Autodesk agrees to acquire Horizontal Systems

Autodesk, Inc. signed a definitive agreement to acquire Horizontal Systems, a provider of innovative cloud-based Building Information Modeling (BIM) collaboration solutions for the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in Autodesk’s fourth quarter of fiscal 2012 (which ends on Jan. 31, 2012). Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Horizontal Systems technology is expected help accelerate Autodesk 360 for BIM capabilities by allowing multi-discipline teams to more easily communicate and synchronize information--helping reduce waste and errors during the design and construction of AEC projects and leading to faster, more efficient project delivery.

The acquisition of Horizontal Systems will help accelerate the movement of BIM to the cloud by providing users with the ability to more easily access and coordinate multi-discipline project data wherever and whenever it is needed throughout the entire project lifecycle. BD+C

Two innovations—program manager Gafcon’s SharePoint360 project management platform and a new BIM “wall creator” add-on developed by ClarkDietrich Building Systems for use with the Revit BIM platform and construction consultant—show how fabricators and owner’s reps are stepping in to fill the gaps between construction and design that can typically be exposed by working with a 3D model.