The main alternative to Bentley Enterprise Connection Services (BECS) for multi-vendor projects is a vendor-neutral CDE integration that connects Bentley ProjectWise with the non-Bentley platforms on the project, such as Autodesk Forma, Oracle Aconex, Procore and SharePoint. CDE Sync™ is built for that job. It connects every common data environment (CDE) on equal terms, translates metadata between them and can feed the same record into your own Azure for AI.
What Bentley Enterprise Connection Services is designed for
Bentley describes BECS as an open and secure integration platform that moves data in real time, in both directions, between Bentley engineering products and third-party enterprise systems. Its public material names systems such as SAP and Maximo, along with IoT data sources and third-party databases, and refers to a catalogue of packaged integrations grouped by system. It is configured through a visual, no-code approach and supports cloud, on-premises and hybrid deployments.
That makes BECS a natural fit for organisations whose priority is connecting Bentley products, such as ProjectWise or AssetWise, to their enterprise systems for maintenance, asset management and operations. Our earlier article on why infrastructure teams look at BECS alternatives covers the background.
Why multi-vendor projects need something different
Most large infrastructure projects run more than one vendor's CDE. A consultant may hold its design estate in ProjectWise while the contractor works in Autodesk Forma, the owner requires submissions in Aconex and the wider business keeps records in SharePoint. The integration need on these projects is CDE to CDE: keeping documents, versions and metadata aligned between platforms from different vendors.
Bentley's public material for BECS focuses on Bentley products and enterprise systems. For teams whose main problem is exchange between competing CDEs, a tool designed for that exchange is the more direct route. CDE Sync™ was built for cross-vendor CDE synchronisation, and it treats ProjectWise as one platform among many.
How CDE Sync™ handles multi-vendor projects
CDE Sync™ connects Bentley ProjectWise, Autodesk Forma (including BIM 360), Oracle Aconex, Procore, Microsoft SharePoint, Asite, InEight, 12d Synergy, Trimble Viewpoint, Bluebeam, Egnyte, Dalux, RIB, Azure Blob Storage and network servers. Syncs can run one way, both ways or across more than two platforms at once. Metadata is translated between each platform's schema, including ISO 19650 naming and status fields, and version history stays consistent. Every action is logged.
Setup happens in a no-code wizard, and day-to-day operation sits with document controllers or BIM coordinators. There is nothing to install and no virtual machines to manage.
How to evaluate a BECS alternative, step by step
List every CDE and enterprise system on your projects, and mark which connections are Bentley to non-Bentley.
Decide whether your main need is CDE to CDE exchange, CDE to enterprise systems, or both.
Check each option's public documentation for the platforms you need.
Test metadata translation and version handling between ProjectWise and your other CDEs on real documents.
Review security evidence and where data is processed and stored.
Consider whether the data can land in your own Azure for backup, archive and AI.
Pilot on a live project with both document control teams involved.
Using both where it makes sense
Choosing an alternative for CDE to CDE exchange does not mean giving up enterprise integration elsewhere. An organisation may use Bentley's tools to connect ProjectWise or AssetWise to its maintenance systems, and use CDE Sync™ to connect ProjectWise with the Forma, Aconex, Procore and SharePoint environments its partners and clients run. Each tool does the job it was designed for. What matters is being clear about which problem each connection solves, and keeping the audit trail and metadata standards consistent across both, so the organisation ends up with one coherent record.
Security and independence
CDE Sync™ streams files directly between platforms without storing them, encrypts data in transit and processes it in the Azure region you choose. Utopia Digital holds SOC 2 Type II and Cyber Essentials. See the Security Trust Portal. Utopia Digital is an independent company and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Bentley Systems; this comparison is based on Bentley's public material.
Multi-vendor connection and the Utopiaverse™
A vendor-neutral connection is the first layer of the Utopiaverse™, Utopia Digital's connected record in your own Azure. CDE Sync™ connects ProjectWise with every other platform, CDE Backup™ keeps independent copies, CDE Migrate™ handles platform changes and CDE Archive™ captures completed projects. AI Insights then searches across every vendor's data at once. See also What Are Enterprise Connection Services for a CDE? and How Do I Connect ProjectWise and Autodesk Forma?
See ProjectWise connected to other CDEs in the monthly live demo, or talk to the team about your project.
