Bluescape launches huge virtual whiteboards to help your team collaborate

Bluescape is launching its cloud-based visual collaboration work space today in an effort to get people to change the way they work.

Bluespace allows people in different offices to access a single, shared whiteboard where they can write anything down or share visual assets for anyone else in the group to see.

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“There is a white space in the market for large-scale visualization,” said Demian Entrekin, chief technology officer at San Carlos, Calif.-based Bluescape, in an interview with VentureBeat. “We’ve been working on it for two years and are pretty excited about it.”

Bluescape lets subscribers share these virtual whiteboards and store as many as 160 acres of shared workspace. Users can access these workspaces through a giant multi-touch display wall, like the one pictured above, or a desktop PC browser or mobile device.

The service is aimed at getting rid of work silos or departments that can’t work together because they can’t share the same software or workflows. Existing collaboration technologies require users to toggle between different screens, people, and applications. Bluescape’s shared space is real-time and interactive. Its purpose is to enable companies to visualize ideas and finish projects faster. Customers are already using the service in manufacturing, design, architecture, and automotive industries. They use it for product development, content management, and strategic planning.

“Bluescape offers tremendous potential to enhance productivity during meetings, making them rich and contextual,” said Russ Drinker, managing principal at Bluescape customer HOK. “We aim to significantly increase efficiency by saving 50 percent more time before and after meetings, in prep work, and recapping. Also, the cloud-based aspect of Bluescape allows us to make updates and revisions on the fly from any device, anywhere, anytime.”

Any number of users can access Bluescape via apps on iOS or other platforms. If used on a multi-touch wall, the workspace can detect touch fingers on an 82-inch touchscreen, or 15 to 20 tiled screens that are all connected.

“You can pan around, zoom in, or zoom out,” Entrekin said. “We believe there is a lot of desire for content-centric communication, where you can talk about something and it is all there right in front of you.”

Bluescape charges based on how much you store in the workspace. It charges $10 a month for 3 gigabytes across two workspaces and three contributors; $30 a month for 15 gigabytes across eight workspaces and 10 contributors; and $70 a month for 75 gigabytes across 20 workspaces and 30 contributors.

“Our vision is to deliver the technology that reflects the way our customers want to work together,” said Scott Poulton, chief executive officer at Bluescape. “By seeing the whole picture, they can identify patterns, make deeper and more meaningful connections, and bring complex projects to market faster. Bluescape is transforming business by paving a clearer path for ideation, innovation, and business growth.”

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Competitors include Microsoft’s Perceptive Pixel, Oblong Industries, and Hewlett-Packard.