A company with a suite of data exchange products for land-use planning agencies is starting to push its construction data management components to private-sector developers.

One of its products is a stand-alone punch-list tool that can integrate wirelessly with SQL databases for continuous 2-way synchronization. Pocket Punch 1.5, for Windows CE handheld devices, organizes items by the Construction Specifications Institute's MasterFormat divisions for report generation and automatic e-mail notification. Pocket Punch, as well as the larger set of communication management products, is sold by Aktera Development Systems, a division of Neighborhood America Inc., Naples, Fla.

David Bankston, senior vice president of technology and product development, says the move to construction tools began a year ago. "We offer a communication platform," he says. "This is just different communication.

"As a natural part of land-use planning we would bump into engineers and a lot of our perceived competition–Web-based construction management tools," he says. "Our tools are aimed at the developer, not at the engineer or contractor, because it all starts there. We think that the developer should own the relationship and have a full system, from planning, through construction, all the way into warranty."

One adopter is a developer of high-rise condominiums. "The potential for us is tremendous," says Mike Hoyt, project manager with the development arm of The Lutgert Companies, also of Naples. "We are going to run it out as far as we can." Lutgert is using the punch list product and plans to incorporate Aktera's full communications management package on a new project this fall.

"Our punch-list recycle time is a fraction of what it was. As we develop our next project we will be able to go to the database and pull out typical things we've had problems with, based on the MasterFormat Code," Hoyt says. "We think we can really build our knowledge base for future designs."

Pocket Punch is sold for $500 to $700 per project with no limit on the number of users, Bankston says. Other pricing models are available for companies with enterprise programs. Information is at www.pocketpunch.com.