Michael Williams

January 14, 2016 - Press Releases,

Kortrijk, Belgium, 14 January 2016 – Barco, a global leader in networked control room visualization solutions, is proud to announce the launch of its new operator workspace solution: OpSpace. By providing access to the required sources and applications on one workspace environment consisting of multiple displays, OpSpace enables operators to work more efficiently. This creates a very flexible approach to the operator’s job − allowing better situational overview, and therefore better decision-making.

In this Big Data era − with increased systems complexity, scope and scale − the information that control rooms require to be effective has increased enormously. At the same time, cyber security threats are now a reality, placing new demands on the operator’s work, process and tools. This makes it more difficult for operators to access different sub-systems securely in order to visualize the complete situation in a coherent and organized way. Due to tight regulations, technological limitations and costs, operators can currently access only a portion of the required information, or they have to physically switch between different workstations. The solutions on the market today address certain problem points, but not in their entirety and not strictly from a user-centric perspective.

One workspace for viewing, controlling and interacting
Based on extensive customer feedback, Barco has developed a new operator workspace solution, focused on the needs of the operators themselves. Barco’s OpSpace is the first personal workspace that enables operators to be more efficient by integrating viewing and control over standard IP networks with low latency. This creates a single workspace for viewing, monitoring and interacting with a myriad of remote PCs.

By maintaining network isolation and security, OpSpace enables an operator to view and operate multiple clients that reside on multiple networks with different security clearances or liability concerns. This is especially useful for legacy systems or networks that need to be legally or operationally separate but managed by one operator – in other words, OpSpace provides pixel/visual level integration or ‘blending at the glass level’.

All relevant information can be consulted and manipulated within a single pixel space, with just one mouse and keyboard, with freely moveable windows across multiple displays and a large number of signals per display (high-density decoding). In this way, the operator is at the center of the information and has all data within easy reach – even from secure networks, thanks to the ‘blending at the glass level’ concept.

One view. Total control.
Barco’s OpSpace integrates all applications into a single workspace consisting of multiple displays on the operator’s desk. With just one click, the operator can call any application into a work area positioned in front of him or her. The operator can then interact with this application while maintaining an overview of the other sources still present in his/her peripheral vision. This provides a more ergonomic and intuitive way of working, contributing to lower stress levels and better decision-making.

Because security is essential in control room environments, Barco’s OpSpace provides secure access across multiple domains, integrating only at the presentation layer. Operators are also physically separated from the back-end systems that host the content, so that the system complies with governmental regulations and corporate requirements. Furthermore, OpSpace was designed for use in 24/7 environments − so the stability, flexibility and robustness of the system have been tested rigorously to prevent any failure.

Completely tailored to the operator
Because time is of the essence in a crisis situation, the OpSpace user interface is very easy to use, intuitive and extremely responsive. Furthermore, the ‘Follow me’ function loads the operator’s personalized workspace, providing all of the operator’s preferred applications and sources in their pre-defined locations. The operator can start working immediately, without having to adjust settings.

“When designing Barco OpSpace, we first identified everything that operators need in order to have a complete overview and control of any situation,” says Dirk Hendrickx, VP General Manager Barco Operational Collaborative Systems, I&G at Barco. “We saw that many operators were struggling to maintain control of a situation at any given moment, so we created an environment that integrates all of the tools they need to perform their tasks optimally. In this way, we’re helping operators become more efficient, and thus raising the effectiveness of the entire control room.”

Discover OpSpace – and more of Barco’s innovations – at Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) in Amsterdam (9-12 February 2016) and at DistribuTECH in Orlando, Florida (9-11 February 2016).