Responding to customers who have been pushing them for greater workflow efficiencies when using their products together, Autodesk and Trimble have entered into an interoperability agreement that enables both companies to share Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and developer tools for products in their respective portfolios.
The collaboration is also meant to show each company’s commitment to supporting open industry standards such as Industry Foundation Classes (IFC), and Construction Operations Building Information Exchange (COBie).
Autodesk and Trimble have similar arrangements with Bentley, and Autodesk recently struck an agreement on the manufacturing side with Siemens.
“We want to allow our customers to focus more on projects and spend less time moving data between Autodesk and Trimble products,” explains Jim Lynch, Vice President for AEC Product Development at Autodesk’s Boston office. He says this agreement will help “fill the API gaps.”
Tighter product-to-product integration can enable AEC users to share models, project files, and allow for the reuse of information throughout all phases of a project.
Lynch says the two companies have been working on this agreement for more than a year. His main contact at Trimble was its Vice President Bryn Fosburgh. Another key person in developing this agreement was Nicolas Mangon, Vice President of AEC Strategy and Marketing at Autodesk.
Lynch tells BD+C that this agreement does not entail any financial arrangement between the two suppliers, nor does he anticipate that either company would need to set up a separate team or department.
“Trimble benefits by our customers benefiting,” says Mark Sawyer, General Manager of Trimble’s General Contractor/Construction Management division.
Sawyer adds that going forward, each company will have access to the other’s APIs to test. Trimble also has an advisory group of customers that is likely to be involved in the testing.
Lynch expects that the industry will continue to pressure software vendors to develop products that integrate seamlessly. Sawyer agrees, and thinks the most immediate streamlining will be evident in document and data management, and BIM-in-field. But, he cautions, don’t expect interoperability agreements such as Autodesk-Trimble to be “wildly prolific,” either.
Related Stories
| May 22, 2014
BIM-driven prototype turns data centers into a kit of parts
Data center design specialist SPARCH creates a modular scheme for solutions provider Digital Realty.
| May 22, 2014
Facebook, Telus push the limits of energy efficiency with new data centers
Building Teams are employing a range of creative solutions—from evaporative cooling to novel hot/cold-aisle configurations to heat recovery schemes—in an effort to slash energy and water demand.
| May 22, 2014
7 ways it pays to use BIM for data centers
Here’s where AEC firms and owners are getting the most bang for the buck when using BIM/VDC to coordinate data center projects.
| May 22, 2014
Big Data meets data centers – What the coming DCIM boom means to owners and Building Teams
The demand for sophisticated facility monitoring solutions has spurred a new market segment—data center infrastructure management (DCIM)—that is likely to impact the way data center projects are planned, designed, built, and operated.
| May 14, 2014
Prefab payback: Mortenson quantifies cost and schedule savings from prefabrication techniques
Value-based cost-benefit analysis of prefab approaches on the firm's 360-bed Exempla Saint Joseph Heritage Project shows significant savings for the Building Team.
| May 12, 2014
Defining BIM – What do owners really want?
Given the complexities of the building process, it can be difficult for building owners to effectively communicate what they want and need with BIM. The response to the question usually is, “Give me everything.”
| May 8, 2014
Perfecting prefab: 8 tips for healthcare construction projects
Leading AEC firms offer helpful advice for using BIM to pull off prefab for everything from MEP infrastructure to whole bathrooms.
| May 6, 2014
BIM Forum Boston recap: Gilbane inspires with collaboration challenge
Key question from BIM Forum: How do you leverage technology by finding trade partners that are up to speed?
| May 3, 2014
4 easy steps to being a great project manager
Managing a team of people, especially creative people, is a task that not everyone is up for. Keeping your team on the same page while maintaining a schedule and budget that can keep your corporation happy will take confidence and bountiful people skills. Here are some tips for effectively managing a project. SPONSORED CONTENT
| May 1, 2014
Super BIM: 7 award-winning BIM/VDC-driven projects
Thom Mayne's Perot Museum of Nature and Science and Anaheim's new intermodal center are among the 2014 AIA TAP BIM Award winners.