INOVx Solutions, Inc., founded in 1999 to address the problem of unorganized assets in the plant, is the developer of RealityLINx, 3D virtualization software that gives a precise representation of the plant, letting personnel take a virtual walk-through to gain information on individual assets. CEO Costantino Lanza describes the concept as "asset certainty" — knowing exactly what you have in the manufacturing facility, where it is, and whether it has been accurately maintained. "It's this idea of being able to walk through your plant while sitting at your office or home, and access everything there is to know about it," he says. RealityLINx creates a 3D model using laser scanning technology. The scan converts physical assets into 3D object models that store information on real-life dimensions and instrumentation layout. The data is synchronized with CAD environments and other back-end systems, including ERP, inspection software, and plant management applications. RealityLINx takes the simulation model a step further by adding animation. The INOVx technology is an innovative addition to plant floor operations. "It is using interesting video-like graphics, which makes it more state-of-the-art and visually appealing," says Houghton LeRoy, an analyst at ARC Advisory Group. Lanza sees 3D virtualization as the wave of the future for everything in the plant — from construction to operations, inspection, maintenance, and, eventually, production. "Today we work off of 2D drawings only because that's what past technologies supported," Lanza says. "But when we make a decision, we don't do it in 2D or in a silo. So in the future, I see everything coordinated through virtual reality."

• YEAR FOUNDED: 1999
• PRODUCT NAME AND CATEGORY: RealityLINx/asset management through 3D simulation and virtualization
• INDUSTRY SEGMENTS SERVED: Process (oil & gas)
• KEY PROBLEM SOLVED: Before, the only way to represent the complex assemblies in process plants was via 3D CAD designs translated into flat 2D files for construction or maintenance. RealityLINx 3D software lets plant personnel see everything "as is" from the desktop.
• DIFFERENTIATION: Laser scanning technology captures accurate, "as-built" renderings of equipment, which are translated into a digital 3D plant layout. Assets are identified by location, rather than tag names, to help coordinate tasks such as maintenance, repair, or inspection.
• TOP CUSTOMERS: Shell Canada, ConocoPhillips, BP
• FUNDING: Angel investor