To connect a common data environment (CDE) to every platform on a project, you need one integration that treats every vendor's platform equally and can link more than two systems at once. CDE Sync™ does that. It connects Autodesk Forma, Bentley ProjectWise, Oracle Aconex, Procore, Microsoft SharePoint, Asite, InEight, 12d Synergy and more through one no-code wizard, translates metadata between them and keeps every connected platform showing the same current record.
What people mean by "CDE connect"
People search for "CDE connect" when they need their CDE to talk to other platforms. Sometimes they mean a specific product, such as 12d Synergy's CDE Connect. More often they mean the general task: getting documents, models and metadata from one CDE into another without manual transfer. On most projects the real need is wider than a single pair, because each organisation brings its own platform.
A typical infrastructure project might have a designer on ProjectWise, a contractor on Autodesk Forma, a client on Aconex, a builder's site team on Procore and the wider business on SharePoint. Connecting one CDE to all of them with separate tools for each pair quickly becomes hard to manage. Our article on CDE connect workflows covers common patterns.
One integration for every platform
A single integration that covers every platform has clear advantages. Mapping rules are kept in one place. The audit log covers every exchange. Security is reviewed once. New platforms can be added to the same configuration as the project changes. CDE Sync™ can connect two platforms, several at once, or two instances of the same platform, with syncs running one way, both ways or in a hub-and-spoke pattern around the platform that holds the controlled record.
How to connect a CDE to every platform, step by step
Map every platform on the project and the organisation that owns each one.
Decide which platform holds the controlled record for each type of information.
Agree the information each connection carries, its direction and its frequency.
Agree a common metadata standard, usually based on ISO 19650.
Arrange service accounts on every platform.
Connect the platforms in the CDE Sync™ wizard, map metadata and set schedules.
Test each connection, then monitor them all from one audit log.
Vendor tools and neutral tools
Some CDE vendors offer connection tools within their own product families, such as 12d Synergy CDE Connect and Bentley Enterprise Connection Services (BECS). These can suit organisations already invested in that vendor. Projects where no single vendor's platform sits at the centre often prefer a neutral tool, so every party is treated equally and the integration is not tied to one platform's roadmap. Utopia Digital is independent of every CDE vendor. Our comparison of CDE Connect vs CDE Sync™ looks at the differences using each product's public material.
Keeping the connection manageable as projects change
Projects rarely keep the same set of platforms from start to finish. A new subcontractor joins with its own CDE, a joint venture partner leaves, or the client changes its submission platform. With one integration covering every platform, those changes are made in one place. New connections reuse the agreed metadata standard, and connections that are no longer needed can be closed without affecting the rest. When a platform is retired entirely, CDE Migrate™ moves its record to the platform that replaces it, so history is not lost along the way.
Security across every platform
Connecting every platform means information crosses many organisational boundaries. CDE Sync™ streams files directly between platforms without storing them, encrypts data in transit and processes it in the Azure region you choose. Each organisation keeps its own permissions, and every action is logged. Utopia Digital holds SOC 2 Type II and Cyber Essentials. See the Security Trust Portal and the global data region map.
Connecting every platform and the Utopiaverse™
Connecting every platform is the foundation of the Utopiaverse™, Utopia Digital's connected record in your own Azure. CDE Sync™ connects live platforms, CDE Backup™ keeps independent copies, CDE Migrate™ handles platform changes and CDE Archive™ captures completed projects. AI Insights then searches across every platform from one place. See also How Do I Connect My CDE Platforms?
See every platform connected in the monthly live demo, or talk to the team about your project.
