ATLANTA, May 25, 2004 - Building Systems Design Inc. announces that BSD SpecLink®—its flagship automated specification production software—will be the first commercial information product to incorporate the new MasterFormat™ 2004 when it is published jointly by the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) and Construction Specifications Canada (CSC) later this year.

BSD SpecLink is used by thousands of architects and engineers across North America for preparing up-to-date construction specification documents. Because SpecLink is built on a relational database, instead of conventional word processing files, BSD will simply add new data fields, allowing its subscribers to choose between the 1995 MasterFormat and MasterFormat 2004 and to switch easily back and forth between them with mouse clicks.

MasterFormat is a system for organizing construction information and specifications that is widely used within the construction industry. For decades, MasterFormat has comprised 16 divisions organized around basic construction materials (e.g., Division 3 - Concrete; Division 4 - Masonry). These divisions have been further divided into sections identified by 5-digit numbers (e.g., Section 03300 - Cast-In-Place Concrete; Section 04200 - Masonry Units). After a three-year revision process that has involved many sectors of the construction industry, CSI and CSC have announced that the new MasterFormat will be expanded from 16 divisions to 50 divisions—actually 49 divisions plus a new Division 0. Among other changes, mechanical and electrical systems have been moved from Divisions 15 and 16 and the number of topics greatly expanded. In addition, the familiar 5-digit numbering scheme has been replaced by paired digits in a 6- or 8-digit format. Finally, many section titles have also been changed. In short, under MasterFormat 2004 every section will have a new number, and many sections will also have a new title.

Many observers anticipate a period of confusion after MasterFormat 2004 is published this summer, because not everyone will be willing or able to make the switch immediately—or simultaneously. To maintain maximum flexibility while continuing to offer its users state-of-the art capabilities, BSD has demonstrated a new MasterFormat global switch, similar to its current units of measure switch that permits display of inch-pound and/or metric units in the data. This global switch will allow the user to work in one MasterFormat and switch to the other MasterFormat for final printing, or to maintain an office master project in one format and edit it for a particular client in the other. Users will even be able to print a table of contents that includes the alternate section numbers in parentheses, for cross-reference purposes.

Building Systems Design was founded in 1983 and currently produces the BSD SoftLink® suite of software applications for the architecture/engineering/construction market. In addition to BSD SpecLink, the SoftLink suite includes PerSpective® for preliminary and performance specifications (a CSI-DBIA product), plus BSD CostLink®/AE and BSD CostLink®/CM for project budgeting and cost estimating. For more information about any of the SoftLink products, call Bryant Hendricks at (888) BSD-SOFT ((888) 273-7638) or visit www.bsdsoftlink.com.