CLOUD COMPUTING IN AEC INDUSTRY: A SINGAPORE PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

The advent of Cloud Computing (CC) in recent years has sparked an interest from different organisations, institutions and users. Defined as the delivery model where on-demand elastic IT capabilities are offered as-a-service through the Internet following a usage based pricing model, it is gaining recognition and application in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry with respect to Building Information Modeling (BIM). However, the concept BIM applications based on CC is relatively new and there is limited evidence demonstrating the benefits one could attain from such applications. In addition, although the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) of Singapore is calling for applications for CC proposals for BIM and its related Software under the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) Enablement Programme, the receptiveness of such applications within Singapore AEC industry is unknown. This study evaluates the receptiveness of local industry players on BIM applications based on CC through a survey questionnaire and the results were analysed using various statistical instruments. It was found that local industry players are receptive to adopting BIM applications based on CC irrespective of whether or not they have already implemented BIM in their organizations. The perceived drivers, barriers and the preferred CC services were also identified to help develop the best suited solutions. Lastly, the benefits of BIM applications based on CC are studied through an overseas case study. Data was collected from a cloud service provider and their solution was found to be effective in terms of cost and easy access to information.