Company Strengthens Commitment to Sustainable Design in Emerging Markets

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Sept. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Autodesk, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADSK) today announced that it has joined the China-U.S. Center for Sustainable Development and its Founders' Circle. The Center is a joint initiative of government and business leaders focused on accelerating sustainable development in China, the United States and the world. Joining other industry leaders including Intel, HP and Ford, Autodesk -- the world's leading provider of design software and a partner to top architects, engineers and product designers -- is committed to driving awareness and increasing adoption of sustainable design around the globe.

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"Autodesk is an industry leader who has shown a commitment to sustainable design, and we welcome them to the China-U.S. Center for Sustainable Development," said William A. McDonough, FAIA, Founding U.S. Chair. "By providing designers and developers with the tools to analyze and predict design performance, Autodesk will play a crucial role in increasing sustainable development in China. Autodesk technology enables us to determine the behavior and impact of buildings, infrastructure and products on communities and the environment before they are built."

The China-U.S. Center for Sustainable Development was founded in 1999, and is working to set the standards for sustainable development in China and the United States through a new form of cooperation among the business community, governments, universities, research institutions and non-governmental organizations. The Center encourages the adoption of technology that will enable the creation of sustainable environments and focuses its work in three areas:

• Designing and developing urban "new towns" and rural villages to demonstrate the effectiveness of cradle-to-cradle design principles.
• Training and building capacity among public and private officials in China to plan, protect and develop rural areas, urban centers and real estate developments based on cradle-to-cradle design.
• Creating sustaining enterprises that enable commerce, communities and nature to thrive and grow in harmony.

"China is one of Autodesk's most important emerging markets and as one of the world's fastest growing economies, it is facing a severe shortage of and high demand for natural resources," said Carl Bass, President and CEO of Autodesk. "Autodesk solutions are used around the world to design sustainable buildings, infrastructure and products and will be able to significantly assist China to address its sustainability challenges. Autodesk is committed to helping China increase its focus and expertise in sustainable design, and we look forward to helping the Chinese government realize their sustainable ideas through the China-U.S. Center for Sustainable Development."

About Autodesk

Autodesk, Inc. is a Fortune 1000 company, 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 www.autodesk.com.

NOTE: Autodesk is a registered trademark of Autodesk, Inc., in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

Contact: Noah Cole, 415-547-2405
Email: noah.cole@autodesk.com

SOURCE Autodesk, Inc.
09/13/2006

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1407 09/13/2006 08:00 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com