Autodesk has announced Autodesk Cloud, a collection of web-based capabilities, products and services.  Autodesk began providing cloud-based applications for the design industry more than a decade ago with Autodesk Buzzsaw.  Autodesk Cloud enables users to begin using the cloud to access and store their work; to view their work through web browsers or mobile devices; and to share their work with other users, I’ve blogged previously about AutoCAD WS which allows users to perform CAD design with a browser or with a mobile iOS or Android device.

Autodesk cloud is provided through partnerships with multiple partners, including Amazon and Citrix. Amazon Web Services for more than three years has hosted applications such as Autodesk Homestyler software and Autodesk Seek web service using Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) and Elastic Block Store (EBS).

Additional cloud services provided by Autodesk include;

• Rendering ― server-based rendering to better visualize designs, increase the number of renderings they can create and reduce hardware investments.

• Simulation ― cloud-based simulation tool to test multiple design options in the cloud, and to create more sustainable designs and higher-quality products while reducing material, transportation and energy costs.

• Conceptual energy analysis ― cloud-based energy analysis to determine energy consumption and building energy costs of early design concepts from within the design application.

• Green Building Studio ― efficient cloud-based energy analysis to help designers, architects, engineers and building energy analysts perform faster, more accurate energy analysis of multiple building design iterations, optimize energy efficiency and design for carbon neutrality early in the design process.

• Buzzsaw – cloud-based document, data and design management solutions for AEC firms and owner-operators to centralize information and improve team collaboration.

Autodesk Cloud services are available now worldwide in English and will be available soon in other languages including Czech, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish and Traditional Chinese.