One of our co-founders and CEO of bimstore, Rob Charlton, told us why bimstore 4.0 is essential to the industry.
"Since bimstore launched in 2011 a lot has changed as we have moved through the digital transformation of the built environment. When we set out on our journey, few were aware of BIM. Today we have thousands of people using our components on projects across the world.
"We have always been proud that we are at the forefront of innovation, and as technology has matured over the years, we have added new functionality in response to our users needs with an ongoing development programme; including new features for specifiers and manufacturers.
They wanted more than just a library of components.
"We've spent time talking to our users and found they wanted more than just a library of components. They wanted to be part of a community where they could connect and share information with others. More blogs, more webinars, more videos and more connections.
"The team sat down at the end of 2017 to develop a plan for 2018. With feedback from our users, and so many new ideas, we felt it was time to rebuild the platform from the ground up rather than adding separate features. This became the basis of bimstore 4.0. Development on the new site began in January 2018 and has taken a full year to design and implement. It has been a huge task, reviewing every aspect of the business.
"While looking at functionality we took time to consider the visual brand. Ermintrude has played her part in our development whilst we needed to raise awareness of BIM. Remember, when we started out, few had even heard of Building Information Modelling.
"We feel that as the industry has matured we have, too. The outcome, following an extensive design process, is the new look and feel of bimstore 4.0; a collection of varying elements which together create something more meaningful. We see this as the ethos of bimstore - be it information or people.
"When we launched bimstore we knew digital information in the built environment would be part of the future of the sector. However we had not anticipated the pace and breadth of the transformation. The Grenfell disaster has only reinforced the need for data, transparency and a golden thread of information.
"We were the first BIM library in Europe back in 2011 and one of only a handful globally. bimstore 4.0 raises the bar again in response to the development of the sector and ensures our community remains at the forefront of technology.
"We have a programme of communication over the next month to showcase all of the new features. In the meantime please get involved with the community and try out the software.
As ever we welcome you feedback and hope bimstore 4.0 adds value to what you do every day."
