Tobishima Corporation, a leading Japanese general contractor, has used ARES CAD software since 2015 and by 2022 had installed it on nearly 2,000 company PCs. ARES network licensing lets any installed copy start as long as the company stays within its total number of licenses, so Tobishima no longer manages a license for each person.
This case study explains why Tobishima chose ARES, how it supported its users through the CAD migration, and why network licensing suits a large, project-based company.
Quick facts
- Company: Tobishima Corporation, founded in 1883
- Software: ARES Standard (2015), then ARES Commander (2017)
- Scale: ARES installed on nearly 2,000 PCs as of 2022
- Licensing: network licensing, similar to a car-sharing service
- Main reasons: cost-effective 2D CAD, usability, proven track record, future potential
- Migration support: an internal knowledge base for users
Who is Tobishima Corporation?
Tobishima Corporation is a leading Japanese construction company founded in 1883. It has contributed to the development of social infrastructure as a general contractor with strong technical capabilities.
The company is developing advanced solution services aimed at a “super-smart society”. As a key internal initiative, it set up a Field Success Center. The center collects the know-how of veteran engineers in civil engineering and construction in an AI-driven platform, creating a comprehensive knowledge base. The goal is to pass that know-how on to future generations.
Why Tobishima replaced AutoCAD with ARES
Tobishima introduced ARES Standard to improve operational efficiency and reduce overall costs. It selected ARES for three reasons: usability, a proven track record, and strong future potential. Tobishima also describes ARES Standard as the most cost-effective 2D CAD software on the market.
CAD is a mission-critical system for Tobishima, used every day of the week. A switch to a new core system therefore had to deliver savings without disrupting daily work.
Tobishima’s ARES timeline
Tobishima started with ARES Standard in 2015, moved to ARES Commander in 2017, and had ARES on nearly 2,000 PCs by 2022.
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Tobishima celebrates its 140th anniversary and continues to use ARES technology |
| 2022 | ARES is installed on nearly 2,000 company PCs; a virtual office launches in fiscal year 2022 |
| 2017 | Tobishima switches to ARES Commander, which adds advanced 3D capabilities |
| 2016 | Company-wide migration to cloud storage begins |
| 2015 | Tobishima introduces ARES Standard |
Supporting the CAD migration with a knowledge base
Tobishima built an internal knowledge base to help users move to ARES. When a company changes its core business system, many users feel uneasy about differences in operation compared with the software they knew before. The knowledge base addresses exactly that concern.
Thanks to it, most users can work in ARES without problems. ARES also needs no special installation work, so users can start using it right away.
How ARES network licensing works
With ARES network licensing, any installed copy of ARES can be launched as long as the company stays within its total number of licenses. Tobishima compares it to a car-sharing service: people take a license when they need it, and nothing sits unused.
Traditional user licenses are tied to specific individuals and need constant management. At Tobishima, granting new licenses every time project staff changed was inefficient.
| Comparison | Named-user license | ARES network license |
|---|---|---|
| Tied to | One specific person | Any installed copy of ARES |
| When staff changes | New licenses must be granted | Nothing to reassign |
| Limit | One license per user | Total number of licenses held by the company |
The model fits every kind of user. A casual user who needs CAD for five minutes a day and a professional who works in it all day share the same pool, with no wasted resources.
Cloud storage, flexible work and Graebert
Since 2016, Tobishima has been moving its IT infrastructure to cloud storage across the whole company. ARES is fully compatible with those cloud storage systems, which improves customer engagement and lets employees work effectively from anywhere, at any time.
The company also keeps looking ahead. In fiscal year 2022 it launched a virtual office environment. Tobishima says it shares a strong synergy with Graebert, one of the first companies in the CAD industry to embrace cloud technology.
In 2023, Tobishima celebrated its 140th anniversary and continues to make full use of ARES.
What other companies can learn from Tobishima
- Choose on cost and track record. Tobishima picked ARES for usability, a proven track record and low cost.
- Support users, not just IT. An internal knowledge base eased the worry about unfamiliar operation.
- Rethink licensing. Network licensing removes the work of assigning a license to each person.
- Match CAD to your cloud plan. ARES is compatible with Tobishima’s cloud storage, so people can work from anywhere.
- Standardize step by step. Tobishima went from ARES Standard in 2015 to ARES Commander in 2017 to nearly 2,000 PCs in 2022.
Try ARES yourself
See how ARES network licensing and full DWG compatibility could work for your team. Start the 30-day free trial at graebert.com.
Watch the full customer story: Network license for 2000 CAD multi-users │Why Tobishima Construction replaced AutoCAD with ARES on the Graebert YouTube channel.
Frequently asked questions
Tobishima wanted to improve operational efficiency and reduce costs. It chose ARES for its usability, proven track record, future potential and low cost as a 2D CAD tool.
A network license lets any installed copy of the software start, as long as the company stays within its total number of licenses. It is not tied to one person.
As of 2022, ARES is installed on nearly 2,000 Tobishima PCs.
Tobishima introduced ARES Standard in 2015 and switched to ARES Commander, which adds advanced 3D capabilities, in 2017.
It created an internal knowledge base. Most users can work without problems, and ARES needs no special installation work.
Yes. Tobishima says ARES is fully compatible with the cloud storage systems it has used since 2016.
Yes. ARES offers a 30-day free trial.
Try ARES Commander CAD Software yourself
See how ARES Commander, ARES Trinity and ARES Kudo could work for your team. Start the 30-day free trial at graebert.com and work with your DWG files in a CAD tool built around full DWG compatibility.