Bricscad and EZ-Plant partner to Set New Price Point for Landscape Design Solution

Brussels - Bricsys NV, developers of Bricscad, and EZ-Plant, Inc., makers of innovative landscape design software, today announced a partnership that sets a new, compelling price point for a landscape design solution.

The EZ- Plant application, formerly running only on AutoCAD, is now available integrated with Bricscad as a combined solution for under $700.00 (US). That compares to a list price of EZ-Plant with AutoCAD of over $4,000.

Dave Petrosky RLA, ASLA, EZ-Plant president, comments, "The value of the new, combined solution is tremendous - it offers 100% of our functionality at 20% of the cost. With a simple port, we moved our entire landscape design functionality to Bricscad. And, Bricscad has certainly proven to be a more than capable alternative for AutoCAD -- for us as a developer and for our clients."

Erik De Keyser, CEO of Bricsys, also comments, "Dave and I are like minded - we both believe that most landscape architects simply cannot afford to pay $4000 for a design solution. And we also believe that most will be compelled by a combined solution for $700. Indeed, EZ-Plant and Dave are now bringing innovative landscape design tools to a vastly broader and now better served market."

EZ-Plant offers professional landscape architects and designers an easy-to-use, powerful set of tools for preparing landscape plans that can increase their productivity, improve their end-product, and reduce costs for their clients. The tools include planting symbols and schedule templates, quantity and cost calculation, and complete drawing production. It is driven and distinguished by an underlying database of more than 2600 types of plants, perennials, mulches, and grasses. The database contains data about native species, local nursery inventory and costing, and growth characteristics - all of which help the designer produce high-quality, accurate, sustainable plans.

The "simple port" of the EZ-Plant application from AutoCAD to Bricscad was made possible by Bricscad's unique and AutoCAD-compatible programming platform. Designed to allow AutoCAD applications to port with little or no source code modification, it offers AutoCAD-compatible commands, functions, system variables, APIs, and programming languages. Its APIs include COM, BRX (code compatible with ARX), DRX and SDS (code compatible with ADS). Supported languages include LISP, C/C++, VB/VBA/VB.NET, and DCL.

Petrosky comments, "The port was indeed very straightforward. In fact, in many ways, we preferred the Bricscad platform over AutoCAD. But, more importantly, the redefined price point has redefined the size of our market - it has clearly expanded the value and business opportunity."

De Keyser adds, "With Bricscad as their CAD engine, developers in all fields and at all price points can also boost their profitability. Because Bricscad comes at 20% of the price of AutoCAD, they retain a much higher percentage of the customer CAD budget."

The Bricscad product, with over 100,000 users and accepted as the "#1 Alternative to AutoCAD", offers compelling affordability along with full-function 2D/3D CAD, DWG compatibility and interoperability, an open platform for customizations and DWG-based applications, and a large and satisfied user base. Moreover, it is backed by management with a deep appreciation for owner rights, a penchant for support, and the strength to grow with its markets.

Bricscad is in broad use around the world across these fields:

* Architecture: for 2D/3D building design/drafting
* Construction: for 2D/3D construction drawings
* Manufacturing: for 2D/3D product and part design/drawings
* Interior Design: for 2D/3D detailing/drawings/renderings
* Civil: for 2D/3D road design/drafting
* Water Resources: for 2D/3D infrastructure design/detailing
* Plant Lifecycle: for 2D/3D process/discrete facility/process design/drawings
* GIS: Mapping and Land Management
* Landscape Architecture: 2D/3D site design/detailing/costing.

In a related announcement, Global Force DIRECT issued a call for U.S. and India-based Bricscad marketing affiliates.