For most of its history, Graphisoft operations reflected an Eastern European mindset that emphasized development over sales. A victim of its local success, Graphisoft didn’t apply Western-style sales and marketing techniques and strategies to the global organization until it hired Gartner Group veteran Ray Small as CEO in 2002. Like most software companies, sales during 2001 and 2002 were not kind to Graphisoft, but 2003 is shaping up to be a good year, as today’s report indicates.
In the past, Graphisoft technology was generally marginalized as “for Mac users” or dismissed as “interesting” (which translates as “not practical”) or “European” (which translates in the US as “odd”). ArchiCAD 8 is banishing such dismissive thinking once and for all, especially when ArchiFM is added to the mix. Each is a mature product worthy of serious consideration, but when evaluated as a set they offer unrivaled synergy for taking the building information model beyond design and construction and on into facilities management.
The Autodesk purchase of Revit last year did more to validate Graphisoft’s 20 years of work in 3D architectural design than anything the company could have ever done on its own. Every other AEC CAD player now offers integrated, object-oriented virtual building modeling, but the discussion of the value in the technology never really took off until the Revit acquisition. Now architecture firms of all sizes are starting to take a serious look at building information modeling.
We recently talked with the CTO of a 300-seat US architectural firm, now evaluating building information modeling software. “We want to adopt this technology before our clients force us to,” the director said. The firm is evaluating two products—and the firm’s existing CAD vendor is not in the running. “We know we will have to retrain no matter what product we choose.”
Many AEC firms have come to the same conclusion, and are more willing than ever before to look beyond their existing CAD vendor as they evaluate building information modeling technology. Graphisoft stands an excellent chance of increasing market share as a result.
