Caspian Learning and Bohemia Interactive: a 2010 partnership

The two companies announced the partnership on May 18, 2010 from London. Bohemia Interactive Simulations brought VBS2, Virtual Battlespace 2, a fully interactive, three-dimensional, PC-based synthetic environment developed for military training, mission rehearsal and analysis. Caspian Learning brought Thinking Worlds, its 3D simulation authoring software and engine, which offers thin client delivery and a rapid scenario editing interface.

The aim was to pair a high-fidelity military simulation with fast scenario creation and browser-style delivery, so training content could reach customers close to the theatre of operations. The first results of joining the two platforms were to be shown at ITEC 2010, in booth E120. Peter Morrison, chief executive of Bohemia Interactive Simulations, and Graeme Duncan, chief executive of Caspian Learning, both welcomed the arrangement.

Morrison said that thin-client delivery would let the companies take new types of 3D simulation to customers in locations closer to the theatre. Duncan pointed to shared management approach and technology ideas between the two firms, and expected short-term and long-term benefits for the market. Bohemia said it had served the military simulation community for almost a decade, with origins in the gaming industry.

Caspian Learning was founded in 2002 and described itself as the developer of the award-winning Thinking Worlds tool, which lets instructional designers build immersive 3D simulations. It reported more than 50 applications for clients including IBM, the BBC, QinetiQ, Volvo, the Ministry of Defence and the European Union.

Bohemia Interactive Simulations described the Virtual Battlespace series as used in daily training and mission rehearsal by the Australian Defence Force, Canadian Forces, the UK Ministry of Defence, the US Army and the US Marine Corps. These are the companies' own statements from the announcement.

Caspian stressed that Thinking Worlds made immersive 3D simulation possible at costs that used to be limited to 2D development. Bohemia Interactive Simulations called itself a world leader in simulation and integrated training for military organizations, with the Virtual Battlespace series as its primary focus.

The Caspian Learning web address, caspianlearning.com, now forwards every page to a domain-for-sale listing, and thinkingworlds.com shows a notice that its domain registration has expired. The Bohemia Interactive Simulations address, bisimulations.com, forwards to onearc.com, whose product menu lists VBS4, VBS Builder Edition and VBS SDK. None of those pages says anything about the 2010 partnership or about VBS2, so the current status of that combined offering is unconfirmed.