Bobby del Rosario
Autodesk & Esri: Expanding the collaborative partnership
Since the strategic alliance between Autodesk and Esri was first announced in 2017, the industry has made tremendous strides in how AEC professionals design and make civil infrastructure around the world. Enabling a more streamlined flow of BIM and GIS data has led to better-informed decisions and increased efficiency throughout the project life cycle, from planning and design to the construction, maintenance, and operation of infrastructure assets.
Recognizing the transformative possibilities of BIM & GIS to the AEC ecosystem, Autodesk CEO Andrew Anagnost and EVP for Architecture, Engineering, and Construction Solutions Amy Bunszel attended the UC. During the conference, Anagnost and Bunszel connected with onsite Esri executives, press, analysts, and customers to discuss the current and future potential of our alliance with Esri.
“We’ve been partnering with Esri for over seven years now and we’ve really reached a critical point in our partnership where we have a lot of value that we can deliver to customers. Enabling them to bring all the data they have in their GIS systems together with the data they in their BIM systems.”
– Amy Bunszel, Autodesk EVP for AEC Solutions speaking to Engineering News-Record’s Critical Path podcast. Listen here.
Anagnost sat down with Esri President, Jack Dangermond, and met with customers, press, and analysts to discuss topics from the impact of AI on both BIM and GIS, interoperability between platforms, and achievements since announcing the strategic alliance.
“Deep, high-trust partnerships like what Autodesk and Esri have established are crucial to helping everybody elevate the quality and ability of the ecosystems we serve. The world of designing and making things and the concept of bringing BIM and GIS together will be transformational to how this ecosystem evolves.”
– Andrew Anagnost, President & CEO, Autodesk
Autodesk showcases integrations
Autodesk’s presence as a Gold Sponsor at the Esri UC 2024 reinforces the value of the convergence of design information and location intelligence to advance the digital transformation of the industry.
Autodesk maintained a dynamic presence at the event. From standing-room-only presentations to a booth space bustling with GIS and AEC professionals, Autodesk ignited a feeling of potential for the future. Autodesk’s presence showcased compelling AEC workflows and integrations to Esri solutions with an emphasis on transportation and water infrastructure. Our engagement not only reinforced our strategic alliance, but also highlighted the synergies between our technologies and inspired a vision of what’s possible. Together, our technologies are designing and building more sustainable and resilient infrastructure.
We’d like to extend a thank you to our customers for generously sharing their time to present their insights and real-world examples on innovative workflows. Their presentations illustrated the potential of integrated BIM & GIS, including BIM & GIS cloud collaboration and advanced water solutions, to transform workflows and drive success.
- Aaron Chamberlain, Caltrans
- Aracely Thompson from Parsons
- Jimmy Mach with the City of Oakland
- Todd Plank, Location Intelligence Team Lead GISP, GHD
In addition, the team enjoyed the social aspects of the UC by participating in Family Night and sponsoring the AEC social for the second year.
Into the future
As we look back on 2024 and into the future, the partnership between Autodesk and Esri aims to continue to deepen data connection between our solutions connecting BIM-enabled design information and GIS data – continuously fueling the project lifecycle with accurate real-time models and real-world context.
An example of the most recent development in the partnership is the integration of Esri Basemaps into AutoCAD and Civil 3D, enhancing our users’ ability to incorporate comprehensive geographic context into their designs. As the partnership evolves, Autodesk and Esri will continue improving those specific workflows that deliver value to our mutual customers. With the convergence of BIM & GIS, we can enable our customers to design and make a more sustainable and resilient world.
“Together, Esri and Autodesk are looking to the convergence of GIS and BIM to assist customers visualize, understand, and analyze infrastructure within its real-world context. Anagnost says the partnership requires shared vision and trust.”
– Connected World on the Integration, AI, and What Comes Next for Our Infrastructure
“Having been involved with the Autodesk and Esri alliance since its inception, I am proud of the innovative solutions and collaborative efforts to bring the vision of the convergence of BIM and GIS to the market,” says Bobby del Rosario, Principal Strategic Partnerships Marketing Manager, Autodesk. “Our presence at the Esri User Conference for the seventh consecutive year reinforces our commitment to bridging these disciplines. We look forward to further growing our partnership with Esri and together drive greater success for our customers.”
We are looking forward to Esri UC in 2025 and can’t wait to continue to empower the AEC industry.
To learn more about BIM & GIS workflows visit the YouTube channel or visit us here to learn more about the Autodesk and Esri alliance.