NTBI Group
The NTBI Conglomerate is the partnership of SZYM Motors and TAHDA, Lusch Motors, LMD, Astaro and Tredpro, Gentek and Sei Computing, GTMD, K-ACE, and Motor City Cars (MCC/ CROWN Automotive). Founded in 2008, the partnership was created to acknowledge the union of these different creators and their brands as one creative faction. The majority of the products purchasable from these stores are directed at the modern roleplay niche market of Second Life. When it was founded in 2008, SZYM, Lusch, LMD, Astaro and Tredpro were listed as it's founding members.
Contents
History
The first NTBI-related project was the creation and sale of attachment light kits produced by Tredpro for the LMD Interceptor and Enforcer in 2008. Soon after, the stores of all NTBI brands (with the exception of LMD) were moved to one region to maximize store traffic by being placed alongside similar businesses. These light kits are no longer available due to the adoption of built in lighting over attachment lighting for emergency vehicles. In December of 2011, GTMD and K-ACE became members the partnership. In March 2012, MCC (Motor City Cars) also became a partner. NTBI's newest brand is TAHDA Prefabricated. It was launched in December of 2011 and is operated/ created by Will Szymborska alongside the SZYM brand motor vehicle products. It sells a large collection of urban roleplay buildings.
While land by NTBI is shared, the costs each member contributes to group land fee's varys depending on their resource usage. NTBI does not share or split any profits. Instead, these are instead kept by each brand owner. However, the cost of the web hosting service, land and other services and subscriptions for NTBI GROUP are pooled respectively to cover any operational costs. The combined profits yearly of NTBI's brands have extended into the millions of Linden Dollars in value each year since 2008. It is one of the highest earning roleplay product partnerships in Second Life, proven by these statistics. Its competitors include other emergency roleplay equipment companies as well as general vehicle brands that exist in Second Life.
Significance
While the overall point of the partnership is to recognize all the listed companies are one group, the individual talents that make up the framework of the group include modelling, scripting, texturing, web design, machinima creation & video editing, and others. Knowledge of these skills is responsible for the improvements in overall quality of all the associated brands at one time or another. Members also contract product specific work between others to aide in their own projects through a system of 'licensing agreements'. An example of this is the EVHUD, which is a NTBI-wide vehicle controls HUD which was created by Gentek and is shipped with every SZYM, ASTARO and LUSCH product. More importantly, the EVHUD simplifies HUD use with these products where previously, multiple HUD's were required for each brands products. Overall, the union of the said brands is aimed to improve quality and efficiency of products sold by NTBI's members.
Product Variation
LMD, Lusch, SZYM, Astaro and MCC are established roleplay vehicle building business and are represented alongside Tredpro, GTMD, K-ACE, Gentek, and Sei Computing (roleplay equipment & misc. product creators). The products of the later include (but are not limited to) elevator systems, telephone/ radio communication systems, buildings/ prefabs, lighting, Siren/ Warning Systems, fire alarm, computer systems and road signage. Popular NTBI products include the TPF (Tredpro/ Astaro) firefighting system, the SZYM Entourage, SZYM Paladin and SZYM Intruder, the Astaro Imperial, the LUSCH Tempo and others widely used throughout the roleplay community since 2007. The Gentek EVHUD, which is given free with NTBI vehicles, features a internal siren store that allows users to purchase and setup their own desired batches of siren sounds for use with all their NTBI vehicles. Since all NTBI vehicles now use the same protocols for siren/ light control, the EVHUD prevents users from having to switch between multiple HUDs when using various vehicles in rapid succession.
Locations
Prototype Gardens Mall
Since 2008, all NTBI affiliated brands (except LMD) have been located in the region "Prototype". The region has previously featured race tracks and various other motoring themed backdrops. In late 2011, the theme was changed to feature a large mall area housing all the different brands by all content creators in one area. In June 2012, the mall was rebuilt and expanded to house additional shops and a larger showroom for Astaro.
NTBI Group Headquarters
NTBI's Headquarters was located in Celaeno in 2008 - 2009, moved to Dominatium in 2010, and then to Lionheart Mufasa in 2011 with Gentek Interregional Tower. In 2012, it returned and was rebuilt at the original site in Celaeno, and Gentek merged into the same building. The NTBI Celano Complex housed the offices for all NTBI brands and private residences of several NTBI affiliated employees. It also featured a list of other amenities, which varied throughout the different iterations of the building. The site was expanded dramatically in mid 2012, when the rest of the block was acquired. Then, in late 2012, the building was demolished and a new Szym Tower was built in its place, arguably the tallest building ever built by NTBI. However, in 2013, the headquarters was moved to the private "NTBI" region, which has housed two renditions of the NTBI Headquarters campus so far.
NTBI Events
SZYM, Astaro, Gentek & LUSCH have funded and hosted Cross Grid Rally two times. It is a gridwide mainland high speed rally style competition. Competitors are evaluated on how long they take to complete a stage, each event consisting of multiple stages. The rally event planning each year has called for the development of grid-way point reading HUDs, setting up and funding START and FINISH locations for each stage, as well as route planning and merchandise. A trial event was hosted amongst several NTBI members in 2007, with official large scale rallies publicly held in 2008 and 2011. Attendees are required to pay a sign-up fee for participation in the event.
NTBI also hosted the 'UPDATE WAR' event at City of Concord in 2011 for the release of the new 2012 SZYM INTRUDER and the 2012 ASTARO IMPERIAL updates. After customers bought or received the product update, they were later asked to 'vote' for their favorite product by use of a voting booth in the prototype region.
NTBISS
The NTBI Security Service was NTBI's paid in-house protective staff for its properties including the home region, residences and was also responsible for carrying out close protection services to important company employees. It was founded in 2008 and was in service on and off until early 2011. Members were regularly trained to handle dangerous roleplay scenarios and avoid them while visiting sensitive roleplay sims. The staff was also responsible for driving NTBI owned vehicles and managing land ban lists, handling griefing incidents and other misc. duties. While there are still security service employees, the full-time nature of the NTBISS program is no longer in effect as of 2012.
Creators
The creators that makeup the NTBI Partnership include ac14 Hutson (Astaro / Tredpro), Will Szymborska (SZYM Motors / TAHDA), Owen Lusch (Lusch Motors), Nelson Jenkins (Gentek / Sei Computing), Hal Berkmans (K-Ace Designs), Adel Button (GTMD), Wolf Lumin (LMD) and Lyte Rae (Motor City Cars). NTBI's only paid staff member is Ozark Mayo (in charge of affiliate vendor requests and product support for SZYM, Astaro & Lusch).
Name Origins
According to ac14 Hutson, the creation of the NTBI name was based off the real meme 'Series of Tubes', where Alaskan Senator Ted Stevens says "The internet is not a big truck". The letters N(o)T (a) B(ig) (Truck) (NTB) were used after adding on a I(ndustries) forming the acronym 'NTBI'. A much more sensible explanation for the name, used in context somewhat to what its referencing is National Truck Builders. The fictional reason for the "I" then on "NTBI" being "(International) or (Industries). To some NTBI'ers it is also known as 'National Tire & Battery Incorporated'. The NTBI acronym was created without realizing that there is a university called the 'New Tribes Bible Institute'. It has been in use since the logo was created May 9th, 2008 when Ac sold company land under the new name.
