CMiC has released an integrated software-as-a-service application for the construction industry. CMiC On Demand provides the same functionality as other CMiC programs, but on a cloud-computing platform.

(According to sister site WhatIs.com, "Cloud computing is a general term for anything that involves delivering hosted services over the Internet." The key word there is Internet, as cloud computing lets users access applications without first downloading software. Not surprisingly, cloud computing is an increasingly attractive option to end users and solution providers alike.)

CMiC On Demand, which comes in Standard, Enterprise and Project Lifecycle editions, is compatible with Microsoft Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox. It can be used on mobile devices. Contracts can be set up on a per-user or per-project basis.

“The major advantage would be the fact that…there’s no large initial capital expenditure,” said Gregory Devine, communications coordinator for CMiC. “You can get the full power of the CMiC product without having to pay that large payment up front.”

This is helping make CMiC available to more companies. When contractors host software themselves, they need to foot the bill for all associated costs, including hardware, installation and maintenance. This high cost of hosting, combined with the need for an IT staff to run CMiC software in-house, meant the system was primarily for large contractors, Devine noted. With lower costs and much of the work shifted to CMiC, “It opens it up a little bit more to the middle-level contractors,” he said.