Trimble于2月2日宣布，它正在收购建筑管理软件制造商电子构建器。这笔交易是一笔5亿美元的全现金交易。作为负责监督大型建筑项目的流行软件的开发商，E-Builder在公共建设和主要资本项目市场中拥有重要的业务，目前由其应用程序套件管理的现有超过新利18备用网址3000亿美元的活跃建筑项目。据报道，该公司的收入为5300万美元。

“这将是建设方式的游戏规则改变者，”建筑物Trimble副总裁Roz Buick说。“这对我们来说是一项重大收购，并在我们组织内部得到了全力支持。电子构建者的建筑管理能力将真正改变我们处理该行业的建设方式。”

The focus of much of e-Builder’s suite of software has been on construction-management solutions for large owners, including public agencies, an area of the industry which has not been a major focus for Trimble’s contractor-focused digital strategy. But e-Builder will continue to serve its existing customers going forward, according to Ron Antevy, co-founder of the firm. “Over the last 20 years we’ve really focused on the facility owners, we’ve built our leadership position there,” he says. “But what Trimble brings to the table is their broad and deep market position, which for us is the Holy Grail. We are going to accelerate and transform the industry.”

e-Builder co-founder Jon Antevy sees the deal as a chance to expand e-Builder’s marketshare across the construction industry. “For years we have been selling to the owners, and they in turn have been forcing their contractors to use e-Builder,” he explains. “It’s really going to speed things up to have a tool that offers solutions aimed at both the owner and the contractor.”

根据罗恩·安特维（Ron Antevy）的说法，该公司将维持其与客户的现有关系，在可预见的未来，公司的员工和管理团队将保持完整。他说：“我们在电子构建器平台中拥有的部分是应用程序交换，在收购之后，我们将利用它在Trimble Products和E-Builder应用程序之间建立紧密的连接器。”

While it may be a while for full integration to take hold, some of the first benefits to Trimble and e-Builder customers may come in faster payment processing, says Ron Antevy. “A contractor could submit a progress payment request in a system [linked to Trimble Connect] and have it go through e-Builder. He gets paid faster and the owner has visibility on the project.”

"The timing is still something we need to work out," says Jon Antevy. "But some of our larger customers [such as] the NYDOT, the Port Authority of NY and NJ, these very large owners, they will benefit greatly from the suite of solutions we can now provide."

在三边形的一面，收购是由于需要扩大其三重连接平台的广度而驱动的。目前，该系统在项目生命周期的许多阶段提供了软件集成，从早期的设计和工程阶段，具有Sketchup和Tekla结构，一直通过Autodesk Revit，Prolog和Vico Office。Trimble Connect还整合了在项目过程中来自Trimble连接的站点测量设备和建筑设备的数据，从而不断更新该领域的进度报告。

但是根据别克的说法，Trimble Connect在某种程度上缺乏监督这些项目的所有者的产品。她说：“我们的观点是由所有者主导的数字构建计划真正是我们看到的最大转型。”别克引用了Trimble目前在扩展北京国际机场的工作，政府客户正在努力全面使用数字模型和项目管理软件。“我们认为业主可以成为加速数字工作现场的人，并且通过关注它们，我们可以更快地将其带给更多利益相关者。”

"Our belief is that we can make this process more transparent among the players," says Buick. "We will be able to go from the supply chain through the GCs and the subs, creating more efficient workflows and accelerating the payment processes. And we think e-Builder will allow us to tell the bigger story of the project to the owners and other stakeholders."

The text of this article was updated on Feb. 5, 2018 to reflect new information.