PRODUCTS,ENGINEERING TECH,CONSTRUCTION
OpenSpace | September 29, 2022
OpenSpace, the global leader in 360° jobsite capture and AI-powered analytics, shared that European software procurement platform QBS Software is joining its Partner Network. With more than 10,000 software publishers on its platform and expert customer service, QBS's reseller network will widen access to OpenSpace throughout the EMEA construction, banking, insurance, facilities management, and retail industries, improving onsite visibility and efficiency.
With OpenSpace Capture, builders or site managers can fully document their jobsite while walking the site as they normally would with a mobile device or an off-the-shelf, consumer 360° camera that can be attached to their hardhat. Once the video is uploaded to the cloud, OpenSpace's computer vision technology stitches images together and pins all the images to the floor plan, creating a trusted visual record of site status. Powered by the company's Vision Engine, the site image map is typically ready to view in about 15 minutes after upload. In a survey of OpenSpace's community and customers, it was found that on average 67% of customers reported saving thousands of dollars on project costs, while 74% saved multiple hours per week. Through this partnership, QBS will be able to expand its portfolio and enable its enterprise customers to benefit from these cost and time savings.
"Our focus is on providing innovative and top-of-the-line software that creates opportunities for our customers and partners. With OpenSpace we are able to bring an industry-leading solution in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) space, With OpenSpace, we're able to bring an industry-leading and easy-to-use solution that improves coordination and efficiency of builders, project managers, owners, contractors, and sub-contractors throughout a wide variety of industries."
-Dave Stevinson,CEO QBS Technology Group.
OpenSpace is used today on projects in 86 different countries around the world, and has seen growing momentum in the EMEA region recently, with a 300% year-over-year increase on-platform in 360° imagery capture. Regional customers include JLL, Skanska, VINCI, and Unispace, among others. With QBS joining the OpenSpace Partner Network, even more builders, owners, and property managers will have easy access to OpenSpace's site capture and analysis technology.
"Having worked with QBS Software for 20 years, I've experienced firsthand the amazing support that they provide to technology resellers, We are thrilled to be partnering with QBS to bring OpenSpace to any project, regardless of the industry, and believe that with the breadth of the QBS partner base, we'll be able to bring this technology across all EMEA."
-Andrea Brown Head of Channel and Partnerships OpenSpace.
By having a historical visual record of the site, OpenSpace makes it easier for projects to stay on budget and on time, as well as enabling smoother remote collaboration among stakeholders. OpenSpace's technology can also mitigate risk, as the 360° image captures serve as a time machine that can be used to go back and view historical site status. In terms of project analysis, OpenSpace offers automated progress tracking technology, which measures the percent of work completed for key pathways like walls, mechanical, electrical, and more. Customers can also use the platform to create 3D scans of certain areas onsite, using LiDAR-powered iPhones and iPads.
About OpenSpace:
Founded in 2017, OpenSpace is an AI technology company on a mission to bring new levels of transparency and efficiency to construction and real estate. With our platform, builders automatically capture a complete visual record of the construction site, providing a single source of truth that increases coordination, drives accountability, and simplifies dispute resolution. To date, our customers have used OpenSpace to capture more than ten billion square feet of imagery from active construction projects across thousands of sites in over eighty-six countries.
About QBS Technology Group:
Established in 1987, QBS Technology Group (including QBS Software) provides a platform for software companies and channel partners to increase efficiency and achieve growth. With a focus on innovative software – covering the enterprise, cloud, and consumer markets – QBS Technology Group combines experience, specialist skills, local presence and trusted relationships.
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CONSTRUCTION
Hilti | July 14, 2022
Hilti North America, a global leader providing innovative tools, technology, software, and services to the commercial construction industry has streamlined the base plate design workflow for PROFIS Engineering Suite users by integrating the cloud-based software with Bentley's RAM Structural System. The agreement with Bentley Systems, the infrastructure engineering software company, gives structural engineers and designers the ability to transfer designs quicker and more accurately between the two programs.
PROFIS Engineering Suite, a user-friendly, cloud-based application helps handle the calculations and analysis of the different elements of a steel-to-concrete connection, including base plate and anchors, with easier iteration and thorough documentation. Now, RAM Structural System and PROFIS Engineering work together to streamline the workflow and help simplify the base plate anchor design process. Users can leverage the integration of RAM Structural System with the design power of PROFIS Engineering to easily import, design, and export anchor and base plate designs, while ensuring accuracy and maximum productivity. PROFIS Engineering can receive all the information needed to the baseplate and connection design in a few short clicks, helping reduce the need for manual data transfer. This method will save up to one hour per design by optimizing your workflow.
"Our customers have requested integrations between their structural analysis software and PROFIS Engineering to increase user productivity while ensuring accuracy of their design, We are eager to align with an organization like Bentley that shares our values in providing solutions that move the industry forward. Integrated with RAM Structural System to deliver a seamless experience further enables our customers to simplify the entire anchor design process from start to finish, while delivering considerable time savings for each design. This is yet another example of Hilti listening to our users and providing additional value that benefits the customer's bottom line."
-David Crawford, director of technical marketing and application solutions at Hilti North America.
At Bentley, we are always looking for ways to increase our users' engineering productivity and accuracy, said Josh Taylor, senior director of structural product management at Bentley Systems. We are excited to give our RAM Structural System users the additional benefit of a seamless interface with Hilti PROFIS Engineering to improve accuracy and save time for their structural steel-to-concrete connection designs.
Hilti customers can learn the benefits of using the RAM Structural System plugin for PROFIS Engineering by registering for the webinar Enhancing Design Productivity Through Software Integration. The webinar is presented in collaboration with Bentley Systems.
About Hilti-
Hilti is a world-leading provider of high quality, innovative and specialized tools, fastening systems and software-based solutions for the professional user. With more than 3,800 highly trained Hilti account managers, engineers, and Hilti employees throughout North America, Hilti's expertise covers the areas of powder actuated fastening, drilling and demolition, diamond coring and cutting, measuring, firestopping, screw fastening, adhesive and mechanical anchoring, strut and hanger systems, solutions for tool crib productivity as well as worker health and safety.
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ENGINEERING TECH,CONSTRUCTION
RailWorks Corporation | August 24, 2022
RailWorks Corp. ("RailWorks" or "the Company"), the leading North American specialty construction and maintenance rail contractor, announced today it has acquired H&H Engineering Construction ("H&H"), a rail maintenance and construction contractor for the Western United States providing services for transit, ports, freight railroads, and rail served industrial companies.
The transaction follows RailWorks' recently completed acquisition of Progress Rail's Rail Welding Services Division, a specialized provider of flash butt welding ("FBW"), enabling RailWorks to utilize best-in-class FBW capabilities and offer rail customers expanded maintenance of way services. Financial terms of these transactions were not disclosed.
RailWorks provides comprehensive specialty railroad construction and maintenance services, which include track construction, turn-key rehabilitation and maintenance, and innovative solutions for predictive track maintenance. The integration of H&H will strategically expand RailWorks' presence on the West Coast with a best-in-class team of professionals serving a diverse base of rail customers. As part of the RailWorks team, the H&H teams will be able to leverage FBW crews and equipment from the Rail Welding Services Division, leading to additional incremental growth opportunities.
RailWorks is a portfolio company of Bernhard Capital Partners, a services and infrastructure-focused private equity management firm, which it partnered with in November 2021 to drive long-term strategic growth and expand its core offerings and capabilities.
"This is an exciting time for RailWorks. These complementary acquisitions represent a significant expansion of our offerings and the ways in which we can service our valued customers across the country, As we continue to grow our business and execute on a shared vision with our partners at Bernhard Capital, we see a number of exciting opportunities to further expand our offerings and continuously enhance the safe, high-quality services customers expect from RailWorks."
-Kevin Riddett, RailWorks President and CEO.
In addition to executing on its strategic growth objectives, RailWorks has also remained committed to expanding its industry-leading commitment to safety. In May 2022, the company announced a partnership with Miller Ingenuity's ZoneGuard product line, a roadway worker protection system to detect track vehicles entering active work zones, provide advanced technology to the RailWorks portfolio, and improve overall roadway worker protection. Through this partnership, RailWorks is expanding the Company's commitment to a safety-first culture and working to accelerate safety technology adoption throughout the North American rail market.
"RailWorks' services are essential to supporting a critical mode of transportation for much of the country's population, These acquisitions and our new technology partnership solidify RailWorks' position as the industry leader for rail system maintenance, repair, and construction services. We are excited to continue to work closely with Kevin and his exceptional team to further expand the company's technology offerings and solutions-oriented approach, while maintaining RailWorks' commitment to its customers and to employee safety."
-Mark Spender, Partner at Bernhard Capital.
About RailWorks Corporation:
Founded in 1998, RailWorks Corporation provides track construction, electrical systems construction, maintenance services and products throughout the United States and Canada for major transit authorities, Class I and short-line railroads, and rail-served commercial and industrial companies. Trusted RailWorks brands include L.K. Comstock Inc., PNR RailWorks, NARSTCO, and HSQ Technology.
About Bernhard Capital Partners:
Bernhard Capital Partners is a services and infrastructure-focused private equity management firm established in 2013. Bernhard Capital Partners has deployed capital in four funds across several strategies, has approximately $2.9 billion of gross assets under management and is ranked as one of Private Equity International's 300 largest private equity firms worldwide. Bernhard Capital Partners seeks to create sustainable value by leveraging its experience in acquiring, operating and growing services and infrastructure businesses.
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