Jun 06 2011
From talking to several of the overseas construction collaboration technology vendors targeting the US market, a familiar theme is emerging. It appears that home-grown solutions aren’t always attractive to US-based buyers – some of whom are happy to contemplate alternative solutions from, among others, the UK’s 4Projects, Asite or BIW, or Australia’s Aconex. However, this …
Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2011/06/us-aec-market-ripe-for-collaboration-vendors/
May 27 2011
Denmark-based collaboration vendor Docia is growing and has appointed a UK-based partner, MPS, to market its AEC solutions in the UK. From time to time, I talk to established construction collaboration technology businesses about which I know relatively little and it has been useful to conduct online interviews to learn more (see my conject and …
Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2011/05/the-docia-interview/
May 17 2011
The cost and complexity of creating a new business-to-business software-as-a-service (SaaS) application has reduced significantly over the past decade, but the challenge of getting that carefully developed new software more widely known and then getting revenues from end-user customers can defeat some developers. Launched in the US in July 2009 (and recently seed-funded to the …
Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2011/05/appdirect-will-sell-your-b2b-apps-er-direct/
May 09 2011
The UK’s Technology Strategy Board (TSB) is to invest up to £12 million through three new research and development competitions that will stimulate innovation and support growth across the UK, with the lion’s share (£7m) of the potential pot being devoted to a competition for high-value manufacturing and construction (see news release). As a business-led government …
Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2011/05/tsb-launches-7m-competition-to-boost-uk-construction-ict/
May 01 2011
Earlier this month, Hugh Hofmeister, director of construction technology and services at Brisbane, Australia-based technology start-up Ennova contacted me to talk about Envision, its Software-as-a-Service construction management tool. He told me that a launch customer, Australian engineering and infrastructure contractor Downer EDi, had been using the product for the past year, and Ennova was now launching …
Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2011/05/ennova-and-envision/
Apr 20 2011
A former client of mine, construction industry software solutions provider COINS, recently acquired e-Xact Online, the product information service for building materials (reports BuildersMerchantsNews.com; see also COINS news release). e-Xact Online was launched in 1999, originally by the Builders Merchants Federation, with the assistance of a DETR government grant that was aimed at removing costs …
Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2011/04/coins-acquires-e-xact-online/
Apr 08 2011
At the generous invitation of Sypro, I will be attending Monday’s annual NEC User Group conference, held at the Institution of Civil Engineers in London. It promises to be an interesting event, with a keynote from the UK government’s chief construction advisor Paul Morrell, plus presentations and case studies on use of the NEC contract …
Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2011/04/nec-in-the-spotlight-on-monday/
Mar 21 2011
Australia-based SaaS construction collaboration technology vendor Aconex will be launching its first iPhone application next month (April 2011). A short note on its support page about release 10.2, says: Coming Soon – Aconex Mobile Now Aconex goes everywhere you go. We’re pleased to announce the launch of Aconex Mobile (for iPhone®) in April. Very soon …
Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2011/03/aconex-to-launch-iphone-app-in-april/
Mar 15 2011
Enhancing customer service is one area where many AEC firms could do better, and web-based tools can help support marketing and sales activities. Show Document and VeriShow I wrote about the SaaS generic design review application Show Document about 18 months ago. I didn’t devote much time to it from a construction perspective as it …
Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2011/03/online-collaboration-for-marketing-and-sales/
Mar 08 2011
Virtual worlds and the built environment (PDF) is a white paper just published by Birmingham, UK-based Daden Ltd, about whom I’ve written before (post). Having explored Second Life very superficially a couple of years ago when Be2camp was in its infancy, I have watched with interest as Dave Burden and Soulla Stylianou have developed strong …
Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2011/03/virtual-worlds-and-the-built-environment/
nima’s That Information Management podcast
