The company’s preview site, LiveManuals.com, offers several ways to bone up on your products. You can browse the manual’s text, but you can also see demonstrations of typical scenarios (e.g. storing numbers on a cell phone or using the Auto Cook feature on a microwave oven) or get a guided training session complete with pop-up help and audio instructions. There are four sample products on the Web site; as the year goes on, e-SIM chairman Marc Belzberg intends to add hundreds more.
While LiveManuals.com is a great proposition for the user, it’s even better for manufacturers. One industry observer estimates that the consumer electronics industry spends from $800 million to $900 million each year on tech support, with each toll-free call to a customer service center costing between $7 and $10. That’s why several execs at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show were impressed by e-SIM. There are other applications besides service and support: companies can use it to test products in development, train retailers and promote new products to millions of consumers who can now try (virtually) before they buy. Companies that have already signed up to develop online service and support include JVC (camcorders), Audiovox (mobile phones) and Sensory Science (digital TVs). ZDNet plans to beef up its Equip site by letting visitors test-drive gadgets online, and Samsung plans to use the simulations as part of its e-commerce efforts. If this smart concept takes off, the only thing e-SIM won’t have to simulate is the long green.
A Better How-To
A Nice Replica: Each LiveManual is carefully designed to look and ‘work’ like just the real thing
Pop-up Help: A good visual aid (at right) to teach you more effectively
Plain English: You can type in a question and get an answer in just a few seconds
Guided Lessons: The LiveManual also provides a step-by-step guide through numerous procedures using both animations and audio instructions
