AECCafe Today 
Susan Smith
Susan Smith has worked as an editor and writer in the technology industry for over 16 years. As an editor she has been responsible for the launch of a number of technology trade publications, both in print and online. Currently, Susan is the Editor of GISCafe and AECCafe, as well as those sites’ … More » New iPhone app for construction site clean up releasedJuly 21st, 2010 by Susan Smith
SmartBuilder Software in Ireland has just launched an iPhone application for construction professionals called “Site Clean Up” which sends warning notices to sub-contractors to cleaning up the site by a certain date. Architecture 2030 named one of top three most effective orgs in green building design…July 15th, 2010 by Susan Smith
The annual Design Futures Council “2010 Sustainable Design Survey” of 240 design industry leaders in the U.S. ranked Architecture 2030 among the top three most effective organizations forwarding green building design and construction in the U.S. Intergraph to be acquired by Hexagon ABJuly 13th, 2010 by Susan Smith
The recent announcement that Intergraph has signed a definitive agreement to be acquired by Hexagon AB, raised questions among the media. Hexagon AB is a global measurement technology company, and the transaction is valued at approximately $2.125 billion. According to the press release, “Upon closing of the transaction, Intergraph will operate as a separate Hexagon division under the Intergraph name and branding. Intergraph will become Hexagon’s core software platform and will continue to provide differentiated and vertically-focused software solutions to its core industries. Intergraph software will also be integrated into Hexagon’s existing measurement and precision technology system markets to provide a visual presentation layer for the management, analysis and sharing of the vast amounts of critical data produced by these products.” Intergraph customers are assured that “upon closing of the transaction, Intergraph will operate as a separate Hexagon division under the Intergraph name and branding. Intergraph will become Hexagon’s core software platform and will continue to provide differentiated and vertically-focused software solutions to its core industries. Intergraph software will also be integrated into Hexagon’s existing measurement and precision technology system markets to provide a visual presentation layer for the management, analysis and sharing of the vast amounts of critical data produced by these products.” One question that arose among those of us who have followed Intergraph since the days when Bentley Systems was owned by Intergraph, is: does Intergraph still own 30 percenet of Bentley Systems, and if so, how is Bentley affected by the recent news of this acquisition? Chris Barron, vice president of corporate marketing for Bentley, responded: “As a privately held company, Bentley does not routinely report on the identity of its minority stockholders or the stockholders or the size of their holdings. However, in response to your question, we can advise you that the Bentley shares previously held by Intergraph were transferred to an affiliate of its private equity owners following its going private transaction in 2006 and we have no indications that those shares are part of the sale to Hexagon.” In 2006, Intergraph was acquired by an investor group led by Hellman & Friedman LLC, TPG Capital and JMI Equity. Pending regulatory approvals, as well as satisfaction of other customary closing conditions, the transaction is expected to be completed in the third or fourth quarter of 2010.
Incidentally, Hexagon AB is also the parent company for ERDAS, Inc., a company that focuses on incorporating geospatial information into businesses’ existing systems and data. ERDAS states that they do not see any change in business as a result of the Intergraph acquisition for the immediate future.
Crate & Barrel cuts costs and time with BIMApril 14th, 2010 by Susan Smith
Retailer completes projects 40% faster at half the cost. Crate & Barrel turns to BIM to cut costs, project time, ContractorSupply AEC Headquarters showcases building trendsApril 8th, 2010 by Susan Smith
This past week I had the pleasure of attending Autodesk’s AEC Division Headquarters in Waltham, MA for a press technology day. The building itself on Trapelo Road is a showcase for what can be done today with new approaches and technology. An unassuming, box-like, 61,000- square-foot office building that required an entire build-out, the building now is a testament to the use of integrated project delivery (IPD), sustainable design, digital-design-to-fabrication, and of course BIM. Local architectural firm KlingStubbins and Tocci Building Companies were instrumental in bringing these concepts to fruition with their experience in successful deployment of BIM and IPD. Inside, there are spacious training rooms and conference rooms with 90% natural daylight, as well as a “Telepresence” room where global meetings can be held and everyone “present” can be seen on a wall-sized screen.. Phil Bernstein, FAIA, vice president, Industry Strategy and Relations for the AEC Solutions Division, said this has cut down on their travel expenses as they can now hold virtual meetings. I am not sure what local materials might have been used, it did seem more of a display of Autodesk technology rather than an implementation of local resources, other than local architectural and building companies. The meeting was intended as a way to introduce press to the building and to demonstrate the 2011 product line. |
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||
|
|||||
