Bentley Opens 'You Deserve Better' Upgrade Site for AutoCAD Users Facing Forced Retirement of Their Software by Autodesk.EXTON, Pa. -- Bentley Systems Bentley Systems, Incorporated, provides software for the "Design, construction and operation of the world's infrastructure". The company’s software serves the building, plant, civil, and geospatial vertical markets in the areas of architecture, engineering, construction (AEC) , Incorporated, today launched its "You Deserve Better" upgrade program and Web site for AutoCAD users facing forced retirement of their software by Autodesk. The upgrade program, in response to Bentley's survey of more than 2,500 AutoCAD users, gives these users what they requested, plus a great deal more. The program includes: --MicroStation-based product functionality that meets or exceeds that of comparable AutoCAD offerings, including bonus features not found in AutoCAD products and a wider range of product and application choices --An open and universal solution compared to the AutoCAD offerings, including native support of DWG (filename extension) dwg - The filename extension for Autodesk drawing files. http://faqs.org/faqs/graphics/fileformats-faq/part3/. and DGN DGN Design (file) DGN Dirección General de Normas (Standards Organization in Mexico) DGN MicroStation Design File (file format/extension) in all products, read and write support of DWG back to R11, and support of Adobe PDF (Portable Document Format) The de facto standard for document publishing from Adobe. On the Web, there are countless brochures, data sheets, white papers and technical manuals in the PDF format. --Upgrade pricing that meets or beats the Autodesk retirement pricing, including free viewers for DWG and DGN, multiple price points, and an estimated savings of 25 percent to 36 percent or more for design teams upgrading from AutoCAD 2000/i --An ongoing company policy against retiring file formats or user licenses, in contrast to the regular retirement practices of Autodesk --Special services and compatible functionality designed to make the upgrade fast and easy Bentley chief marketing officer, Tony Flynn, comments, "In our survey of AutoCAD users, we heard many requests - the loudest being 'we want an open solution.' Users need their CAD products to natively support DWG, DGN, and PDF. And they need historical, non-retiring support of these formats. Clearly, an open solution would allow them to run their businesses without forced disruption disruption /dis·rup·tion/ (dis-rup´shun) a morphologic defect resulting from the extrinsic breakdown of, or interference with, a developmental process. and to engage in more projects." Flynn adds, "Our 'You Deserve Better' program offers these users exactly what they asked for - an open, universal solution. Moreover, we believe that it offers users a far better set of products and services, as well as better, user-oriented policies that make them more competitive and put them in control of their software costs." The program's product offerings are based on four Bentley products, in descending descending /des·cend·ing/ (de-send´ing) extending inferiorly. price: --MicroStation: the comprehensive 2D/3D design/engineering system that is the preferred choice of most U.S. DOTs, plant EPC (1) (Entertainment PC) See HTPC. (2) (Electronic Product Code) A standard code for RFID tags administered by EPCglobal Inc. (www.epcglobalinc.org). firms, and the world's top design firms. It natively reads and writes DWG and DGN. --MicroStation PowerDraft: a midrange midrange Epidemiology The halfway point or midpoint in a set of observations; for most data, MR is calculated as the sum of the smallest observation and the largest observation, divided by 2; for age data, one is added to the numerator; a midrange is usually production drafting product, fully compatible with MicroStation. It natively reads and writes DWG and DGN. --MicroStation Redline red·line v. red·lined, red·lin·ing, red·lines v.intr. 1. To refuse home mortgages or home insurance to areas or neighborhoods deemed poor financial risks. 2. : a low-cost viewing, printing, and redlining Identifying text that has been changed in a word processing document by displaying it in a special color, for example. It allows the original author of the text or other users to see ongoing revisions. The term comes from manual editing where a red pen is used to mark up the pages. product for DGN/DWG-based drawings, models, or maps. --Bentley View: a free viewing and printing product for DWG/DGN-based drawings, models, or maps. These products feature technology that meets or exceeds that found in AutoCAD offerings. Bonus features, not found in AutoCAD products, include support of both DWG and DGN, creation of Adobe PDFs for all project deliverables, change management, integrated surface/mesh/solid modeling, and customization for the drafting product. Ironically, MicroStation supports the full history of DWG better than AutoCAD does. It reads and writes more versions of DWG than any supported AutoCAD product - back to R11 and everything in between. With the PDF feature, users can package and deliver an entire architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC AEC US Atomic Energy Commission Noun 1. AEC - a former executive agency (from 1946 to 1974) that was responsible for research into atomic energy and its peacetime uses in the United States Atomic Energy Commission ) project - including DWG and DGN drawings, specifications, and Microsoft Office Microsoft's primary desktop applications for Windows and Mac. Depending on the package, it includes some combination of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access and Outlook along with various Internet and other utilities. files - into a single, interactive PDF document at the touch of a button. Also in the bonus category, all of the above products and features are based on the single development platform of MicroStation, which allows users to maintain a single representation of their data and customizations. Autodesk products are now split across three development platforms: AutoCAD, Revit, and Inventor INVENTOR. One who invents or finds out something. 2. The patent laws of the United States authorize a patent to be issued to the original inventor; if the invention is suggested by another, he is not the inventor within the meaning of those laws; but in that . This split forces organizations to maintain multiple representations of data and customizations if they own Autodesk products from different platforms - a move that Autodesk is encouraging for many. A Wide Range of Vertical Choices For users who require vertical applications or functionality, the upgrade program includes: --Power products: low-cost, stand-alone products based on MicroStation PowerDraft technology. These products include PowerCivil for land development and site modeling, PowerSurvey for survey data management, and PowerMap for production mapping. --MicroStation Extensions: four vertical extensions, included at no extra charge in MicroStation, for the civil, geospatial Geospatial is a term widely used to describe the combination of spatial software and analytical methods with terrestrial or geographic datasets. The term is often used in conjunction with geographic information systems and geomatics. , plant, and building vertical markets. They include 2D civil drafting tools in civil, customizable mapping and analysis in geospatial, P&ID capabilities in plant, and 3D modeling in building. --Bentley applications: a comprehensive portfolio of applications for the civil, geospatial, plant, and building vertical markets. The functionality includes, for instance, automated au·to·mate v. au·to·mat·ed, au·to·mat·ing, au·to·mates v.tr. 1. To convert to automatic operation: automate a factory. 2. drawing production and structural engineering tools in building; spec-driven pipe routing/placement, intelligent P&ID, and automatic annotation/dimensioning of 3D models for deliverables in plant; the industry-leading GEOPAK, InRoads inroads Noun, pl make inroads into to start affecting or reducing: my gambling has made great inroads into my savings inroads npl to make inroads into [+ , and MX product lines in civil, and a full line of water applications in geospatial. Making the Upgrade Fast and Easy To ensure that the program upgrade is fast and easy, the "You Deserve Better" program includes AutoCAD paradigms (such as key-ins and DWG workspaces) integrated into MicroStation products, special classroom and online training, as well as direct support from Bentley. Upgrade Pricing Saves Design Teams 25 Percent to 36 Percent or More Even with the functionality, openness, and policy advantages, the program's pricing allows AutoCAD-based organizations to upgrade for less than they would pay for the Autodesk forced retirement program. The price to upgrade from AutoCAD 2000/i to MicroStation V8 is exactly the same as the cost to move to AutoCAD 2005 - $1,495. The price to upgrade from AutoCAD 2000/i (or AutoCAD LT 2000/i) to MicroStation PowerDraft is $750, or 50 percent less. The price to upgrade from AutoCAD LT 2000/i to MicroStation Redline is $100. Also, each license for the work office comes with a home-use license at no extra charge for those who sign up for the Bentley SELECT program. Overall, a typical design organization upgrading 10 designers using AutoCAD 2000/i would expect to save $9,070 by moving to an equal mix of MicroStation and MicroStation PowerDraft, and equipping e·quip tr.v. e·quipped, e·quip·ping, e·quips 1. a. To supply with necessities such as tools or provisions. b. three users at home. This represents a savings of 25 percent to 36 percent or more in the first-year cost of ownership. Those including more MicroStation Redline or Bentley View in their mix would save far more. Plus, organizations previously forced to self-maintain a series of retired AutoCAD products to support legacy DWG projects can now have one universal, fully supported product that reads and writes to all these projects. This consolidation would significantly reduce software administration costs. The program will also offer a standard upgrade discount on all vertical products. For example, this discount will apply to new licenses of Power products, which start at a list price of $1,495. Licenses purchased for Bentley products are perpetual PERPETUAL. That which is to last without limitation as to time; as, a perpetual statute, which is one without limit as to time, although not expressed to be so. and are never subject to unilateral unilateral /uni·lat·er·al/ (-lat´er-al) affecting only one side. u·ni·lat·er·al adj. On, having, or confined to only one side. retirement. Additionally, users of Bentley products can participate in Bentley SELECT, which allows users to upgrade their products any time they choose. The program also allows AutoCAD users the option to "rent" many of these products at a discount. For MicroStation, a one-year period is priced at $840; a three-year period is $625 per year. For MicroStation PowerDraft, the prices are $420 and $295. At any time during this period, users can buy the product for the special program price. To find and price your upgrade, get more details, talk to an expert, and download To receive a file transmitted over a network. In any communications session, "download" means receive, and "upload" means send. The download/upload often implies a big/little scenario, in which data is being downloaded from the "big" server into the "little" user's computer. Bentley's free DGN/DWG viewer, go to www.bentley.com/YouDeserveBetter. About the Survey of AutoCAD Users Facing Forced Retirement Autodesk states on its Web site: "After January 15, 2005, Autodesk will no longer sell upgrades or crossgrades from any AutoCAD 2000i-based products or Autodesk Inventor Autodesk Inventor is the 3D parametric solid modeling package produced by U.S.-based software company Autodesk. It competes with other CAD systems such as SolidWorks, Pro/ENGINEER, and Solid Edge. Series 6. Additionally, Autodesk will no longer provide technical support, apart from existing maintenance patches that are downloadable from www.autodesk.com." In developing the "You Deserve Better" program, Bentley surveyed AutoCAD users facing this forced retirement to learn how to best help them and has received more than 2,500 responses so far. The call from the vast majority of these respondents In the context of marketing research, a representative sample drawn from a larger population of people from whom information is collected and used to develop or confirm marketing strategy. was for: --The ability to work in both DWG and DGN-based projects, including older file versions --A free viewer for both DWG and DGN files --The ability to create PDF deliverables --An end to the disruption of forced upgrades In particular, 93 percent agreed or strongly agreed with the statement: "I want an open solution that allows me to participate in all types of projects and work with all CAD file formats and versions." More information on the survey is available at www.bentley.com/YouDeserveBetter. About Bentley Bentley Systems, Incorporated, provides software for the lifecycle of the world's infrastructure. The company's comprehensive portfolio for the building, plant, civil, and geospatial vertical markets spans architecture, engineering, construction (AEC) and operations. With 2003 revenues reaching $260 million, Bentley is the leading provider of AEC software to the Engineering News-Record Engineering News-Record (widely known as ENR) is a weekly magazine that provides news, analysis, data and opinion for the construction industry worldwide. It has been published since 1874. It is owned by The McGraw-Hill Companies. Design 500 and major owner-operators. To receive Bentley press releases as they are issued, visit www.bentley.com/bentleywire. For more information, visit us on the Web at www.bentley.com. Bentley, BE, the "B" logo, You Deserve Better, MicroStation, MicroStation PowerDraft, Bentley SELECT, View, GEOPAK, InRoads, PowerMap, PowerCivil, PowerSurvey, MX, and Redline are either registered or unregistered trademarks or service marks of Bentley Systems, Incorporated, or one of its direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries. Other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners. |
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