We are thrilled to discover that the Waterford Museum of Treasure's Viking Triangle project has been shortlisted in the international category for the Museums and Heritage Awards 2013.

The awards recognise excellence in museums and heritage visitor attraction projects of all shapes and sizes. The entries are judged by a panel of experts from a range of industry sectors and specialisms who look for evidence of ‘outcome, creativity, relation to objective and cost effectiveness’.

To be shortlisted is a great achievement, with the winners due to be announced at a glittering ceremony on Wednesday 15 May. Keep those fingers crossed!

The Geopark Shetland app for Android was launched on Google Play this week. It introduces users to Geopark Shetland through a map interface populated with information about geological sites throughout Shetland.

The app uses GPS triggering to alert users to sites of interest, helping both residents and visitors to get out and discover the natural and cultural heritage of Shetland for themselves. Sites can be explored by geological theme and the app also includes three walking trails. It will be launched on Iphone in June and will also be available online.

The project is a pilot that forms part of a wider transnational project funded by Leader, with partners from several Geoparks and aspiring Geoparks. The purpose of the cooperation project (known as the HINT project) is to explore the possibilities for Heritage Interpretation using New Technologies.

Geology project officer Robina Barton said ‘this project has been an interesting process and a steep learning curve! We have worked with developers Zolk^C and Allen Fraser of Shetland Geotours to develop an app that gives people an insight into Shetland’s 3 billion year geological journey. We experienced some technological challenges in the early part of the process that resulted in some delays but volunteers tested a prototype last Autumn and we have adapted the app in line with the feedback we received. We are particularly happy to launch the app during Climate Week (4th – 10th March) as it is a perfect tool to help people get out and explore their natural environment on foot’.

Visitors to the Viking Triangle can now take a walk through a thousand years of history using their own personal interactive guide.

The vGuide - a handheld multimedia tour guide – is an initiative of Waterford Museum of Treasures and was developed by Waterford company Zolk^C. It is a leading smart-guide in the burgeoning heritage and visitor attraction market. The guide which is already available for visitors inside the Bishop’s Palace and the Medieval Museum, will now deliver an entertaining eight-stop walking tour through the historic Viking Triangle and was launched by the Mayor of Waterford Councillor Jim Darcy on Tuesday 8th January. The Mayor praised the co-operation between Waterford Museum of Treasures and the local company Zolk^C in this public-private partnership. He went on to thank Failte Ireland for their vision in supporting this initiative, singling out Gary Breen for particular praise.

Vivid stories and anecdotes are automatically played as the visitor arrives at must-see-sights, such as Reginald’s Tower, the Choristers’ Hall, Greyfriars Franciscan Friary, the Mayor’s Wine Vault, the Bishop’s Palace, Christ Church Cathedral, etc. Visitors can also personalise their experience by picking and choosing the stories they want to listen to from an interactive onscreen menu.

This year in the Zolk^C office we’ve probably had one discussion more than any other - how to strike the perfect balance within an app with regards to accessing content and features when on or off site.

Obviously you don’t want to alienate those who can’t visit a location, but at the same time you want to save something up your sleeve as a ‘treat’ for those who use the app on site.

I guess the best example of this is the Ben Lomond Trail Companion we created on behalf of the National Trust for Scotland. Every piece of content is accessible whether you’re onsite or not. However use the app on the trail itself and the automatic triggering powered by our Acculoc IO software comes into it’s own. People launch the app, put their phone in a pocket and hit the trail. Once they reach a content hotspot they receive a notification on their phone and are able to listen to the content in situ.

The augmented reality can also be seen as a treat for those who visit the Ben, as it provides them with the ability to scan the horizon and pick out all the key points of interest, in relation to where they’re standing on the trail path.

No doubt we’ll be having this discussion within the office again over the coming months, but for the time being, with the way we have approached both the Ben Lomond and Nire Valley Trail Companions we’re confident we’ve struck a reasonable balance.

Although every site we work with wants to share their stories, they’re all unique as visitor attractions. They all have their own existing visitor experience which our vGuides and apps have to seamlessly fit within and, of course, enhance.

That’s not to say that what works at one site, won’t work at another - it’s just that we might have to adapt elements to ensure a perfect fit. One size doesn’t fit all, and it’s the flexibility of our solutions which makes them so exciting for a wide range of visitor attractions. Traditional audio guides still have a purpose - but for how long? They offer a limited experience in a one-size format, in an age where people are use to living in an increasingly on-demand barrier-less world.

Automatic location triggering (both indoors and outdoors) and augmented reality are two features we have within our software platform which, when implemented correctly, deliver an incredibly powerful - and flexible - means of storytelling. They’re suitable for a variety of sites, ranging from traditional museums, historical homes and outdoor conservation environments through to zoos, observation towers and theme parks.

If you’re interested in finding out more about how our flexible approach towards handheld guides and smartphone apps could work for your site, drop us a line by usingn the contact form on our site.

Yesterday was a fantastic day for BpbZ as Ireland’s Minister for Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation, Richard Bruton T.D. visited the CN Tower to try out the vGuide first hand. The visit was the first stop on an Irish trade visit to Toronto, Canada's economic centre.

BpbZ - BaAM powered by Zolk^C - is an impressive example of Irish innovation at work overseas. It aims to help venue managers throughout North America offer more meaningful and entertaining experiences to visitors.

Putting the future of visitor experiences into fresh focus and the hands of thousands, a new Canadian-Irish tourism and technology partnership – BpbZ – celebrates early Canadian successes from Alberta to Ontario

A new entity called BpbZ – its moniker derived from partners Canada’s BaAM and Ireland’s Zolk^C -- introduces its vGuide attraction to the North America tourism, venue, event and exhibit market.

Early success at the Jasper Tramway since its June introduction has enriched visitors' time in the Rocky Mountain splendour. With a swipe of a screen, they are immersed in rich interpretative stories and fascinating facts that enliven, inform and enrich the experience of viewing magnificent panoramas.

A modern travel companion and ready resource, the vGuide is a BpbZ product offered by the new partnership between BaAM Productions of Toronto, Canada and Zolk^C based in Waterford, Ireland. BpbZ serves North America's interactive experience sector with a powerful combined offer: BaAM's content development, interpretation and storytelling expertise with Zolk^C's advanced technology, programming skill and experiences from recent work in Ireland, England and Scotland.

The vGuide offers venues – across a wide range of indoor and outdoor attractions and events – handheld storytelling and interpretive solutions, taking traditional audio tours to a whole new level. What looks like a sturdy smartphone, protected by a tough case, secured by a lanyard and equipped with a sterile earpiece, gives users a chance to activate links that lead to rich audio, video and graphic content related to the topic of interest, all in real time.

For businesses – which can include attractions, museums, events and more – the vGuide does more than boost guest satisfaction, it collects data to help track views, duration of use and visitor hot buttons. Referred to as GeoAnalytics, this information paves the way for further helpful business intelligence and insights.

A beta test under way at the CN Tower in Toronto has seen more than 10,000 visitors try the service in recent months. At the CN Tower, custom content answers common questions about the view, the CN Tower, the city of Toronto, lightning strikes and more through 30 videos, scores of images and three bilingual “tour guide” personalities.

On November 7, Ireland’s Minister for Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation, Richard Bruton T.D. is in Toronto, Canada’s economic centre, leading a trade mission and will have a chance to try the vGuide atop the iconic CN Tower first hand.

BpbZ is an example of two-nation collaborative enterprise in top form and the partnership an impressive example of Irish innovation at work overseas. Throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland – from the Scottish lochs to the Viking Triangle – Waterford-based Zolk^C puts advanced technology, programming skill and success in motion for travellers and guests creating amazing visitor experiences with their vGuide handheld device and other smart technology tools. BpbZ aims to help venue managers throughout North America offer more meaningful and entertaining experiences to visitors.

“We are grateful to Enterprise Ireland – at home and here in Canada – for its support as we introduce BpbZ and its vGuide to North America,” says Zolk^C CEO Paul Savage. “We are bringing the next generation of interpretation to today’s increasingly tech-savvy and demanding visitors. It is a tall order. One we would be challenged to fulfil alone. Our team is inspired by the doors Enterprise Ireland is opening and motivated by the inherently progressive nature and drive of our Canadian partner BaAM.”

“This partnership came about when we learned Zolk^C was seeking a Canadian ally to help break into the North American market,” says Annemarie Roe, CEO of BaAM. “Duly impressed by the technology, leadership and growth potential, we readily inked a deal that feels natural and is poised to celebrate the achievement of our shared goals.”

The Nire Valley Trail Companion is now live on the App Store and Google Play.

Created on behalf of Waterford County Council, the app uses our incredible Acculoc IO software to automatically trigger local legends, tales and history as walkers make their way through the stunning Nire Valley.

The app also uses our ViewCam functionality to pick out key features in the surrounding landscape, as well as showcasing local artists as they perform traditional folk songs from the Valley.

Once downloaded, users can pick their preferred language, with app content available in both English and Irish.

The Nire Valley Trail Companion can be downloaded today for just €1.59.

This week we've been busy putting the final touches to the Ben Lomond Trail Smartphone App.

Standing tall at 974m on the banks of the picturesque Loch Lomond, Ben Lomond is one of the most popular munros in Scotland, attracting a huge number of walkers throughout the year. Back in January, the National Trust for Scotland and Zolk^c began exploring the possibility of using the latest technology to enable visitors to get closer to Ben Lomond and the surrounding landscape. Today, the result of those early exploratory discussions is the Ben Lomond Trail App.

The Ben Lomond Trail App uses the best of Zolk^c's software technology; Acculoc IO for automatic location based triggering of content; and ViewCam, an augmented reality based feature which enables users to pick out key sites in the surrounding landscape and access their stories. Being based on GPS coordinates, both of these features are non-intrusive and enable the National Trust for Scotland to tell the tale of the Ben without having to scatter interpretive panels along the trail route.

Having taken part in the final testing session earlier this week I can confirm that the Ben Lomond Trail App is a great example of how the right technology used in the right manner can heighten an already incredible experience. The undoubted highlight of the app is having the ability to pick out the 32 surrounding peaks from the summit of the Ben using ViewCam - It's simply stunning.

The Ben Lomond Trail App will be available to buy via the App Store and Android's Play Store over the coming month.