Autodesk Enhances Geospatial Solutions to Offer Powerful Engineering GIS


SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 12 /- At its World Press Day event, Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADSK) today showcased enhancements to its AutoCAD Map 3D 2008 and AutoCAD Raster Design 2008 geospatial software products, which further improve the integration of geospatial data by planning, engineering and operations personnel in utilities and municipal governments. With easy access to combined GIS and CAD information, organizations are streamlining operations across business and engineering teams, and ultimately redefining conventional mapping, design and asset management. These two applications, combined with Autodesk MapGuide Enterprise Web-based GIS software and Autodesk Topobase infrastructure design and management systems, offer customers and developers alike a powerful, cost- effective GIS solution.

"Whether they are repairing a water pipeline or planning a subdivision, engineers, field personnel and asset managers need up-to-the-minute location and design information," said Lisa Campbell, vice president, Autodesk Geospatial Solutions. "This essential requirement is key to improving organizational productivity in multiple industry sectors, which is why Autodesk continues to enhance our portfolio of core technologies to meet this challenge."

CAD and GIS Integration Transforms Workflow

Autodesk Geospatial Solutions make it possible for key departments to integrate, access and share combined CAD and GIS information, so that project workflow and decision making are no longer hindered by inaccessible or incompatible data. Autodesk's geospatial solutions, including AutoCAD Map 3D, Autodesk MapGuide Enterprise, Autodesk Topobase and AutoCAD Raster Design, are integrated to overcome these traditional information silos by using a single, open source data access technology. Together with a spatially enabled database management system, these software applications provide a foundation for centralized access and integration of data across design, geospatial and enterprise systems, as well as disseminating spatial information to customers, internal teams, the public and other enterprise applications over the Web.

The key to Autodesk Geospatial Solutions' performance is Autodesk Feature Data Object (FDO) data access technology for making disparate data types work together. Last year, Autodesk released both its FDO technology and its Autodesk MapGuide platform for spatial applications to the open source community, creating MapGuide Open Source software. These projects, now hosted by the Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo) allow developers all over the world to contribute to this geospatial technology.

Autodesk Geospatial Solution Suite
AutoCAD Map 3D 2008

A leading engineering GIS platform for creating and managing spatial data, AutoCAD Map 3D 2008 includes new FDO features to improve users' ability to access and share data more effectively, regardless of its location or file type.

Key enhancements in the latest release include:

o Faster access to data using FDO data access technology -- up to 90 percent faster.
o Capacity for more powerful analysis and visualization of GIS and CAD data.
o Tools for easier import, export and publication of data.
o Enhanced interoperability with other AutoCAD-based applications for publication of fully stylized maps.

AutoCAD Raster Design 2008

Built on the AutoCAD platform and easily added to AutoCAD-based products, Raster Design 2008 helps improve the overall productivity of design teams by helping to streamline access to scanned paper drawings, maps, aerial photos, digital elevation models, satellite imagery and similar digital design data. Using Raster Design software's advanced vectorization, raster editing and analysis tools, designers can make the most of their image archives, improve decision making, and enhance project presentations.

AutoCAD Raster Design 2008 provides several new features and improvements, including:

o More options for inclusion of imagery in multiple formats, and support for multi-frame images.
o Tools for faster conversion and verification, editing and image clean-up.
o Tools for preparation of raster data for AutoCAD-based applications, and image capture for better interoperability with AutoCAD Map 3D 2008 software.

Autodesk MapGuide

The commercial Autodesk MapGuide technology family, including Autodesk MapGuide Enterprise and Autodesk MapGuide Studio, bypasses the barriers of system and data incompatibility with a flexible Web-mapping platform for publishing and distributing spatial information quickly, easily and cost- effectively via the Internet. Autodesk MapGuide products make it easy to build and implement custom applications to take advantage of spatial data.

Autodesk Topobase

Autodesk Topobase software addresses a key challenge facing business and engineering executives today-disconnected islands of information. Because spatial information is usually managed by many departments and processes, and data often does not move smoothly through processes, between departments or between software systems, executives are hard-pressed to get contextual information for effective decisions. To help organizations improve efficiency and make choices based on comprehensive insight, Topobase builds on AutoCAD Map 3D, Autodesk MapGuide Enterprise and Oracle Spatial technology to integrate CAD, asset, GIS and customer information into a centralized relational database that provides a complete view of infrastructure asset. Topobase also features pre-configured vertical modules for organizations that manage specific types of infrastructure, such as water and wastewater.

Availability

Product availability will vary by country. AutoCAD Map 3D and Raster Design are integrated with Autodesk MapGuide Enterprise in a connected platform available at costs far below competing offerings. Details on purchasing options will be available in the spring at: http://www.autodesk.com/purchaseoptions.

About Autodesk

Autodesk, Inc. is the world leader in 2D and 3D design software for the manufacturing, building and construction, and media and entertainment markets. Since its introduction of AutoCAD in 1982, Autodesk has developed the broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art digital prototyping solutions to help customers experience their ideas before they are real. Fortune 1000 companies rely on Autodesk for the tools to visualize, simulate and analyze real-world performance early in the design process to save time and money, enhance quality and foster innovation. For additional information about Autodesk, visit http://www.autodesk.com/.

Source: Autodesk, Inc.

CONTACT:
Toni Cole of Autodesk, Inc.,
+1-202-270-6160,
toni.cole@edelman.com

Web site: http://www.autodesk.com/

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