Autodesk is investing in a new acronym: ABDS

Autodesk Building Design Suite (ABDS) is marketed as the NEW complete solution for both CAD and BIM.

(may have been out for a couple of months, I only got introduced to it recently, must have been living under a rock, me, not Autodesk);

Like it or not, AutoCAD has become a commodity. One fact to prove it: whenever people in the industry refer to ‘cadding something up’, you can bet (almost 100% of the time) the work being done on AutoCAD.

Within the AEC, Revit has got close to regularly being identified as BIM (and vice verse), though not nearly as successfully as AutoCAD had done in the flatcad environment.

The BIM acronym has been a mixed blessing for Autodesk, almost like a naughty child that turned its back on the parents.

BIM refused to be exclusive to Autodesk and become a synonym for almost anything digital and non-flat in AEC.

Let me make a wild guess: Autodesk intends to fade out ‘AutoCAD’, ‘Revit’ and even the ‘BIM’ brands and will aggressively market the box (solution) approach. The various elements will turn into tools in the box, stripped off their current personalities, emphasis will be on utility.

I suspect, the one thing Autodesk wants more than anything is ABDS to turn into a verb.

Won’t bet on it. Hasn’t got the right ring to it.