BIMobject® and IBM team up for cloud-based BIM

BIMobject announced a collaboration with IBM that will see the two companies working together to create a more complete cloud solution for manufacturers’ product information. The collaboration will support both product and building lifecycles.

BIMobject and IBM have received requests from several common clients, asking for deeper integration, improved scalability for managing product information and support for digital assets with cloud-based services.

For BIMobject, the IBM SoftLayer and Bluemix development tools will bring the future for cloud-based technology and solutions. They create new opportunities for scaling the bimobject.com platform to fit new markets, thus enabling a more frictionless integration of future technology. The IBM Bluemix tools, IBM’s Watson and other products from the IBM analytics portfolio will be used for business and predictive analytics in the BIM process.

For IBM, the collaboration will provide a valuable extension of the IBM Smart EC&O (Engineering Construction & Operations) solution. Smart EC&O enables clients to manage BIM data across asset lifecycles and thereby utilizing optimization and predictive capabilities to reduce waste, risks and costs.

Other areas of collaboration are an integration with IBM’s PIM system and the opportunity to host properties, automate the BIM object creation on the BIMobject Cloud.

The goal with the collaboration is to build an ecosystem of cloud-based solutions together to enable an unbroken information flow, from product information into BIM objects, throughout the building lifecycle.

The collaboration will start in Europe and offer a combined solution to the largest building product manufacturers.

“IBM recognizes a great potential and value for our customers in working together with BIMobject. IBM's Smart EC&O solution enables our customers to manage BIM data across the lifecycle of an asset. Smart EC&O will provide all parties throughout the lifecycle with transparency of data and the ability to perform advanced predictive and optimization analytics to reduce waste, risks and costs. Through the cooperation with BIMobject we will further enhance our proposition to our customers with BIMobject's expertise and content management from the origin of any building material”, says Anders Fredholm, Partner & Vice President – Industrial Products Industry Leader at IBM Global Business Services.

“This collaboration with IBM gives us the scalability and tighter integration we have been waiting for. Together with IBM we take the next steps in information management. Understanding the power of distributing digital information into the BIM process, increasing know-how and communication between manufacturers and designers. With the help of IBM, we will have a joint offering to create the next generation of digital product and asset management for the industry”, says Stefan Larsson, CEO and founder of BIMobject AB.