Sunderland, UK-based SaaS construction collaboration technology vendor 4Projects has continued its international partner programme since the company’s acquisition by US ERP provider Viewpoint in February. The latest deal (news release) will see 4Projects expand use of its project and BIM collaboration tools in the Indian construction market, supported by local partner TULS Management. TULS CEO and founder Vaibhav Satpute says:
“TULS Management looks forward to offering the project and BIM collaboration tools that 4Projects has to offer, providing key stakeholders of the Indian construction and power sectors the solutions they need to bring efficiencies, improved productivity and cost savings to their projects. 4Projects is a proven leader in the construction collaboration space and TULS Management prides itself on partnering with those companies whose commitment to customer service and value mirrors our own.”
I looked at 4Projects international partnering initiative in August 2012 after the company had helped launch Project Collaboration in Australia. It then also had resellers in Denmark, the Netherlands, South Africa, Hong Kong and the Czech Republic. I had lunch with 4Projects international partnerships manager David Cordier in October 2013, soon after he had been recruited from Excitech. He says:
“As we continue to grow our International Partnership Program; finding the right partner whom can provide local knowledge within a specialised sector is fundamental to the continued success of 4Projects.”
There is a large potential market for online construction collaboration tools in India, though many projects remain heavily reliant upon traditional paper-based communication processes (I discussed the market potential in India earlier this year with a local software developer TransBit Technologies; post). India has also been a popular base for software development operations (still used by Asite and formerly used by BIW, now Conject). Other SaaS vendors have established local operations or partnerships too; for example:
- Aconex has marketed its platform in India since the mid-2000s
- Docia identified a local partner in Chennai in 2011
- In August 2013, Asite signed a five-year deal with Bangalore-based contractor Synergy
