Insights, Tools and Tips for DaaS, CAD & BIM

Azure Virtual Desktop for CAD: What Engineering Teams Need to Know

Ready to move CAD to the cloud? One question from IT can set you back a year: "Why not just use Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD)?" Here's why AVD fails—and exactly what to say to prevent AVD derailing your cloud migration.

The battle for the engineering workspace

Engineering saved an eight-figure project in days with cloud workstations. Then IT wanted to rebuild the solution themselves. The real battle for cloud workspaces isn't technical—it's organisational.

VDI for engineering teams and contractors: still worth it?

VDI promised centralised CAD workstations for secure collaboration with contractors and distributed engineering teams. But with Citrix and VMware price hikes, is the "private jet" model still worth it?

Dear CAD vendors: Cloud Will Delight Your Customers. Building It Yourself Won't.

Customers want cloud. CAD and BIM vendors want to deliver it. But building it in-house destroys margins. NVIDIA figured this out. Intel didn't. Here's what that means for engineering software.

Roland Riedel Joins Designair's Advisory Board

Company Update: Designair gets a new advisory board member

9 Reasons why top AEC and EPC firms are ditching workstations for Desktop as a Service

Something unusual is happening in the world of Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC), as well as in the Engineer, Procure, Construct (EPC) sector. These industries, known for their conservative approach to technology, are finally embracing Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) and leaving traditional workstations behind. Why? It turns out the challenges of remote work, collaboration, and fluctuating project demands are making old-school setups obsolete.

Running Revit in the Cloud: What If the Internet Goes Down?

Worried about internet downtime when running Revit in the cloud? You’re not alone. But here’s the reality: modern cloud solutions offer backup connections, failover mechanisms, and redundancy that make cloud desktops just as reliable—if not more—than local workstations. Before you dismiss the cloud over connectivity fears, let’s break down the real risks, the misconceptions, and why the cloud is built for resilience

Why running Revit in the cloud gives you unparalleled protection 

Think your local workstation is more secure than the cloud? Think again. A single stolen laptop or mismanaged server could expose your entire firm’s BIM data. Meanwhile, cloud desktops operate on Zero Trust security, end-to-end encryption, and enterprise-grade disaster recovery—protections most AEC firms simply can’t match on their own. This article dismantles the biggest myths about Revit cloud security and shows why moving to the cloud isn’t just an upgrade—it’s a necessity.

How to reduce Revit costs using Flex licenses

AEC firms are unknowingly overpaying for Revit and high-performance hardware. But there’s a smarter way. By analyzing usage data and shifting part-time users to Revit Flex licenses—combined with Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS)—companies can slash costs while maintaining full functionality. The best part? You already have all the data you need to start saving today.

Running Revit in the Cloud: 10 Factors That Determine Performance

Is Revit in the Cloud as fast as your workstation, or unbearably slow ? In a recent poll of over 500 Revit users, we found strong interest in running Revit in the cloud—but also concerns about performance. Will input lag slow down workflows? Can large models sync efficiently? Does internet stability impact productivity? This article breaks down the 10 key factors that determine Revit’s performance in the cloud, covering hardware, network, and collaboration setups. More importantly, we show you how to test and optimize each factor yourself. If you're considering a move to the cloud, this guide will help you make an informed decision. Read on to see if Revit in the cloud can match (or even beat) your workstation.

Revit Cloud Adoption: 69% of Users Are Ready—But What’s Holding Them Back?

Are Revit users ready to embrace the cloud? Our poll of 500+ Revit professionals reveals that 69% are open to cloud-based Revit—but concerns about performance, security, and internet dependency remain. What’s driving adoption, what’s holding firms back, and what does this mean for the future of BIM? Dive into the data and insights shaping the next era of Revit in the cloud.

The not-so-hidden cost for architects of owning workstations

Do you really know how much you’re paying for CAD workstations? Our analysis shows their true cost means you’re probably paying more than twice the upfront ticket price.

Can Desktop-as-a-Service protect AEC Companies from ransomware attacks?

Desktop as a service and Virtual Desktop Infrastructure can be a useful solution for Architecture, Design and Engineering firms. But are these environments safe from malicious ransomware attacks?

Ultimate guide to run any Autodesk software on your Mac OS in 2025

You want to use Autodesk software a Macintosh? Here's the ultimate guide to pick the right solution for the most popular Autodesk applications.

5 ways to collaborate and share using Autodesk Revit®’s Central Model

There are 5 ways to collaborate with Revit Central Model. You will learn each of them – one of them being Autodesk’s own Autodesk Construction Cloud as well as 4 viable alternatives.

DaaS vs. Virtual Desktops: What’s Better for CAD and BIM Users in AEC?

Comparing Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) and Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) as remote desktop solutions for architecture firms, highlighting their differences in cost, scalability, customization, and maintenance responsibilities to help firms choose the best option based on their specific needs and usage patterns.

Cloud-based computing for architects is already here

We sat down with Dina Sarhane, the DS Studio's founder, to learn more about their fully cloud-based approach to computing for architects – and what others can learn from it.

UNISON’s journey to cloud-based CAD

Design engineering firm UNISON Engineering & Consultants GmbH has shifted CAD workloads to Designair's cloud. Learn why UNISON made this journey - and the impact it has had.

Why BAS-Solutions GmbH runs AVEVA E3D in the cloud

Upfront investments can ‘kill’ startups in any industry. They are a big issue in the design engineering sector. BAS-Solutions GmbH, a Berlin-based startup has managed to overcome these obstacles. Their secret? Using cloud-based virtual machines.

Best practices from remote architecture firm DSP

Remote architecture firm Design Service Professionals has been an entirely remote architecture firm for almost a decade. They share their experience in this blog.