CADsmart development update

We are quite regularly asked what we have scheduled in our technical roadmap. The truth is, it can vary, depending on customer feedback, focus group activity, market trends, strategic decisions by the major vendors, and so on.

In spite of the economic backdrop, we remain pretty flat-out on our technical deliveries this year. BIM is clearly a big influencer in our current workload.

Our plans are sometimes subject to change, but to give you an idea of what we're focusing on this year, I've outlined our technical delivery roadmap, as follows;

- Feb 09-Mar 09 - MicroStation Rail x 10, Revit 64-bit compatibility (upgrade to SQL Server) and 2010 compatibility
- Apr 09-May 09 - Revit Structure basic x 10, MicroStation 3D x 10 and Bentley Architecture basic x 10
- Jun 09-Jul 09 - Revit MEP basic x 10 and Revit Architecture basic x 20
- Aug 09-Sept 09 - Revit Architecture & Revit Structure advanced x 10
- Oct 09-Nov 09 - Bentley Structural basic x 10 and quiz wizard module

We're also working on creating a framework for BIM accreditation; more to follow on this item later. Plus a development to compliment Bentley's Be Employable initiative. We also go live with a link to 4D's CADLearning training tools - 'Curriculum Builder' - in the next month or so.

Looking ahead to next year, we'll be continuing work on our existing portfolio, but also plan to create assessment libraries for the following; Geopak, Civil 3D, AutoPlant, Bentley Mechanical and maybe Inventor. Plus the usual Dashboard and reporting developments, not to mention custom library work for existing customers!

Hope that's useful; if there are any items you don't see mentioned here, or if you have any questions about the CADsmart development roadmap, why not give us a call?

Rory

CADsmart presents to AIA CIO LFRT meeting

I've been on the road this week, and it's been an eventful trip. My week started in Exton, PA, for a meeting at Bentley HQ. No sooner had I rented my car from Philly airport, than the local radio announced that Pennsylvania was expecting 10 inches of snow overnight! And so it proved, when I awoke on Monday morning to a scene from the movie 'Winter Wonderland'. I think my GPS had a Machiavellian streak, because the 30 mile drive to Exton took in just about every icy, snow laden side road in the county, studiously avoiding the nicely gritted Interstate!

The meeting at Bentley was very positive; we'll shortly be releasing news about a collaborative program, where CADsmart is contributing to their recently announced 'Be Employable' initiative.

Oh yes, and one other highlight of my visit to Philly; I found the 'Rocky steps' by the Philadelphia Museum of Art and couldn't resist running up to the top (though I stopped short of doing a little dance) ;)

Next stop was Tampa, Florida, a complete contrast in meteorological fortunes! 75 degrees and sunny, I decided to take a walk from my hotel to my morning appointment; some 9 or so blocks. Clearly this wasn't a bright idea, as I forgot just how vast distances are in the US versus the UK. After 20 minutes of walking (the first 5 in the wrong direction!) I soon realised my schoolboy error. Murphy's law of taxis kicked in (when you need one, they're nowhere to be found) and I was creeping towards being late for my meeting. At that moment, I happened to see a battered blue sedan pulling out of a car park in front of me, so I jumped out in front of the mildly traumatised driver and said, 'Ill give you $20 to drive me 1 mile in that direction!' When he realised that I was a mildly harrassed and geographically challenged (lost) corporate executive, rather than a car-jacker with poor taste, he eagerly accepted my offer and the deal was sealed.

The meeting with Axiom was very useful; more news to follow, but we're in discussion to co-promote CADsmart and Axiom's LearningBay training suite for Bentley users.

And so, on to the beautiful city of Charleston, SC, for the AIA CIO LFRT (large firm round table) meeting, where we had been invited to present a session on capturing performance metrics for CAD & BIM teams. My thanks to George Temple, CIO at LS3P and Shawn Foster at Jacobs, for their hospitality during my stay. Charleston is a wonderful place to spend some time, rich in history and southern charm; it also helps that my visit coincides with their annual food & wine festival (http://www.charlestonfoodandwine.com/2009/) :)

The CIO LFRT meeting was an information packed 2 days, covering a host of topical issues facing AEC firms in the current climate. 30 large architectural practices were shown how CADsmart's performance metrics provide a powerful source of business intelligence for firms using Autodesk & Bentley software, particularly in these challenging times.

I think I'll book ahead for my taxi back to the airport.

Rory