Bentley Acquires Pointools
Plans to integrate point cloud technology in ProjectWise and AssetWise
 
AMSTERDAM,
Netherlands, Nov 7, 2011 - Bentley Systems announced that it has acquired
Pointools Ltd, maker of point cloud software applications. Bentley plans to
integrate point cloud processing through out its products.
From a press release advanced to the press at the Be Inspired Conference:
"Point cloud inclusion supports Bentley's commitment to advance information
mobility with integrity across design and operational workflows. Point cloud
scanning devices are fast becoming commonplace, so images are now
cost-effective to capture, but have served only for temporary and task
specific purposes because the scale of the data files overwhelms both
storage and query accessibility. Now that Bentley is uniquely overcoming
these challenges, point cloud, as a fundamental data type, can usefully
serve the function of an "as-operated" 3D model for every infrastructure
asset.
Through its acquisition of Pointools, Bentley is able to go beyond embedding
the powerful Vortex engine in MicroStation, to assimilate point cloud
processing and data management through the ProjectWise and AssetWise
platforms, extending point cloud value through all Bentley solutions,
applications, and workflows. At the same time, with the introduction of the
V8i (SELECtseries 3) upgrade, the Bentley Descartes image management
software now becomes the leading information modeling environment for the
advanced 3D image and point cloud editing and processing. By eliminating
point cloud distribution and adoption obstacles through i-models and
ProjectWise, Bentley's project team collaboration and work-sharing platform,
"hands-on" information mobility can now be delivered and secured from design
to construction and operations - and back again for reuse in rehabilitation,
upgrade and retrofit workflows.
As Bhupinder Singh, senior vice president, Bentley Software, explained,
"With Pointools, we have developed a breakthrough capability - unlocking the
value of the gigabytes or even terabytes of point cloud data - to surmount
the "big data" problem of point cloud users. A unique new ProjectWise
capability will stream on-demand to Bentley application only the subset of
point cloud data being viewed or queried. This functionality is what has
been needed to allow point cloud to fulfill their potential as a intrinsic,
fundamental data type in information modeling workflows.
"A software generation ago, through Bentley Descartes, we delivered
comparable innovation to make large 2D raster images processing feasible for
infrastructure engineering workflows. Combined with the 'delta file
transfer' functionality already in ProjectWise, Bentley will now more
comprehensively enable collaborative work sharing. A new ProjectWise
management and streaming service will be introduced before the end of the
year. With our acquisition of Pointools, its innovative technology, and
added in-depth knowledge of point clouds, watch for additional pioneering
capabilities.
Commenting on the acquisition, Tom Greaves, managing director, SPAR Point
Group said, "Acquiring Pointools is a coup for Bentley, the timing is
excellent. The matchup of hardware-neutral Pointools as Bentley's open,
single platform strategy is going to liberate value beyond design to
construction and asset management for Bentley users just as they are
demanding and getting more and better data. point clouds need a seat at the
data table with information modeling. GIS data, equipment catalogs, project
documents and maintenance databases -- Bentley sets a place for point clouds
with this acquisition." CEO Greg Bentley said, "On behalf of my colleagues at Bentley I welcome our
newest team members from Pointools. We look forward to enabling our users to
benefit from the growing potential value of point clouds captured by
ever-advancing scanning technology. Going forward, point clouds need not
longer be throw-aways, and importantly, owner operators can be supported by
'as-operated' 3D models. this is a key contribution to information mobility
with integrity for better performing safer and resilient infrastructures." Added Faraz Ravi, Pointools co-founder, "My colleagues and I are very
excited about joining the Bentley team at a time when infrastructure
professionals are quickly recognizing the tremendous value of point cloud
data and adopting it across a wide range of workflows. In my new role at
Bentley, I look forward to helping realize the vision for powering the next
generation point cloud workflows throughout the Bentley portfolio of
products." Pointools' superfast Vortex engine is ideally suited to the demanding
requirements of architectural engineering and construction projects due to
this unrivaled ability to handle the very largest point cloud datasets,
comprising billions of points, and from virtually every scanning source. The
Pointools POD file form retain key information pertaining to the origin of
the point cloud data provenance) including the scanner type, original scan,
file name scan date, scan location, and scan keywords. This information can
be indexed and searched to more quickly locate models when managed,
reference, and maintained tin Bentley's ProjectWise collaboration and
work-sharing platform. Bentley Descartes V8i (SELECTseries 3) Bentley's commitment to point cloud scan fundamental data type is further
demonstrated in the advance point cloud processing and management
capabilities featured in the upcoming release of Bentley's Descartes V8i
(SELECTserics 3). These innovations, which speed point cloud workflows and
reduce costs, are being introduced this week to attendees at Be Inspired.
Bentley Descartes V8i (SELECTseries 3) will accordingly be of interest to a
wide range of disciplines - from plan designers to surveyors, urban
planners, civil engineers and more. The point cloud workflows that are
possible with the new release include innovative visualization,
classification editing, the export and object extraction, simplifying the
challenges of working with and sharing the point cloud datasets with
billions of points. For more about Bentley's Descartes, visit
www.bentley.com/Descartes . Watch for additional news of Bentley Descartes
many point cloud innovation through 2012. Ascentage Group Ascentage Group LLC, a business development firm, acted as advisors to
Pointools Ltd regarding the transaction. About Be Inspired Thought Leadership in Infrastructure The world's leading practitioners have gathered this week at Be Inspired,
Bentley's premier thought leadership and networking event, in Amsterdam,
Netherlands. They will share the best practices behind the successful
realization of their current projects and explore new was to respond to the
challenges driving today's business. Also in attendance are 80 journalists
from around he world, who additionally participated in special media
briefings on Nov 7. Be Inspired is an intimate, invitation-only event featuring presentations by
the be awards finalists as well as executive roundtables focusing on
critical issues in business, technology, and practice facing infrastructure
professional around the world. It culminates with an awards ceremony
recognizing outstanding achievement and innovation in infrastructure design,
construction, and operation by winners selected from 57 project finalists by
5 independent panels of jurors. In total, nominations from 270 organizations
in 42 countries were submitted in this year's awards program.
This annual event provides an unique from for senior-level executives to
learn about the innovation driving the development and operation of the
worlds top infrastructure projects. It also enables them to engage with
other industry leaders in interactive discussions on topics of importance to
the business of sustaining infrastructures. For additional information about
the be, visit www.bentley.com/beinspired
About Pointools
Pointools was an independent software vendor dedicated to the creation of
high-performance point cloud software. Incorporated in 2003 and privately held,
Pointools is headquartered in the UK and sells its software through a network of
Pointools Partners spread across 5 continents.
For more information, visit
www.pointools.com.
About Bentley Systems, Incorporated
Bentley is the global leader dedicated to providing architects,
engineers, geospatial professionals, constructors, and owner-operators with
comprehensive software solutions for sustaining infrastructure. Bentley’s
mission is to empower its users to leverage information
modeling through integrated projects for high-performing intelligent
infrastructure. Its solutions encompass the MicroStation platform for
infrastructure design and modeling, the ProjectWise platform for
infrastructure project team collaboration and work sharing, and the
AssetWise platform for infrastructure asset operations - all supporting a
broad portfolio of interoperable applications and complemented by worldwide
professional services. Founded in 1984, Bentley has grown to nearly 3,000
colleagues in more than 45 countries and $500 million in annual revenues.
Since 2001, the company has invested more than $1 billion in research,
development, and acquisitions.
Additional information about Bentley is available at www.bentley.com and
in Bentley’s annual report. For Bentley news as it happens, subscribe to
an RSS feed of Bentley press releases and news alerts. To view a searchable
collection of innovative infrastructure projects from the annual Be Inspired
Awards, access Bentley’s Year in Infrastructure publications. To access a
professional networking site that enables members of the infrastructure
community to connect, communicate, and learn from each other,
click here.
To download the Bentley Infrastructure 500 Top Owners ranking, a unique
global compendium of the top public- and private-sector owners of
infrastructure based on the value of their cumulative infrastructure
investments, visit www.bentley.com/500.
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See Also
Bentley website
MicroStation Directory by TenLinks.com
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MicroStation Reading Room by CADdigest.com
Additional News
Source: Material used in press releases is often supplied by external
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