Gulf Construction Online - Exactal upgrades its estimating software

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Exactal upgrades its estimating software

01 May 2009

ACETTE Technologies, a UAE-based distributor for Australia-based Exactal software products in the Middle East and South Asia, has launched two new products for the construction industry.

The popular, innovative takeoff and estimating software CostX is now in its version 2.82. Additionally, CostX network server version now supports two new products under the brand names CostX Takeoff and CostXL.
Releasing the new products in the South Asia and Middle East markets, Sujit Sivanand, deputy managing director of Acette Technologies, says: “The new products from Exactal enable wider usage of CostX within the cost engineering and quantity surveying community. Using CostXL inside Excel, cost engineers can now apply CostX data to accurately prepare cash flow analysis, life cycle cost, progress claims, sinking funds and other post contract requirements.
“Our clients can move to using a combination of CostX Takeoff and CostXL, and easily integrate a world-class measurement system into their existing Excel spreadsheets. CostXL package incorporates an example cash flow analysis spreadsheet which provides an excellent illustration of the power of this new product.”
CostX Takeoff allows customers to mix and match licences that are only used for the takeoff component of CostX with full CostX licences providing takeoff and estimating, says Sivanand.
“The capabilities and the interface remains the same as the existing measurement part of CostX. Users with CostX Takeoff can interact on a project in a multi-user environment as though they were using standard CostX but at a significantly lower cost per seat,” he says.
CostXL is a brand new product that tightly integrates with Microsoft Excel to allow CostX information to be used dynamically inside Excel spreadsheets. CostXL has all the same drag-and-drop functionality as the workbooks inside CostX and can even use the live links back to the drawing to show exactly what dimensions were used in the quantity, he points out.
Sivanand continues: “CostXL also has the unique capability to reference data from any building revision including relative revisions. Users can now create a spreadsheet that contains the dimensions, named cell values or workbook totals from CostX across multiple revisions for more detailed analysis.”
“We are now issuing free trial licences of CostXL to all our clients who are on the CostX network server version. Also any prospective user or interested professional is welcome to request us for trial licences using the contact forms available at www.acette. com,” he adds.
Exactal, which continues to enhance and expand the CostX product line provides a significant upgrade for its growing user base worldwide. The latest version of CostX continues to enhance the product capabilities and includes: support for Windows XP 64bit and Vista 64bit; new drag-and-drop support for codes and rates direct into the workbook; ability to rename dimension groups, drawings, workbooks, and buildings as necessary; further extensions to the subcontractor comparison module; and ability to calibrate DWF drawings.