Web World for Construction Software
October 14, 2009
As the Web continues to create more opportunities for construction software, contractors should expect to see more options in the market to help deliver projects on-demand. It's a model that can be very beneficial given current market conditions, but one that requires some due diligence on the part of the contractor to ensure it truly is the best option for your business.
There are different examples of how the construction software community leverages Web technologies. In the realm of project management, for example, the new releases have seemingly come fast and furious during the course of 2009.
For starters, we have seen more products coming to market that leverage XML (extensible markup language) and Web services. In the past few weeks alone, CMiC, www.cmic.ca, Toronto, Ont., and Meridian Systems, www.meridiansystems.com, Folsom, Calif., have introduced new products built on Web services.
Meridian Systems, www.meridiansystems.com, Folsom, Calif., announced the release of Prolog Converge—a new application that combines a new Web-based user interface with a Web-services platform. Offering more visibility into project information, the key to the Web-services platform is it gives contractors choices. The same information can be delivered in several different formats, depending on user needs.
"Integration is probably one of the most important aspects and differentiators for us. It goes back--it is not just about the user interface, because a pretty user interface doesn’t really allow you to integrate better unless that user interface is drive by that platform," says Bruno Berti, senior director of product management, Meridian Systems. "That platform has a variety of capabilities. It has the ability to create, read, update, and delete Prolog records all via Web services XML over HTTP. So that is going to be the mechanism for all integration to other systems."
CMiC, www.cmic.ca, Toronto, Ont., announced its Open Enterprise v10. A key component within the release was CMiC Experience Manager, which allows for bi-directional exchange of information and integrates multiple applications, such as imaging, workflow, project dashboards, and BIM (building information modeling) technology. It is the component behind integrations with such technology as Vico Software, www.vicosoftware.com, Boulder, Colo., and Textura, www.texturacorp.com, Deerfield, Ill.--both announced earlier this year.
This step is a big one for CMiC, which in the past has built its brand on the fact it can provide all components through its fully-integrated solution. For things like BIM and payment management, among others, CMiC is creating integrations that allow users to build a best of class approach for certain functionality.
Project management companies like FreightTrain, www.freighttrain.com, Los Angeles, Calif., are finding considerable success delivering solutions in the SaaS (software-as-a-service) model. General contractors such as McCarthy Building Companies, www.mccarthy.com, St. Louis, Mo., and Rudolph and Sletten, www.rsconstruction.com, Redwood City, Calif., have chosen this product to help streamline project management functionality for their large clients.
The common theme for both of these contractors is the fact the technology has been applied to help deliver hospital projects. This clearly reflects a trend where large owners are benefitting from contracting teams that can streamline a project using hosted technology.