Vico Software Undertakes New Education Initiative

Company to offer Virtual Construction 2008 and related training materials to students and accredited institutions free of charge.

"Our commercial customers are paving the way for the future of BIM [building information modeling] in construction, but they are experiencing a shortage of new knowledge workers as they expand their ranks," said Mark Sawyer, CEO of Vico. "In launching this educational initiative, Vico is doing its part to prepare the next generation of knowledge workers for the building construction industry."

Vico's 5D Virtual Construction technology reportedly is used in numerous building construction management programs at universities and colleges. The company states that this new initiative will increase the number of graduating students who are fluent in the technology, thus meeting the hiring demands of a transformed building construction industry.

"Our programs have included Vico's Virtual Construction tools for several years, and our students leave here well equipped to put their knowledge to use in today's BIM world," said Professor Brad Johnson of Colorado State University's Construction Management Department. "As virtual construction technology has moved from commercial 'experimentation' to serious commercial 'adoption' we have seen the demand for knowledge workers steadily increase."

Vico is encouraging its commercial customers to become a part of the education initiative by working with colleges and universities in their geographic areas. "The relevance of Colorado State's program, and an important measure of its success, is evidenced by the direct involvement of industry," Johnson added. "We get future employers involved in our undergraduate and graduate programs, and it benefits the students and industry alike."

Added Sawyer, "We are making our software and training materials available free of charge, but avoiding license fees is not the end game for students and schools. Quality education is the goal, and our customers' real-world experience is a powerful ingredient. We want our customers to stay involved by nominating schools for grants of our software and then adding their time and experience to the program."

Vico's education licensing is available to students, educators, and institutions engaged in formal, accredited courses or academic research. After providing proof of student, teacher, or institution status to Vico, users can download any of the Virtual Construction applications directly from the company's Web site, along with training guides and video demonstrations.