major cities around the world are beginning to accommodate that reality with next-generation technology. The condition of the remaining battered and bruised pay phones is a reminder that any new public communications devices need to be able to stand up to a lot of hard use—and even abuse.
New York City’s hustle and bustle certainly creates a tough environment for innovative on-the-street phone technology. But that hasn’t slowed down the City’s zeal for replacing every pay phone with something completely different: the LinkNYC system of outdoor tech kiosks that provide free public wi-fi on a secure, private network, access to broadband, device charging, toll-free phone calls to anywhere in the U.S., a tablet for maps and city services, environmental monitoring and more. Plus big-screen advertising, which defers the City’s (and taxpayers) costs for the units.
Already numbering upwards of 1700, with 5 million users in just two years, the ultra-modern Link obelisks are popping up all over Manhattan and its neighboring boroughs (final goal: 7,500 units). Similar projects are now underway in other major U.S. and European cities as well.
A military background creates a mindset of quality
The challenge of proving out the functionality and durability of the LinkNYC was a custom fit for TEN TECH LLC. Their experience delivering robust, top-quality design engineering solutions for military applications helped them win a support contract with Comark, part of the CityBridge Consortium in charge of designing and manufacturing the LinkNYC kiosks. Says TEN TECH LLC founder and VP of Engineering Will Villers, “’Failure is not an option’ may be a cliché, but it’s certainly true for us. A product recall on the battlefield is a lot more dramatic than the manufacturing recall of a cell phone. We build extreme reliability into everything we design or help design.”
Villers founded the company after leaving another firm where “their business model was more focused on quantity than quality, which is not what I wanted to do.” That strong emphasis on quality has kept TEN TECH LLC on an upward growth path into its eighth year now.
Want to learn more?
Discover how TEN TECH produced a robust design ready for manufacturing that is now operating successfully on the sidewalks of New York.
Kristina is a marketing communications professional with a passion for discovering and sharing all of the innovative and cool things that Dassault Systèmes' customers are doing with simulation. When not working on the next issue of SIMULIA Community News magazine, she can be found pursuing other passions such as cooking, listening to music, coaching and/or watching her sons' soccer teams, and planning her next trip to her favorite city, New Orleans.