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News Release

Autodesk Introduces Buzzsaw Professional for Effective Project Collaboration Throughout the Building Lifecycle

Sep 16, 2002

SAN RAFAEL, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 16, 2002--

Online Service Delivers Advanced Construction Management,

Integrated With All The Functionality From Existing Buzzsaw Service

Autodesk, Inc. (Nasdaq:ADSK), the world's leading design software and digital content company, today introduced Autodesk Buzzsaw Professional, an advanced online project collaboration service designed to handle effective communication and management of all project information throughout the entire building lifecycle. The new service takes all the collaboration functionality found in the existing Buzzsaw service and integrates construction management and administrative workflow features for precise document tracking and communication during construction. Currently the Buzzsaw service is used by more than 62,000 building professionals. Buzzsaw Professional addresses the specific needs of building owners to help them reduce cycle times and errors, and increase team accountability and control.

Recognizing specific needs of building owners and developers who manage multiple building projects through design, construction and property management, Autodesk has tailored its new service accordingly. With Buzzsaw Professional, users gain access to standard and customized construction forms. Now project teams can quickly and easily create, send and track documents and resolve issues -- online. Building on the capabilities of the popular Buzzsaw service, Buzzsaw Professional promotes precise communication and project management with all team members -- building owners, architects, engineers and contractors -- regardless of location or time zone.

"Since adopting the (Autodesk) Buzzsaw service we have seen some reduction in costs associated with administrative tasks involved in managing our building projects, said Don Austel, Pittsburgh, PA information technology manager for Lockwood Greene. "We believe the new product will add efficiency in both design and construction communications."

"The release of our next generation project collaboration service directly correlates with the growing adoption of Buzzsaw by owners and large developers who require a service for managing multiple facilities," said Chris Bradshaw, vice president of Autodesk Building Collaboration Services. "We have optimized our offering to address these distinct customer segments, allowing them to enjoy the tremendous return on investment."

Construction Forms for Precise Tracking and Communication

The new forms feature in Buzzsaw Professional ensure that all team members are looking at the same log of active and inactive documents

Standard Forms

  • Standard forms that can be created by Buzzsaw Professional users include submittals, requests for information (RFI's), daily reports, meeting minutes and correspondence in centralized logs

Customized Forms

  • Field names, data types and layouts of forms and reports can be tailored to fit unique business requirements

  • Autodesk has an internal team of consultants who can help customers create new forms

Immediate Notification to Project Team Members

  • Once a construction form has been created, the project team members who need to be alerted are immediately notified by e-mail

  • A confirmation notice is sent to the creator of the form once the construction form has been opened

Automated Activity Logs for Accurate Reporting

  • An activity log of all users, actions and items within each project is automatically generated and can be accessed for auditing and reporting purposes

  • Activity logs track project communication and tasks generated by the construction forms to improve team accountability

Pricing and Availability

Current customers of Buzzsaw can take advantage of the new features Buzzsaw Professional offers by upgrading their existing service. Pricing for Buzzsaw Professional is based on an annual subscription model. For more information on pricing and availability please contact Autodesk Buzzsaw sales via e-mail at bcssales@autodesk.com

About Autodesk

Founded in 1982, Autodesk, Inc., is the world's leading design software and digital content company. Autodesk offers solutions for professionals in building design, geographic information systems, manufacturing, digital media, and wireless data services. By delivering progressive products and services, Autodesk helps customers create, manage, use and maximize the value of their digital data throughout the lifecycle of their projects. For more information about the company, see www.autodesk.com. For information about the Buzzsaw services, visit the product site at www.autodesk.com/collaborate.

Autodesk and Buzzsaw are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc. in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

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CONTACT: Autodesk, Inc.
Gabrielle Friedly, 415/356-0741
gabrielle.friedly@autodesk.com