(continued)

An important item to consider when searching for a project extranet is to make sure the system you choose will accommodate all the platforms used by your team members. Although most systems purport to run on browser technology, some operate, in fact, only on Windows. This leaves out any users on Unix, Macintosh, or the increasingly popular Linux systems. Consider also the vast diversity of a design/construct team. To reach some members, you'll need an extranet that can also send communications via fax.

Experience Counts

Another key differentiator between extranet companies is longevity. For example,

e-Builder, which has been satisfying customers for five years might inspire greater confidence than a company that has come to life only in the last six months.

Similarly, Deltek and Primavera Systems, Inc. have been providing project management software to design and construction professionals for decades. Beneath their new Web-enabled offerings lies an unparalleled depth of functionality and expertise.

Viecon, a new technology from Bentley Systems, makers of MicroStation, is being promoted not only as extranet service but as an "extranet engine" to power other systems. Bentley likens this approach to that of the pick and shover suppliers who profited from the California Gold Rush more than most gold miners. Already, Viecon is the underlying engine for AECdirect, a site of news and data for design professionals, sponsored by the American Institute of Architects, McGraw-Hill, the CMD Group, and others.

Joining Forces

In the technology world, bigger is not always better, but it may feel safer to entrust your mission-critical data to a company that you can count on to be around next month. As the dust settles, some of the 170 companies will quietly disappear. Others will merge to form still stronger offerings.

Two notable examples of such marriages were announced at the Show. Bricsnet, which already offers architectural design software and project extranet capabilities, has acquired Viscomm, a leading producer of building product data. Bidcom, which emerged from the construction side, has acquired Cubus Corporation, known for its strong offerings in design communications.

Timing Your Choice

The Web-supported project is here to stay. No one is recommending a wait-and-see attitude, especially for large projects. It's important to get started soon even if you have to switch systems later on. But tune in again this time next year and the landscape of surviving systems will have dramatically changed.

It's a challenging time: everyone is under pressure now to adopt a technology that in a few years will seem, in hindsight, to have been in its infancy. See Extranet World for a full inventory of project extranet systems.

B.J. Novitski is managing editor for ArchitectureWeek and author of Rendering Real and Imagined Buildings.

Bidcom, an e-business service provider for the construction industry, has recently acquired Cubus Corporation and its design communication capabilities. Image: Bidcom E-Builder, one of the first project extranet companies to serve construction management, has introduced Web Cam, a Web-connected video camera that photographically documents job site progress on line. Image: e-Builder AECdirect, a new Internet company with a powerhouse of partners, has opened with construction data from McGraw-Hill and the CMD Group, legal and educational resources from the AIA, and underlying technology from Bentley and IBM. Image: AECdirect