Cadalyst - October 2007 - (Page 48)

aecinfocus What Is SaaS? Software as a Service (SaaS) is a software application delivery model in which a software vendor develops a Web-native software application and hosts and operates (either independently or through a third party) the application for use by its customers via the Internet. Customers don’t pay to own the software itself; they pay to use it. They use it through an application-program interface (API) that is accessible via the Internet and often written using Web Services or Representational State Transfer (REST). The term SaaS has become the industry-preferred term, generally replacing the earlier terms application service provider (ASP), ondemand, and utility computing. (SaaS) products to help customers effectively manage their project-related communication, information, and business processes across the plan, build, and operate phases of the building lifecycle. (For more information about SaaS, see the “What Is SaaS” sidebar.) Project members across geographically dispersed locations can securely access project information and digital assets anywhere and anytime via a Web browser. This eliminates hours from such processes as 2D and 3D design review, requests for information, submittals, transmittals, and other building-related processes and workflows. Project managers and owners can track user access and the status of their digital assets. In combination with building information modeling (BIM), Autodesk collaborative project management improves quality and increases accountability on complex building projects. Firms are using Autodesk collaborative project-management programs to expand the effect of BIM on their business by publishing 3D BIM models directly to a central location for easy viewing, access, sharing, and tracking. Beyond a data-storage or file-management system, Autodesk positions its collaborative project-management offerings as business-process and change-management solutions for improving productivity across the building lifecycle. Autodesk collaborative project management serves not only the architecture, engineering, and construction management disciplines, but also building and subcontracting across all industries. Figure 2. On the desktop, ProjectWise Navigator delivers visual collaboration for immersive design review and analysis. Point to deliver entry-level collaboration for MicroStation and AutoCAD users. For enterprise-level use, ProjectWise Integration Server allows teams to manage distributed engineering content through a single interface. ProjectWise Caching servers accelerate file access regardless of the storage location, ProjectWise InterPlot Server is used for automating and managing plotting and archiving, and ProjectWise Web Parts are used to expose ProjectWise managed content through a SharePoint site. Expesite www.expesite.com Expesite is an Internet-based software developer that offers end-to-end program- and project-management tools and consulting services for numerous industries. Expesite provides project-management solutions for multiunit restaurant, retail, petroleum, and convenience store owners, as well as commercial/residential real estate development and banking/financial services. By using Expesite, all team members involved in a project — including architects, engineers, the real estate team, and contractors — have 24/7 access to information about each project and site location (figure 3). Expesite’s user interface allows users to manage multiple projects at the same time. Expesite enables everyone involved in a project to communicate, collaborate, and share information (with features such as user-defined reporting, notifications, and reminders), all without having to download any special software. Users only need access to a Web browser and the Internet to communicate with everyone involved, from anywhere. As an end result, Expesite accelerates project delivery, reduces paperbased communication, improves accountability, and delivers projects faster. Bentley www.bentley.com ProjectWise is software that connects people and information across distributed teams. Today, it is used by many of the leaders in the Engineering News-Record’s top 500 engineering firms to manage, find, and share CAD and geospatial content, project data, and Microsoft Office documents. The system includes desktop applications, full-featured clients, and enterprise-ready servers. On the desktop, ProjectWise Navigator delivers visual collaboration for immersive design review and analysis (figure 2). ProjectWise StartPoint also extends Microsoft Share48 October 2007 | cadalyst | www.cadalyst.com http://www.expesite.com http://www.bentley.com http://www.cadalyst.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Cadalyst - October 2007

Contents Editor's Window Cad Central Tech Trends: First-Hand Architecture in Second Life Rev It Up — Graphics Cards Pack Power for Today’s Hottest Designs TurboCAD Pro 14 — 3D Modeling Software SimEnterprise R2 — Design Simulation Software CADopia 6.2 SP3 Professional Edition — 2D and 3D Modeling Software Cad Manager: Programming Resources for CAD Managers MCAD Modeling: Customer Service Horror Stories PLM Strategies: Manufacturing Across Time Zones AEC in Focus: Digital-Asset Management in AEC/O Cad Cartoon Issue Indexes Cadfidential

Cadalyst - October 2007

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