The picture of software delivery for managing contractors' business processes, documents, projects and 3D model-based collaboration shifted on Feb. 6 with the announcement of an acquisition intended to consolidate those functions into one in-the-cloud integrated service.

Viewpoint Construction Software, Portland, Ore., aims to integrate its enterprise-grade business-management software for contractors with the project management services, including collaborative BIM, of U.K.-based 4Project Ltd., a cloud hosting service. Viewpoint's business tools are offered via either internet software-as-a-service (SaaS) delivery or on-premise provisioning.

Privately held Viewpoint acquired 4Project for an undisclosed sum in a deal on Feb. 1.

根据ViewPoint的数据，十二岁的4Project当前的2D施工文档管理服务服务在英国拥有强大的市场份额，拥有30,000多名用户。该公司还在欧洲，中东，澳大利亚和新西兰以及北美的一些用户都有经销商。

4Project is pushing into BIM collaboration, too. It is the lead partner in an academic and industry consortium that is developing software systems, interoperable processes and guidance to support collaborative BIM and help the U.K.'s construction industry meet national requirements for BIM deliverables for all public projects by 2015. 4Project's browser-based, cloud-provisioned BIM collaboration tools move out of beta and go public this March. They are designed to support compliance.

观点首席执行官Jay Haladay说，此次收购反映了观点的“整体方法”。它将4Project的面向网络的，多租户，基于云的建筑文档管理和BIM协作服务与Viewpoint的V6构造，集成的财务，项目，文件，设备，设备，风险和商业管理工具用于观点订户的软件包。

另外，Haladay补充说，BIM协作服务将作为独立提供。他说：“我们希望将他们的产品带到北美空间。”

4Project的创始人兼首席执行官Richard Vertigan说，他的61名雇员团队被未来的机遇及其在《观点战略方向》中的作用“充满活力”。