BIM9 Creates Cloud Based Classroom for RTC

The BIM9 lab consisted of four of their private BIM cloud servers driving 21 rented MacBook Pros. Each BIM9 private BIM cloud server hosted five virtual machines with each virtual machine running its own session of Revit. The MacBooks were connected to these virtual machines with a standard RDP client. The result was a student experience of running Revit on high-powered workstations even though they were actually sitting at old, underpowered MAC laptops.

BIM9 has been developing and deploying private BIM clouds for clients throughout North America and Hawaii for a little over a year. “Although we had previously created private BIM clouds for classrooms this was the first time we did it for a conference lab,” said Lonnie Cumpton Business Development Manager and Co-founder of BIM9.

The BIM9 lab had many RTC attendees buzzing about how private BIM clouds can be used throughout the building design and construction industries. But the classroom setting of this particular BIM9 cloud also had several attendees from various universities asking how they could use this in an educational setting. Contractors, designers and project owners not only asked about BIM9 private BIM clouds in integrated design, but also for use in connecting offices in a multi office environment, work from home and remote location environments, out sourcing scenarios and bring your own device concepts. BIM9 was excited to answer all these questions and help organizations see how a BIM9 private BIM cloud can help them better deliver on the promise of BIM to their clients.

“I have to admit that for me the “cloud” so far has been little more than a place to store my purchased music files and photos,” said Paul Aubin author of The Aubin Academy Master Series: Revit Architecture and featured Revit author on lynda.com. “I also occasionally log into my server remotely to access a file I forgot while I am on the road, but I never really believed that I could do anything “serious” like actually run Revit in the cloud. Well, after my experience at RTC, I believe it! Imagine a room of 40 computers and you’re teaching a live hands-on lab in Revit. Only none of the computers actually have Revit installed! In fact, they are all MacBooks. Well, that was the RTC lab, and thanks to BIM9, I got my first experience with running Revit in the cloud.”

“Now those who have done a live software demonstration before know all the things that can go wrong. It’s only compounded when you have a room full of attendees following along hands-on. This was one of the smoothest lab teaching experiences I have ever had. If it weren’t for the command (Mac) vs. control (PC) key, I would not have even known that I was not running on a live machine. Bravo BIM9! What a great way to see what the “cloud” is really all about!”

“The Revit Technology Conference (RTC) is a user-driven event that always strives to both demonstrate and teach not only the current state of the art, but also where that art is taking us. As a result we take risks to demonstrate new technologies and processes in our active conference environments,” said Benn Wesley, Director of RTC Events Management. “In 2012, RTC worked with BIM9 to implement a fully cloud-based lab environment and ran all the classes in that room via the cloud for the full length of the conference. BIM9’s private cloud system proved itself fast, reliable, and nearly ‘invisible’ to the end user. BIM9 did an excellent job not just on the technology, but on their support of the people trying it out. They provided a seamless and effective solution that we not only look forward to having in place at future events, but would also be happy to recommend to any potential clients.”

BIM9 and RTC were so pleased with the performance of the BIM9 private BIM cloud in Atlanta that they are putting the final touches on agreements for both the 2013 RTC North America in Vancouver, BC, but also the first Revit Technology Conference Europe, to be held in Delft, Holland where they’re planning to extend the BIM9 private BIM cloud experience to an even larger group of attendees.