Category: Functionality

Nov 25 2009

SaaS to grow (again)

The Construction Software State of the Industry Report, produced by US-based firm Software Advice, is highlighting five trends (three of them upwards), relating to software buying habits, and suggests that the current recession makes Software-as-a-Service-based solutions even more attractive: Software as a Service is in the right place at the right time Software as a …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2009/11/saas-to-grow-again/

Nov 24 2009

Collabor8 online

This year I have written about several low-cost, even no-cost, collaboration solutions that might be used by businesses in the architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) industry (eg: Glasscubes, e-Grou, Incite Toolbox, ShowDocument, drop.io, Clouds UK, Woobius, Colaab). Even the deepest recession that most AEC professionals can remember has not deterred people from launching new solutions. …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2009/11/collabor8-online/

Nov 23 2009

Project Bluestreak

Autodesk’s AEC division has just launched an experimental BIM collaboration environment, Project Bluestreak, aimed at “accelerating building information modeling through the open exchange of design information and ideas between desktop applications, web-based services, and people” (reports Autodesk blogger Scott Sheppard). It is also deploying Web 2.0 tools to help speed up the development of the …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2009/11/project-bluestreak/

Nov 20 2009

The conject interview

Having recently received a comment from Chris Brandt, CTO at conject, I thought it was high time that I took a more detailed look at this construction and real estate collaboration vendor. Based in Munich, Germany, but with operations across most of Europe, conject has gradually been expanding its international reach beyond Europe. It has …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2009/11/the-conject-interview/

Nov 11 2009

ADePT Management

I attended the November meeting of the London Constructing Excellence Club last night, and heard a presentation by Andy Newton of Adept Management, talking about the Analytical Design Planning Technique (ADePT) and supporting software and services. I suspect most of the audience had never heard of ADePT before, but I met Andy in the early …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2009/11/adept-management/

Nov 09 2009

Asite Autumn 09 release

UK construction collaboration vendor Asite has issued its Autumn 09 Release, says a website notice dated 6 November 2009. Three hightlights I picked out: New maps “mash-ups” – using either a Google Maps portlet or a Microsoft Virtual Earth / Bing Maps portlet. The Virtual Earth portlet supports 3D visualisation, meaning users can render their …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2009/11/asite-autumn-09-release/

Nov 09 2009

WorkCast tie-up with 4Projects?

According to a report in local newspapers in north-east England, a Durham-based webcasting firm, WorkCast, has “received £850,000 of investment to develop software it believes will become the future of video conferencing”. What attracted me to this news story was that 10-strong Leighton Group subsidiary WorkCast is headed by Gerard Callaghan, ex-sales director at construction …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2009/11/workcast-tie-up-with-4projects/

Nov 05 2009

Aconex APIs and an iPhone app “in development”

According to a news release issued today, Australia-based construction collaboration technology vendor Aconex has released a fully-featured set of Web Services APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) to enable integration between its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) system and other software products used by its clients. The APIs also allow Aconex or third parties to build additional applications for desktops …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2009/11/aconex-apis-and-an-iphone-app-in-development/

Nov 02 2009

Howdy, Howzee

At Be2camp@WorkingBuildings last month, I met Tuomas Saarelainen who told me to have a look at his Helsinki, Finland-based company Mobimus and its service howzee.info – which I have just done. It is an intriguing concept, but currently only sketchily described (and with no website screenshots to give some idea of what the service looks …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2009/11/howdy-howzee/

Oct 29 2009

Constructware update

In May this year there was some online speculation about Autodesk‘s continued enthusiasm for its Constructware Software-as-a-service platform (see posts here and here) prompting hasty denials from Rick Rundall pointing out that they would hardly be ending development of the product if they’d just released a new version. Maybe that speculation will be further dampened …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2009/10/constructware-update/

Load more