Executive Summary

What was announced?

Effective May 27, 2021, customers creating new projects using certain ACC Unified Platform solutions will be able to choose to primarily store their “Covered Content” in either the US or Europe.

1. Scope

1.1 What do we mean when we say “Europe Data Center”?

It does not mean that Autodesk is setting up physical data centers in Europe. We use these terms as a moniker to indicate deployment of Covered Content primary storage hosting in Europe for certain Autodesk products. For example, for our current BIM 360 Design Europe data center offering, this means the customer is able to set up a BIM 360 Design account that allows them to specify the primary storage location for their BIM 360 Design Covered Content in Europe.

For a clearer way to refer to the Europe primary storage option for Covered Content, we prefer the term “EU Region” as described in 2.1 below.

1.2 What Content constitutes “Covered Content”?

“Covered Content” (also commonly referred to as “project data”) is a subset of “Your Content” as defined in the Autodesk Terms of Use.  Specifically, “Covered Content” means, collectively:

• Any files, designs, models, data sets, images, documents, or similar material submitted or uploaded to the Service by customers and their authorized users, and

• The specific output generated from the Service, if any, based on customers’ own raw data or information. Covered Content includes the associated metadata of the project file that is not binary or in the design object itself, for example, author name and email, time stamp and activity stream.

1.3 Will Covered Content only be stored or processed in Europe?

No. There are purposes for which Covered Content may need to be stored or processed on servers outside the region the customer selects, for example when users or their collaborators access our Services using a client outside the region, temporarily when using certain high-performance compute applications (such as translation services), and for logging, support, maintenance or security purposes or in connection with legal obligations or proceedings.

1.4 Will personal data be stored and processed outside Europe (e.g. in the US)?

Yes. Currently, our systems are global, including global accounts, global Identity, global support, global access and global collaboration. Accordingly, personal data, including all Identity and account data, continue to be stored and processed in the US. We have legal mechanisms in place for the transfer of personal data from Europe. For details, please see our Privacy Statement, Trust Center (Onward Data Transfer), and FAQs. Customers may also request a Data Processing Agreement or Addendum (DPA), which addresses transfers of personal data from Europe. Customers can request a DPA through the Trust Center under the heading “Legal terms”.

1.5 Which products will be supported through the EU Region offering?

The following solutions within the Autodesk Construction Cloud Platform will offer customers the option to primarily store their Covered Content in Europe:

• Autodesk Build
• Autodesk BIM Collaborate
• Autodesk BIM Collaborate Pro
• Autodesk Docs
• Autodesk Takeoff

This offering expands our list of BIM 360 products (including BIM 360 Design, BIM 360 Docs, BIM 360 Coordinate, BIM 360 Build, BIM 360 Classic Field, and BIM 360 Classic Glue), which currently offer customers the option to select Europe for primary storage of their Covered Content.

2. Data Center Details

2.1 Where do we offer primary storage of Covered Content?

In either the United States or EU (each a “Region” or collectively the “Regions”). 

2.2 Can customers request that their Covered Content be primarily stored in a specific country in the EU Region?

No. Customers will be able to select the EU Region for primary storage and back-up of their Covered Content, but they will not be able to select specific countries.

2.2 Where will Covered Content be backed-up?

If customers select to primarily store their Covered Content in the EU Region, it will also be backed up in the EU Region.

3. Data Center / Region Selection

3.1 As a customer, how can I select the EU Region?

At the time of purchase, customers can select the EU Region for primary storage of Covered Content for their ACC Project-based, User-based, Enterprise Credit, or Enterprise Unlimited Service, and then upload the Covered Content to that Region via a dedicated URL. 

3.2 As an existing ACC customer with projects in the US, how can I host a new project in the EU Region?

As an existing customer with projects (Covered Content) in the US, if you would like to select primary storage of Covered Content related to a new project in the EU Region, you will need to set up a new ACC account selecting the EU Region.

To do this, you will need to have a second contract manager with separate credentials and set up a new ACC account and then choose the EU Region as the location to primarily host project data.

3.3 Is it possible to break down and primarily store Covered Content related to the same project in more than one region?

No, covered Content is primarily stored in a single region specific to the project. All projects and all Covered Content associated with those projects will be primarily stored in the same Region. Once a customer selects a Region, all projects will remain in that Region and cannot be migrated directly to another Region (see 6.2 for more details).   

3.4 What if I need to primarily store some Covered Content in the US and some in Europe?

If you need to have some Covered Content associated with a project primarily stored in the US and some primarily stored in the EU Region, you’ll need to have two ACC accounts or tenants, one selecting the US Region and one selecting the EU Region.

4. Customer Experience

4.1 Can I access their Covered Content from outside the EU Region?

Yes, a current customer, and any authorized users and collaborators in their account can access the Covered Content from anywhere in the world. As long as their authorized users and collaborators have been invited and have valid credentials (username and password), they can access Covered Content from anywhere.

4.2 Will both the US and EU Regions be running the same version of the products? (e.g., will there be a lag in deploying updates to different data centers or Regions?) 

In general, there will be version parity between the US and EU Regions. However, there could be exceptions for new products which will launch in one Region first during beta, and then follow up in the other Region later on.

4.3 If I have an existing BIM 360 account in the EU Region, how do I get an ACC account in the EU Region?

If you, as a customer with an existing BIM 360 account in the EU Region wants to get access to an ACC account you will need a new company account for the EU Region. In order to access your BIM 360 projects this new company account needs to be associated with the same company.

5. Access

5.1 What will the login flow look like in Web?

Login experience will be similar to customers currently hosting their projects on the US Region with the difference being the URL used. Instead of accessing through acc.autodesk.com (linked to the US Region), in order to get access to the EU Region, users will direct to acc.autodesk.eu.

5.2 What is the mobile experience going to be in Europe?

A Region picker will be displayed to the user prior to entering their email during login. Once the Region (US/EU) is selected, login flow will be the same as currently exists in the app and the selected option will be set as default during future accesses.

6. Access to previous projects

6.1 As a customer, can I access previous projects currently stored outside of Europe?

Yes, you can, as long as you have a different user license linked to another ACC company account primarily storing its data in the US Region.

6.2 Is it possible to migrate project data stored in the US Region to the Europe one?

While some data and templates can be exported from US Region accounts and imported to accounts in the Europe Region, there is no direct migration of project data available today. There are third-party partners who can help facilitate the migration of some data. View our Integrated Partner Ecosystem for details.

7. Bring Your Own Subscription Policy

7.1 Does the BYOS (Bring Your Own Subscription) policy change with EU Region availability?

ACC is sold under a bring-your-own-subscription model. Each company is allowed to have the subscribed number of users from the purchasing company and can invite others from outside their company that have their own ACC license.

This “Bring Your Own Subscription” or BYOS policy for ACC will continue to work in the EU Region.

Customers are responsible to avoid over-usage and stay within their purchased limits per the contract terms and conditions. Autodesk may monitor accounts to ensure usage is within limits.

8. Product Trial in EU Region

8.1 As a customer, how can I set up an ACC product trial in the EU Region?

Customers willing to start a trial in the EU Region can start their trial via this link.

8.2 What happens if I want to convert my trial account into a commercial account?

As long as you start your trial via the EU Region (See item 8.1), you will be able to convert your trial account to a commercial account.

Autodesk software licences and/or cloud-based services are subject to acceptance of and compliance with the terms and conditions of the licence agreement or terms of service, as applicable, that accompany such software or cloud-based services.