Skip to main content

Trimble and Bentley Systems form ‘strategic alliance’

Trimble has formed a strategic alliance with Bentley Systems (Bentley). The alliance between Trimble, a leading provider of connected construction solutions for building, heavy, and civil contractors, and Bentley, a major company in the provision of complete software solutions for sustaining infrastructure, aims to create a new benchmark for construction and operations quality, efficiency and safety. According to Bentley, its strategic alliance with Trimble will create a “seamless exchange of information” b
November 6, 2012 Read time: 3 mins
Trimble has formed a strategic alliance with 4019 Bentley Systems (Bentley).

The alliance between 2122 Trimble, a leading provider of connected construction solutions for building, heavy, and civil contractors, and Bentley, a major company in the provision of complete software solutions for sustaining infrastructure, aims to create a new benchmark for construction and operations quality, efficiency and safety.

According to Bentley, its strategic alliance with Trimble will create a “seamless exchange of information” between virtual and onsite elements of large infrastructure projects by utilising Trimble’s field positioning technologies, such as robotic total stations, 3D laser scanners, and global navigation satellite system (GNSS) positioning solutions, and Bentley’s information modeling software – with its work sharing and dynamic feedback securely managed in ProjectWise.

Bentley chief executive Greg Bentley said: “In working with Trimble, whose leading-edge technologies many of our major project delivery user organisations already rely upon, we together realised there’s a combination of our offerings that can uniquely provide benefits to construction processes that neither could independently.”

Speaking during Trimble Dimensions 2012 in Las Vegas, Trimble president and chief executive Steve Berglund said the strategic alliance with Bentley would better serve engineers and contractors by “creating an entire alignment between the [constructible] model and what goes on in the field”.
Also during his speech on the first day of the three-day Dimensions show, Berglund highlighted Trimble’s 73 acquisitions and joint ventures in the last 10 years. “It has not been to grow bigger, but really to fill in the gaps of technology, domain and, if necessary, product - with the last five years really being heavily focused on airing software capabilities. What we don’t have we go get to fill in a need for the user.”

Berglund said he expected Trimble, which has 6,400 employees and now operates in 33 countries worldwide, to achieve around US$2 billion turnover in 2012. He added: “Since 1999 as a company we have grown at 17% a year roughly which, with a few really rocky years thrown in there, is a pretty significant growth rate.”

Stressing the importance of Trimble’s Sitech dealerships, Berglund said: “Sitech is an expression of our need to go to market in a new creative fashion. It is one brand worldwide. This is going to be a key element for us. It’s not just coming up with the technology, not just coming up with project solutions, but also coming up with creative and effective mechanisms for getting to market.”

Berglund said the five major forces at work influencing construction industry working practices were sensor development; the proliferation of digital data; improved software intelligence; enhanced connectivity; and visualisation through 3D construction modelling.

On the importance of BIM (Building Information Modelling), he added: “It’s something we have invested a great deal of money on in in the last two years. We have invested aggressively and will continue to do so.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Machine control brings accuracy to US paving job
    November 2, 2012
    The historic city of Raleigh in North Carolina is one of the few cities in the US that was planned and built specifically to serve as a state capital and its population and traffic volume have grown enormously in recent years An indicator of Raleigh's growth has been the need for an expanded roadway system to serve Wake County. As early as the 1970s there were plans for a Western Wake Expressway. This developed into a 112km, interstate-grade beltway, known as the Raleigh Outer Loop, which will encompass Ral
  • HighwaysUK event being held in London
    November 9, 2015
    Highways planning in England is at a historic turning point. That is the message that former transport minister Steve Norris will be bringing to the HighwaysUK conference at ExCel London, 25-26 November. Norris speaks from a position of some experience having worked at the highest levels in both the public and private transport sectors. He is in no doubt that the recent shake up that has transformed the Highways Agency into Highways England is the start of a new era. He said, “It’s not just a badge chang
  • Show me the money at Australian Summit
    September 4, 2012
    The question of how to finance and fund major road infrastructure projects in Australia – including the potential role of user-pays charging as a funding solution – was top of mind at the recent Roads Australia National Summit in Sydney. The two-day summit, organised by peak national body Roads Australia, is the largest and most influential annual gathering of industry decision-makers in the country. This year’s summit was held against a backdrop of concern over the future of a raft of major road projects t
  • Trimble's new tools in machine control technology
    November 10, 2016
    Trimble is focussing on making a difference at a corporate level, developing a process of positive change within its structure. The company aims to be inclusive and develop new solutions for its customers, while bringing in a wider range of personnel within its organisation. Bryn Fosburgh, vice president and executive committee member said, “What we have found in industry is that collaboration is needed. Collaboration is a key part of our values. Diversity is our strength.”