iPad on Track to be Fastest Selling Mobile Device Ever; Good News for Construction Software BuilditLive

iPad on Track to be Fastest Selling Mobile Device Ever; Good News for Construction Software BuilditLive

http://link.businessinsider.com/h/0004c23e75f88895/by6cx/p/2f867f9c

BuilditLive not only has the best plan room and collaboration tool for contractors, engineers, and architects, it also works with the Mobile PlanRoom App designed for the iPad. This means that BuilditLive users (BuilditLive is a construction software tool that is 100% web-based, meaning there is no software to install, and is extremely easy to use and buy, with no long term contracts. It is pay as you go.) can access their files from the desktops and laptops, and also from their iPads.

Construction software BuilditLive covered on radio broadcast - have a listen

At a recent PCBC trade show there was so much interest in construction software BuilditLive and the iPad App Mobile PlanRoom that a radio show wanted to do an interview. Have a listen.

http://benchmarkradio.com/downloads/Home-Live/2010/061910/HL_061910_04.mp3

Construction iPad Accessories

It didn't take long for someone to build a special case for the iPad to be used on construction sites.

www.hardcaseforipad.com

Mobile PlanRoom plus BuilditLive.com make accessing drawings via the iPad in the field easy and much cheaper than printing drawings. Furthermore, BuilditLive.com is a powerful tool for managing and distributing construcion information to all the project's participants. Stop emailing and hoping everyone finds the most current files. Instead, post them to BuilditLive and know for sure that everyone has access to the latest drawings, schedules, and more.

5 Ways Apple’s iPad Can Help You as a Contractor

Here is an interesting article also speaking of how the iPad can help contractors.

http://www.centernetworks.com/apple-ipad-contractor#comments

The article pre-dates the release of the Mobile PlanRoom iPad App which is specifically designed for construction.

BuilditLive.com is a construction software tool that works in conjunction with Mobile PlanRoom to manage and distribute all your important construction project information.

Contractors Buying iPads - iPad Sales Top 3 million in 80 Days

iPads are continuing to sell at an amazing rate.

Wall Street Journal Article

Contractors are buying them too as many of our newest users of BuilditLive discovered BuilditLive because they were using their iPads to browse for iPad construction Apps in the Apple App Store and discovered Mobile PlanRoom.

Contractors want to reduce waste and become more efficient.  The iPad together with Mobile PlanRoom and BuilditLive allow them to reduce the amount of paper printed for a construction project.  Furthermore, BuilditLive cuts down the time spent distributing project information to project participants and reduces the risk of the wrong drawings being used.

Stop emailing and start to BuilditLive

Most contractors, architects, engineers, and sub-contractors rely of email programs, like Microsoft Outlook, and Windows Explorer to organize drawings and other construction documents.  The problem with this is that the files received via email are often times zipped files filled with dozens and dozens of documents, many of which are not pertinent to the receiving party.  To reduce the risk of liability, those responsible for distributing documents err on the side of providing too many documents.  Specifically, they send everyone everything.  This way, no one can claim to not have received the documents.  The problem for the recipients is that they must sort through a lot of documents to find theirs.

Each project will have drawings, specifications, RFIs. punch lists, change orders, and many more documents.  Multiply this by the number of projects going on at the same time, and you have a lot of electronic information to organize.  The reality is that a lot of emails get ignored due to the shear volumes.  As a result, incorrect and/or outdate information is often used to construct a portion of a project, resulting in rework.

A better way is BuilditLive (http://www.builditlive.com/).  With BuilditLive, documents are posted into intuitive folders one time, and then all project participants can access exactly what they need, anytime.  It is a powerful solution to the frustrating and costly problem of email distribution of construction drawings.

And now, BuilditLive syncs with the iPad via our Apple App call Mobile PlanRoom.  Once you load your drawings at BuilditLive, they can be accessed via the iPad too.  It is an incredible way to view drawings in the field and the first of its kind App for the iPad -- just for construction.

iPad: New App just for construction industry

Today we were interviewed by a local business magazine.  The focus of the interview was our iPad App called Mobile PlanRoom.  It's creating quite a stir.  That isn't surprising given the power of the App, combined with the native functionality of the iPad, together representing the opportunity to eliminate a lot of wasted printing of construction drawings.

Here is how it all works.  Our flagship product is BuilditLive (http://www.builditlive.com/) and BuilditLive is a construction document communication tool.  It goes way beyond an FTP site or do-it-yourself collaboration sites.  It is an easy to use, construction specific tool that we host, meaning there is no software for anyone to install.  General contractors, architects, and/or engineers begin by posting their drawing and other documents to BuilditLive.  They then use our invitation process to 'invite' other project participants, like subcontractors and consultants, to their BuilditLive project.  All the parties to the project can then access and collaborate on documents in one central location.  No more need to email huge zipped files of dozens of files.  As we like to say, 'stop emailing and start to BuilditLive'.

So most of the document management and collaboration takes place at BuilditLive.  Now for those who want to access their documents in the field, they can use any internet browser and go to http://www.builditlive.com/ and access the files from a laptop with a wireless card, or other mobile devices with a browser.  In addition, if you have an iPad, you can use our App called Mobile PlanRoom, to directly access drawing via powerful thumbnail previews that you can rapidly scroll through.  It's much faster than browsing the site.  Very powerful and innovative.  The potential exists here to transform the construction industry away from costly printed drawings.

First comprehensive construction industry App for the iPad

June 2, 2010

Mobile PlanRoom is now available from the Apple App Store.  Mobile PlanRoom is an App that enables construction professionals to access critical construction documents via their iPads.  It works in conjunction with BuilditLive.  BuilditLive hosts and organizes the drawings, Mobile PlanRoom makes them easily accessible via the iPad.

Best Practices - Mandate Usage of builditlive

builditlive organizes all a construction project's critical information - drawings, specs, schedules, etc.  All the participants on a project can access this information 24x7, from any internet accessible device with a web-browser. 

An important best practice is to require all the project participants to share documents via builditlive.  Do not allow documents, schedules, specs, etc to be emailed as attachments.  When this happens, documents are not accessible by everyone and a record of the most recent version is not stored centrally.  If someone attempts to email a drawing to you, respond to the email with clear directive to upload the drawing to builditlive.  Keep things simple, use builditlive.

BuilditLive is unique

BuilditLive (www.BuilditLive.com) is a construction document communication tool. What does this mean?

1. BuilditLive is not limited the way SharePoint is, to within the confines of a corporate firewall. It can be accessed by anyone invited to the website whether they work for your company or not.
2. It is web-based, that means there is no software to install. Never. None. And since nothing resides on your hard-drive, you can access your information from our servers from any internet browser.
3. BuilditLive is not an FTP site. It facilitates multi-path communication between participants on a construction project.

Visit www.BuilditLive.com for more information. Or, email me at marcus@constructionconnect.com