'Autodesk Forma Data Management', because 'Docs' was always a bad name...
Autodesk Docs has a new name, for once that's NOT a bad thing
The history of Autodesk's 'Cloud'—which was never 'a cloud'—naming is checkered at best:
One cloud, many clouds?
Below are just the Architectural, Engineering and Construction (AEC) & Building Information Model (BIM) clouds that I remember using over the years (there were more):
| Product Name | Year Launched | Year Retired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buzzsaw | ~1999 | 2018 | Early cloud-based project collaboration tool for AEC industry. |
| Autodesk 360 | 2012 | ~2018 | General cloud platform for file storage and collaboration. |
| A360 Drive | 2013 | 2022 | Personal cloud storage for Autodesk files; replaced by Autodesk Docs. |
| BIM 360 Docs | 2016 | 2021 | Part of BIM 360 suite; transitioned into Autodesk Docs. |
| BIM 360 Team | ~2015 | 2024 | Collaboration platform for design teams; retired Sept 30, 2024 |
| Autodesk Docs | 2021 | Active | Current cloud-based document management within Autodesk Construction Cloud. |
And it wasn't just the naming
Behind a convoluted mix of names was a web of products & platforms, some built, some acquired, cobbled together to give the appearance of 'a cloud'.
At last, Autodesk has acknowledged—in the naming—the truth that has always been and something about 'Autodesk Docs' that always grated:
The geometry, the documents, they can all be generated from the data.
Meet Autodesk Forma Data Management
"Today, we announced we’re moving closer to our full industry cloud vision by bringing Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC) into Forma. By bringing ACC’s leading construction management tools into Forma, we’re delivering a full lifecycle platform for our customers that creates a deeper connection from design to construction to operations"
"Autodesk Docs is now officially the common data environment for all of Forma, and we will call it Forma Data Management" | Amy Bunszel
What's in a name?
I have always associated 'Autodesk Forma' with site/concept design (itself now rebranded Forma Site Design) but suspect ownership and the hassle of dreaming up, legitimising, yet another name is behind that move. To find a name that works and is available internationally is no small task.
That was mostly due to a lack of focus—didn't really know what I would cover—and a slight fear of potential legalities—copyright, trademark etc. were unknowns in the early days of blogging—than anything but has proved to be a good move.
At least Forma Data Management is Autodesk Docs rebranded, and not yet another Autodesk Platform migration that can—has in the past—leave 'lifecycle projects' stranded on systems being depreciated or shuttered.
Forma, Fusion, and Flow
All the platForm's, with a dose of artificial intelligence:
"Our AI-first industry clouds — Forma, Fusion, and Flow — are reimagining how entire industries design, make, and operate, and are at the heart of how we accelerate innovation" | Autodesk Investor Day 2025
Forma for AECO (AEC + Operation), Fusion for Manufacturing, and Flow for Media/Entertainment, will all use the Autodesk Data Model.
Hopefully, this becomes 'the cloud' that multi-discipline, multi-industry, multi-national collaborations really need.
This was written a day after an Amazon AWS outage meant many clouds, including Autodesk's ACC, disappeared for hours...
Reference
Autodesk PR
Amy Bunszel
Mike Haley
Andrew Anagnost
