Many AEC professionals struggle daily with the challenges of working with increasingly complex electronic technologies. Rapid changes make it difficult to maintain a proper focus on those technologies most likely to improve design and practice. We are overloaded with information from technology vendors but wonder if they really have the final word about which direction the professions ought to be headed.

The AEC/IT Leaders Organization is a grassroots group that meets twice per year to discuss issues of common interest in the area of technology-aided design and practice in architecture, engineering, construction, facilities management, and related design fields. The primary goals of the group are to share information among peers, to raise the level of technology we use in practice, and to present ideas to help guide software and hardware developers in creating more useful products. Most Roundtable members are CIO's, CTO's, IT/IS Directors and Design Technology Managers. The meetings typically last two days and feature presentations and informal discussions. Recent topics have included technology-driven business models, BIM, 5D, Outsourcing, digital archiving, office connectivity, firewalls, disaster recovery, and project extranets. Vendors are invited to make technical presentations, but the forum is not intended as a marketing venue. A networking directory is made available to participants.