About Carlson Software

Carlson Software specializes in CAD design software, field data collection, and machine control products for the land surveying, civil engineering, construction, and mining industries worldwide, providing one-source technology solutions from data collection to design to construction.  Since 1983, Carlson has been developing quality software solutions for land development professionals in the surveying, civil engineering, mining, and construction fields.

Carlson developed the stand-alone Carlson Survey program in 1996 and in 1999 Autodesk contracted to market and sell a version of it called Autodesk® Field Survey®. Autodesk did away with Field Survey after a few years and Carlson migrated most users over to Carlson Survey where it has grown to become a favorite of surveyors.

Carlson Software is a proven solution provider. With Carlson Survey, now with C&G within it, and Simplicity, they have the largest user base of office survey software in the U.S., the highest rate of customer retention over our nearly 30-year history, and we are the only company with free tech support since the day of its founding.

Again, as noted in GIM International’s Independence All the Way article:

The Carlson Software mission is to become the premiere independent developer of land survey, civil engineering, construction and mining software; to maintain its reputation for technological innovation; to provide industry-leading customer service and support; and to provide one-source technology solutions from data collection to design, on through to construction. A complete suite of solutions is offered for land-development professionals, covering data collection, surveying, engineering design and drafting, mine planning and modelling, construction estimation and machine control; data-collection expertise produces accident and crime reconstruction field and office software for law-enforcement personnel or law consultants.

Customers are encouraged into a ‘positive feedback loop’ that ensures annual software releases are full of customer-driven new features. There is a high rate of customer retention, and the company continues its own tradition of providing free technical support.

NP Media (POB magazine) recently conducted a survey of industry professionals through Clear Seas Research and Carlson ranked #1 in product support for both CAD and Data Collection software. Carlson also ranked in the top spots for price fairness and product quality.

Beginning in 2009, Carlson introduced a 2nd platform to its offerings. Now, in addition to Carlson Civil Suite and TakeOff products running on top of any AutoCAD® or Map® versions 2004-current (for Carlson 2012 and prior, the programs run on top of AutoCAD programs as old as 2000), these programs are now delivered with built-in IntelliCAD® — a robust, DWG-compatible CAD platform that looks, acts and feels like AutoCAD. An IntelliCAD version comes with each license of these Carlson products.

This CE News case study profiles the extensive review the civil engineering firm Dewberry went through to ultimately choose the Carlson Civil Suite for its 40 offices nationwide:

“Carlson works for us,” says Dave Palumbo, PE, Technology Manager for Infrastructure Services for Dewberry. “It is highly cost effective and people are doing better work… I think they are also having fun!”