SAN RAFAEL, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 20, 2002--With many recent elections across the country encountering problems with vote counting and reporting, the Information Technology Department worked with the Registrar of Voters of Alameda County to utilize Autodesk MapGuide(R) from Autodesk, Inc. (Nasdaq:ADSK), the world's leading design software and digital content company. In an effort to increase the speed and accuracy of the vote count, Alameda County became the first county in California to use MapGuide to publish precinct-reporting results to election officials. The County interfaced results from the Diebold voting machines and successfully provided fast and accurate precinct-reporting results to election officials, along with the same information available to the public via the Internet for the November elections.

Autodesk MapGuide helps organizations develop, manage, and distribute GIS and design applications on the Internet or on intranets, broadening access to mission critical geographic data. By using MapGuide, Alameda County was able to generate real-time precinct reporting maps, which greatly enhanced publishing election results during the election reporting process. They will continue to use the system for all general and primary elections.

Real-Time Reporting Helps Identify and Solve Problems

In developing its fully electronic voting system, the County of Alameda required a GIS mapping distribution solution that could provide real-time database reading. The county chose Autodesk MapGuide to display the percentage of precincts that had reported voting results. The resulting precinct map allowed visualization of the vote reporting status and tracking by precincts.

For instance, election officials could instantly react to precincts whose voting results were not being reported in a timely manner. "The heat is on for Registrar offices with so many voting scandals. We owe it to the voting public to report the results of our elections as promptly as possible," said Dave Macdonald, director of the Information Technology Department of Alameda County. "With the help of Autodesk MapGuide, we were able to offer voters a visual snapshot of the vote-counting process, as well as aid our Registrar of Voters staff in their efforts to compile election results soon after the polls closed."

MapGuide also helps county election officials identify trends or problem areas regarding precinct reporting, and solve these problems so that future elections run more efficiently. In addition, MapGuide allows voters to participate in the election-night process by generating interactive maps, showing vote-reporting statistics, and distributing them on the Internet.

"Autodesk MapGuide allows government voting officials to apply powerful GIS mapping and distribution tools to the vote reporting and public information requirements of the election process," said Raymond Kinser, president of California CAD Solutions, the Autodesk channel partner that helped Alameda County select and implement MapGuide.

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.

Note to Editors: Autodesk, and Autodesk MapGuide 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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