PERTH-based equipment training simulator technology leader, Immersive Technologies, has opened an east coast support centre as demand for its training simulators continues to grow.

The company’s new Brisbane office has been established to provide customer support services to mining companies and other simulator users in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. BHP Billiton, Xstrata, Thiess and Anglo Coal are among current users of Immersive Techologies Advanced Equipment (AE) Simulators at mines in major eastern Australian coalfields.

The office also gives Immersive Technologies a sales and marketing presence in the heart of the Australian export-coal industry.

The company reports they had worked closely with one of the world's major coal producers, within Australia, to develop the coal industry's first dragline operator training simulator. The unit was released commercially in September, 2005.

"The Brisbane office has been established in response to customer requests for access to a closer support base," said an Immerisve Technologies' representative.

“It will improve the quality and timeliness of our service to eastern states customers.

“Having an operations base in Brisbane positions us to grow our business in the opencut mining market, and it provides a platform to enter new markets.

“Our (simulator) technology has become the industry standard in simulator training. The market at this time looks particularly strong for future sales.”

Immersive Technologies chief executive officer Peter Salfinger said the company was committed to improvement and expansion of its customer support effort.

“Our simulators are in use 24 hours a day at many customer sites,” he said.

“We recognise the simulators are mission-critical to our customers. That is why we commit to five-year service and support packages delivered through our support department 24/7.”

“The eastern states of Australia represents an important and growing market for Immersive Technologies, we are committed to growth that will allow us to better service our customers.”

###

About Immersive Technologies

Immersive Technologies is the world's largest, proven and tested supplier of surface and underground Advanced Equipment Simulators to the global mining industry. The company has achieved this unique position by focusing on its mission to make every mining and earthmoving equipment operator in the world safer and their employer more profitable through its simulation technologies. Immersive Technologies' Advanced Equipment Simulators are helping hundreds of mining companies around the world to increase their equipment operators' safety and site profitability through effective simulation training.

Immersive Technologies provides its customers with the most effective Advanced Equipment Simulators available. This is made possible through the formal exclusive licensing and technical information alliances Immersive has established with the leading Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM), including: Caterpillar, Hitachi, Komatsu and Liebherr. These unique alliances provide Immersive Technologies with exclusive access to the OEM's proprietary and confidential machine technical information that is required to correctly simulate the OEM's machines and is not available through other public or dealer channels.

With advanced simulator modules deployed in 39 countries, Immersive Technologies is dedicated to provide outstanding service. To deliver on this commitment the company has customer sales and support offices located close to its customers in Perth and Brisbane Australia, Salt Lake City USA, Calgary, Ottawa & Vancouver Canada, Monterrey Mexico, Lima Peru, Santiago Chile, Bochum Germany, Johannesburg South Africa, Jakarta Indonesia, Kolkata India and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Immersive has the global mining experience, innovative technology, product range, OEM relationships, proven support commitment and industry vision to partner with you to ensure your simulator training solution delivers the significant results you expect.