The AGC IT Forum is working hard to plan the best IT Forum Conference yet and would like your input on topics you'd like to see covered this year in Chicago. The conference is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 4 and Friday Aug. 5. Please spend a few moments and share with us your thoughts on technology topics by taking this brief survey. Your input is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Seventy-one percent of construction firms plan to expand their payrolls in 2016 as contractors expect a range of public and private markets to grow, according to survey results released in January by AGC of America and Sage Construction and Real Estate. The survey, conducted as part of The Challenges Facing a Growing Industry: The 2016 Construction Industry Hiring and Business Outlook, indicates that contractors foresee a positive year despite tight labor conditions, regulatory burdens and IT security challenges.

At AGC's 97th Annual Convention in March, the AGC IT Steering Committee will hold three presentations on the following topics: 1) 3D Printing in the Construction Industry, 2) Update on UAVs (Drones) and Best Practices to Know, and 3) Use Cases for BIM and Safety on Project Sites. Be sure to catch these exciting and informative sessions!

Patent and Trademark Office's database shows some recently filed patents by Google. The search engine titan is obviously firing all cylinders in its research of robots/drones, driverless vehicles and what looks to be either a Google Glass reboot or some sort of stylish frames for virtual reality headsets, perhaps.

With Apple's tablet sales in decline, all eyes are now on an expected iPad refresh coming in March, the so-called "iPad Air 3." Officially, Apple hasn't said a word about the next 9.7-inch consumer iPad, but several hints from its supply chain have pointed to a hefty upgrade for the device, with many features that could be borrowed from the larger 12.9-inch iPad Pro, released in November 2015.

Adoption of emerging technologies in today’s construction industry -- from the latest CAD and 3-D modeling and printing platforms to the proliferation of always-on mobile devices and cloud-based services -- has vastly improved the pace, quality and volume of information that’s shared and processed throughout the life of a construction project.

The Construction Open Standards Alliance (COSA) is a community of construction industry professionals who support open integration standards in construction software. Join the effort today.