Autodesk Extends Its Capabilities Across The Building Lifecycle Through A Strategic Investment In iOFFICE + SpaceIQ

Autodesk Extends Its Capabilities Across The Building Lifecycle Through A Strategic Investment In iOFFICE + SpaceIQ

On September 21, 2021, Autodesk, an architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) software provider, announced that it had made a strategic investment in iOFFICE + SpaceIQ. The investment and strategic partnership follow the recent merging of iOFFICE and SpaceIQ, which also received an injection of investment from Thoma Bravo. The deal extends Autodesk’s software portfolio for the operate phase of buildings by providing it access to a comprehensive suite of solutions, including the Archibus IWMS platform, SiQ workplace software and asset management solutions from Manager Plus and Hippo. Terms of the deal were not announced.

iOFFICE + SpaceIQ has announced that the strategic investment will result in the tighter integration of Autodesk’s BIM-based design and construction products with its Archibus IWMS platform that manages building operational data. The enhanced integration responds to the growing ambition amongst facility managers to extend the value of BIM to the full building lifecycle. While BIM is primarily deployed to support building design processes, our analysis identified 11 valuable use cases of BIM within building operational management. For example, BIM can speed up the laborious task of populating asset registers and helps technicians to plan for work orders more accurately.

Autodesk has already made product investments to sharpen its value proposition for the operate phase of buildings. In November 2020, it launched Autodesk Tandem, a digital twin platform that centralizes data from building design to operations. Autodesk’s vision is that Tandem will enable design and engineering project teams to hand over a comprehensive digital model to building owners, providing accessible and insightful data.

What does the deal mean for customers? With investment and M&A at an all-time high in the smart building market, customers are facing a dramatically different software landscape. Firms looking at replacing their workplace software provider or selecting a new solution will need to start thinking more strategically about vendor selection. Buyers must move beyond apples-to-apples comparisons of single applications to a wider analysis of providers’ broadening software portfolios and growing strategic partnerships. The partnership between Autodesk and iOFFICE + SpaceIQ will be welcome news for firms looking to benefit from BIM and digital twins software across the building lifecycle from design to operations and maintenance. For more insights into the evolving software market, read our report Verdantix Market Size And Forecast: Space And Workplace Management Software 2020-26 (Global).