SAN RAFAEL, Calif.--More than 25,000 people from 100 countries participated in Autodesk University (AU) last week, attending in Las Vegas and virtually via AU Virtual, making this year’s AU the most far reaching in the event’s 17-year history.

Feedback from AU attendees indicates that staying competitive is one of the major reasons people come to the three-day user conference in Las Vegas. With the introduction of AU Virtual, AU China, AU Japan, AU Extension and the enhancements to AU Online, Autodesk users anywhere in the world can network with peers and connect with industry and product experts in a variety of in-person events, and virtual and online mediums at any time — accessing hundreds of tutorials, instructional content and handouts, videos and podcasts. Registrations for AU Online have exceeded 92,000, and Autodesk expects the number of people accessing AU content to top 100,000 by the end of the year.

“One of the best ways to stay competitive is through the use of technology,” noted Carl Bass, Autodesk president and CEO, during this year’s opening keynote address. Bass said that technologies follow a continuum -- from impossible to impractical to possible to expected to required -- and the right timing is critical. “Too early, it's impractical; too late and, well, you've missed the boat. Get the timing just right, though, and you've hit the sweet spot.”

In-person and virtual attendees had the opportunity to learn from top instructors, Autodesk insiders, and industry experts by participating in live Q&A with instructors, real-time viewing of industry sessions, and online interaction with peers and experts. The AU schedule included approximately 550 classes, 68 labs and 391 speakers and instructors, providing attendees the opportunity to train with the latest tools and techniques.

Other highlights of AU 2009 included an encore of the Pecha Kucha and Cut&Paste Design Slam, and the Design Leadership Program.

Furthering their ability to remain competitive in the job market, attendees took advantage of the free certification and assessment exams offered at this year’s AU, and 1,600 certification exams and more than 400 assessment tests were completed during the show. One attendee, Zoltan Ferenczy, of Ingersoll Consulting in Marietta, Georgia, took the Autodesk Certification Challenge and passed eight certification exams in one week, earning a free pass to AU 2010.

About Autodesk

Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADSK), is a world leader in 2D and 3D design, engineering and entertainment software for the manufacturing, building and construction, and media and entertainment markets. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in 1982, Autodesk continues to develop the broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art software to help customers experience their ideas digitally before they are built. Fortune 100 companies -- as well as the last 14 Academy Award winners for Best Visual Effects -- use Autodesk software tools to design, visualize and simulate their ideas to save time and money, enhance quality and foster innovation for competitive advantage. For additional information about Autodesk, visit www.autodesk.com.

Autodesk and AutoCAD are registered trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. Academy Award is a registered trademark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document. © 2009 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.