Trimble has acquired assets of privately-held Vico Software, of Boulder, Colorado, a manufacturer of 5D virtual construction software and consulting services. The asset acquisition extends Trimble's solutions for building construction and provides a platform to connect the information flow across the design-build-operate (DBO) lifecycle to improve cost management and optimize scheduling on complex building construction projects. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Meridian Systems, a Trimble Company, recently released Proliance version 5.5, the latest upgrade to the company’s capital program management software. Proliance 5.5 includes a new bidding/tendering module for greater visibility and control into project procurement and provides new International features, including localized portfolio management and multi- language and calendar capabilities. Together, these capabilities help owners and program managers plan, build and manage capital programs and assets to reduce risk, lower cost and improve financial performance.

Epson America today introduced a new line of large-format color plotters designed to meet the requirements of today’s engineering and scientific professionals – the Epson SureColor T3000, T5000 and T7000. Marking Epson’s entry into the technical printing market, the SureColor T-Series offers architects, engineers and GIS professionals an unprecedented combination of precision, performance and value with the fastest plotting speeds in its class, industry-leading plotting accuracy and all-new Epson UltraChrome XD pigment ink for brilliant, crisp output on virtually any media type.

Gehry Technologies today released GTeam, a cloud-based 2D and 3D file management and project collaboration platform purpose-built for AEC professionals and building owners. Frank Gehry, founder of Gehry Partners and co-founder of Gehry Technologies, was joined by architects including Greg Lynn, Greg Lynn FORM; Moshe Safdie, Safdie Architects; David Childs, Chairman Emeritus at Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill; and Patrik Schumacher, Zaha Hadid Architects at an unveiling in New York, capping a meeting of the strategic alliance formed last year by Gehry to transform the building industry through technology.

According to the International Facility Managers Association, 75% of a building’s lifecycle budget is in ownership and management, that's one of the reasons why the AGC BIM Forum tackled the challenges facing today's architects, engineers and construction companies in taking BIM and GIS data and using it for facilties management.

Bentley Systems recently announced the project finalists in the 2012 Be Inspired Awards competition and the seven winners of the 2012 Be Inspired Special Recognition Awards. The awards honor the work of Bentley users improving and sustaining the world’s infrastructure. Five independent panels of jurors, comprising accomplished Bentley users and distinguished industry experts, selected the 58 finalists and the Special Recognition Awards candidates from nominations submitted by organizations in 39 countries. The winners of the Be Inspired Awards will be announced at the invitation-only Be Inspired: Innovations in Infrastructure event taking place Nov. 13-14, 2012, in Amsterdam, Netherlands. All 2012 Be Inspired nominees are invited and encouraged to attend. This year’s keynote speaker is Greg Williams, executive editor, Wired magazine, a three-time National Magazine Award–winning publication focused on how ideas and innovation are changing the world.

Bentley Systems announced at the BIM Forum in Tacoma, Wash., that DPR Construction has standardized on Bentley’s ProjectWise for collaboration and work sharing in the delivery of all large construction projects. DPR’s ProjectWise network currently consists of more than 2,000 active users working on more than 80 projects across 13 different regions of the United States. According to Andrew Fisher, BIM applications specialist at DPR Construction, ProjectWise helps the firm’s project teams eliminate the time-consuming process of manual file and information management, increasing productivity across the board – achieving as much as 10 percent on some projects.

Autodesk BIM 360 Glue, a cloud-based construction collaboration tool that provides all project players with anywhere/anytime access to complex virtual construction models, was released today as an iPad app from the iTunes store. Autodesk BIM 360 Glue subscribers can download the iOS app for use on all of their projects.

Customers have been extremely vocal that they need access to rich project data on the device they bring with them everywhere—the iPad.

Aconex, a provider of project collaboration solutions for the construction, infrastructure, power, mining, and oil and gas industries, today announced the launch of Aconex Field. A new mobile and web-based product that transforms the traditional manual, paper-based process of field inspection and issues management. With Aconex Field, project teams can capture, analyze, report, communicate, and track defects and other issues for faster, more accurate identification and resolution. The product is a mobile app, for iOS only right now but with plans for an Android version, to collect field information, collect it once and store it properly to create streamlined, electronic processes on job sites.

Trimble introduced today version 7.3 of the Trimble Quantm system for road and rail alignment planning. Version 7.3 introduces Trimble Quantm Enterprise, a locally hosted version of the Quantm system for alignment planning.