SAN RAFAEL, Calif., July 22, 2008— Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK), a leader of design innovation software and technologies, today announced new releases of two products to help improve network design and management for the utilities industry: Autodesk Utility Design (AUD) 2009 software and Autodesk Topobase 2009 software. These products will help utilities design their networks more efficiently and integrate precision as-built information into their processes.

 “Trends today in the utilities industry-- including intelligent grid and sustainability initiatives--drive the need for more complex design projects and better access to accurate and precise network information,” said Lisa Campbell, vice president, Autodesk Geospatial. “By improving design processes and integrating network design and asset management, Autodesk helps utilities to improve efficiency and data quality throughout the lifecycle of their assets.”

 What’s New in Autodesk Utility Design 2009 Software

Autodesk Utility Design 2009 software helps utilities more quickly and accurately design, engineer, estimate costs and order materials for distribution networks.  It streamlines the design process with true rules-based automation—integrating the creation of construction drawings, performing engineering calculations to size facilities, and linking to materials management systems to create the correct materials orders for new facilities. The new version is built on AutoCAD Map 3D 2009 software, the leading software for creating and managing spatial data, and includes enhanced engineering calculations.

 ”Autodesk Utility Design enables our designers and engineers to produce standards-based layouts, material orders, project estimates and reports.  AUD is highly configurable and its open architecture allowed us to develop applications to automate time-consuming procedures, “ says Ray Pearce, engineering support supervisor at Anchorage Municipal Light & Power, in Anchorage Alaska,  “The delivered functionality of AUD combined with our configurations have yielded significant efficiencies and improvements to our design process.”

 What’s New in Autodesk Topobase 2009 Software

Autodesk Topobase software, built on AutoCAD Map 3D and Autodesk MapGuide Enterprise software, integrates infrastructure design and management. It provides easy access to accurate design, spatial and asset information to engineering, GIS and field operations teams.  Topobase 2009 software has over 50 new utility features, including wastewater inspection workflows that integrate network management and video, network schematic generation and the ability to visualize the inside of network structures such as transformer stations.  It also works with more versions of Oracle databases, and now includes vertical modules for managing water, wastewater, gas and electric assets in the base product.

 Better access to accurate asset information is important for utilities managing the growing number of private solar and wind generators in their service area. “Thanks to Autodesk, we’ve got the data we need to quickly approve new solar hookups all in one system,” says Artur Brei, GIS and Documentation Manager at UEZ Lülsfeld. “What used to take from several days up to two weeks can now be accomplished for our customers in a few hours.”

Availability

Autodesk Utility Design software is currently available in the United States and Canada.  Autodesk Topobase software is available in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, throughout Europe and in Australia.   For more information, visit http://www.autodesk.com/utilitydesign and http://www.autodesk.com/topobase