Autodesk Announces Launch of Next Generation Geospatial and Civil Engineering Solutions for the Infrastructure Market
Company Enables Customers to Realize Increased Productivity and Reduce Project Costs with its 2007 Product Line

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., March 23, 2006 —  Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK), recently ranked the fastest growing Spatial Information Management (SIM) company in the world by IDC, today launched the Autodesk Civil 3D 2007, Autodesk Map 3D 2007, and Autodesk Raster Design 2007 software products.  These new solutions enable the integration of computer-aided design (CAD) and geospatial information system (GIS) data allowing customers to create, manage and share valuable spatial information for better decision-making and improved operational efficiency.  By enabling unprecedented access to spatial data throughout a customer’s organization, Autodesk helps municipalities, engineering and construction, public works, transportation and utility customers be more productive and provide better services.

Enabling Customers to Compete and Win

Based in the Midwest, Cole & Associates provides a full range of civil engineering and land development services, including landscape architecture, planning and surveying, to clients in the public and private sectors. Faced with market conditions that are accelerating the pace and volume of civil engineering projects, Cole has been quick to embrace innovative and time-saving ideas for business improvement through technology in order to deliver the highest quality of services to its clients. The firm recently turned to Autodesk Civil 3D and expects immediate benefit.  “Looking at the entire timeline of a project from survey to construction, Autodesk Civil 3D has the potential to reduce that up to 15 percent. In this industry, being able to save time is a significant competitive advantage,” said Joe Birschbach, Project Engineer, Cole & Associates. 

The San Francisco Department of Public Works Bureau of Engineering (SFDPW) provides engineering services to many departments within the City and County of San Francisco, California. Because these departments are free to seek engineering services from outside contractors, SFDPW must deliver high-quality work—at a competitive cost. SFDPW uses a combination of Autodesk Map 3D, Autodesk MapGuide, and Oracle database technology to

create, manage and share design and GIS data efficiently. “By saving time, we save money. The savings is more than equal to what we would pay a fulltime employee. We’re doing more work and delivering higher-quality service to taxpayers,” said Greg Braswell, IT and GIS Manager, San Francisco Department of Public Works Bureau of Engineering.

“As our customers face ever increasing pressure to complete projects faster and with fewer resources, our 2007 product line up offers them quick implementation and improved ease of use. In this competitive environment, we are focused on enabling our customers to realize new efficiencies quickly and enjoy a fast return on investment,” said Chris Bradshaw, vice president of the Infrastructure Solutions Division for Autodesk.  

A Comprehensive Portfolio of Spatial Information Management Solutions

Delivering on its strategy to solve critical business challenges, Autodesk spatial information management solutions help customers accelerate time to market and achieve maximum project productivity and efficiency. Unlike other offerings on the market today, these solutions provide an open and flexible environment that makes valuable spatial data easy to use and easy to manage. Autodesk’s spatial information management solutions include Autodesk Civil 3D 2007, Autodesk Map 3D 2007, Autodesk Raster Design 2007, Autodesk MapGuide Enterprise and Autodesk Utility Design.  Autodesk Civil 3D and Autodesk Map 3D are built on the AutoCAD 2007 platform which enables customers to create, manage and share data with improved efficiency and productivity. 

New Products and Features

Autodesk Civil 3D 2007 software uses an industry-proven dynamic engineering model that maintains intelligent object relationships. A change made in one place instantly updates an entire project, helping to complete transportation, site, sewer, storm drain and subdivision projects faster and more accurately. All team members work from the same consistent, up-to-date model so they stay synchronized throughout all project phases, including survey, design, drafting, reporting, analysis and visualization. New features include:

Integrated survey functionality
Expanded multi-user capabilities
Increased design flexibility
Production drafting improvements
Improved geospatial data interoperability
All the benefits of AutoCAD and Autodesk Map 3D 2007
Autodesk Map 3D 2007 is the leading platform for creating and editing spatial data, delivering practical mapping functionality to engineers and geospatial professionals who need an open and flexible way to integrate CAD and GIS information. It complements existing GIS implementations by providing read and write access to a wide variety of geospatial data sources. Autodesk Map 3D enables quick loading, editing and management of high-volume geospatial data sets and automates entire workflows from geospatial data creation through web and intranet publishing.  New features include:

Order-of-magnitude graphics performance improvements for geospatial-scale data
New styling tools for creation of compelling maps and designs
Improved data management capabilities
Ability to import Autodesk Civil 3D design data
Easy publishing of spatial data via MapGuide Open Source or Autodesk MapGuide Enterprise
Autodesk Raster Design 2007 enables users to edit or vectorize scanned drawings without performing expensive redrafting. Improved functionality allows users to integrate maps, aerial photos, satellite imagery and digital elevation models to enhance presentations, design and project deliverables. New features include:

Support for ESRI GRID files
Read support for DTED format elevation data from NIMA (National Imaging and Mapping Agency)
New JPEG2000 library for increased efficiency
Compatibility with AutoCAD Electrical
Distribution and Availability

Autodesk Civil 3D 2007, Autodesk Map 3D 2007 and Autodesk Raster Design 2007 will be available this spring via www.autodesk.com/infrastructure.

Partners Ready to Support New Product Portfolio

Hundreds of Autodesk’s Developer Network (ADN) members are already shipping products and add-on applications compatible with Autodesk’s 2007 product line. ADN was created by Autodesk to supply commercial and individual software developers with the resources needed to build specialized software applications that meet the needs of a wide variety of customers, in a broad range of industries. 

Autodesk Offers Options

Customers have options when it comes to purchasing and implementing Autodesk software. Autodesk Subscription provides an alternative to upgrades and delivers added benefits.  Subscription customers receive the latest versions of their licensed Autodesk software, web support direct from Autodesk, self-paced training options, and a broad range of other technology and business benefits for an annual fee.

Autodesk Consulting is available for customers who want to maximize the value of their investment in Autodesk technology through integrated consulting and training. Locally-based classroom training is also available through Autodesk’s 1,200 Authorized Training Centers, with sites in more than 75 countries around the world.

About Autodesk

Autodesk, Inc. is wholly focused on ensuring that great ideas are turned into reality. With seven million users, Autodesk is the world's leading software and services company for the manufacturing, infrastructure, building, media and entertainment, and wireless data services fields. Autodesk’s solutions help customers create, manage and share their data and digital assets more effectively.  As a result, customers turn ideas into competitive advantage, become more productive, streamline project efficiency and maximize profits.

Founded in 1982, Autodesk is headquartered in San Rafael, California.  For additional information about Autodesk, please visit http://www.autodesk.com.