"The beauty of BIM is that it gives designers and contractors the ability to quickly identify and resolve issues in the model, helping them avoid issues in the field where they're more expensive and time consuming to resolve. We're adding another layer of efficiency by automating cost estimating from the BIM model with absolute precision using the Sage Timberline Office Estimating plug-in to Autodesk Quantity Takeoff 2010. This will save real dollars on every job," said John Geffel, Senior Vice President and General Manager Sage Construction and Real Estate Solutions.
Autodesk Quantity Takeoff 2010 is the highly anticipated design-to-cost tool that enables cost estimators to collect and quantify multi-format design data and high-quality images seamlessly with the Autodesk Revit platform for BIM. The new link to Sage Timberline Office Estimating is already in use at selected customer sites and is the first plug-in with Autodesk Quantity Takeoff on the market. It will be made broadly available in Summer 2009.
"Since the BIM process is built on the use of coordinated, reliable design information, Autodesk feels that providing an accurate link from design to cost estimation is a critical step in the process," said Timothy Douglas, Industry Segment Manager, Autodesk Construction. "Our customers can now pull data from the model directly into Sage Timberline Office Estimating and use that quantity and cost information throughout the design and construction process."
John Tocci, chairman of the Associated General Contractors BIM Forum and an ENR Top 25 industry newsmaker in 2008, sees this type of innovation as vital to progressing BIM.
"We were pleased to play a role in bringing together two of the construction industry's most important software firms," said Tocci. "The smooth exchange of vital cost and quantity information between the industry's leading BIM application and estimating software is a major advancement toward our goal of a fully integrated virtual construction tool. This collaboration will measurably advance the promise of BIM and Integrated Project Delivery to eradicate waste, propel productivity and restore relationships."
The plug-in is the latest in a series of new developments from Sage over the past six months designed to deliver improved customer experience through usability and performance enhancements in Sage Timberline Office, including 64-Bit compatibility, estimating with multicurrency functionality, and an innovative integration between Estimating and Project Management.
Sage has a growing portfolio of business management solutions specifically tailored for the construction and real estate industries. The portfolio is designed to provide support through the growth cycle of a business and includes Peachtree by Sage Premium Accounting for Construction and Sage Master Builder. For medium to large companies, Sage Timberline Office offers integrated financial, operations and estimating software and provides the most sophisticated level of functionality in the Sage portfolio of construction solutions.
About Sage North America
Sage North America is part of The Sage Group plc, a leading global supplier of business management software and services. At Sage, we live and breathe business every day. We are passionate about helping our customers achieve their ambitions. Our range of business software and services is continually evolving as we innovate to answer our customers' needs. Our solutions support accounting, operations, customer relationship management, human resources, time tracking, merchant services and the specialized needs of the construction, distribution, healthcare, manufacturing, nonprofit and real estate industries. Sage North America employs approximately 4,800 people and supports 2.9 million small and medium-size business customers. The Sage Group plc, formed in 1981, was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1989 and now employs more than 14,500 people and supports more than 5.8 million customers worldwide. For more information, please visit the web site at www.sagenorthamerica.com or call 866-308-2378.
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Press Contacts: Monisha Khanna Sage 604.207.8676 Email Contact Danny Pettey Edelman for Autodesk 503.471.6829 Email Contact
