SAN RAFAEL, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 2, 2003-- Major Southeastern Architectural Firm Standardizes on Autodesk Revit to Improve Client Service and Information Management Capabilities

Autodesk, Inc. (Nasdaq:ADSK), the world's leading design and digital content creation company, today announced that Johnson Bailey Henderson McNeel (JBHM), an award-winning architectural firm serving the southeastern United States, has purchased 27 licenses of Autodesk(R) Revit(R) building information modeling software for use companywide. By employing the powerful Revit building design and documentation system, JBHM expects to improve coordination among its five offices, make better and more integrated use of 3D visualization, and enhance its facility management services to provide top quality work for its clients. By including Autodesk consulting and implementation services as part of its solution, JBHM started benefiting from Revit software within days of its implementation. ALACAD(R), one of the leading Autodesk resellers in the southeastern United States, played a crucial role in the sale by providing JBHM with timely information on Revit and the training services offered by Autodesk.

"Software should be intelligent enough to take a lot of the redundant, mindless tasks out of your workflow, and let you worry about the important things," said Richard McNeel, AIA, vice president of JBHM. "Building information modeling lets us focus on solving real design problems. That's why we're very excited to begin implementing Revit so quickly as a result of Autodesk's training and consulting package."

Choice of Autodesk Revit

With multiple offices in Mississippi and Tennessee, JBHM is known primarily for its K-12, university, and corporate training educational projects, although its design portfolio also includes an array of industrial, hospitality, healthcare, justice, housing, sports and recreation, and religious facilities. The firm has been using CAD software since the late 1980s. Last year, ALACAD suggested that JBHM consider transitioning to Revit, Autodesk's premier building information modeling solution. After reviewing competitive building design solutions, JBHM purchased the Autodesk Revit offering, citing the software's ability to automatically coordinate design changes throughout all aspects of the project and update deliverables as a significant benefit. The firm also appreciates Revit's integrated design visualization capabilities, which allow its designers to provide clients with three-dimensional imagery easily.

By standardizing on Revit software, all of JBHM's five offices can collaborate more effectively on joint projects. Different work groups within the company, such as interior design and landscape architecture, are often collaborating on the same project from different locations. "The Revit templates put everybody on the same sheet," said McNeel. "The way Revit is structured around those templates is going to be a great benefit for us."

In addition, the firm has an entire division, the JBHM Facility Resource Group, devoted to facilities management, and sees building information modeling as a way to enhance those services. After construction is complete, Revit functionality can track fiscal information about a building, improving facility operation and management.

Training Results in Swift Implementation

As part of the building information modeling solution, Autodesk provided a training, consulting, and implementation services package, including one week of in-house training and 15 days of consulting services to be used over several months. "We were up and running in no time," said McNeel. "Autodesk's training and consulting services have been critical to our successful implementation of this new technology platform."

In February 2003, JBHM completed its first project with the Revit building information modeler, a local medical clinic in Macon, Mississippi. The company is currently using Revit on design development for larger projects, including the new Pearl Lower Elementary School in Pearl, Mississippi.

"With Revit, we see the potential for finding new ways to communicate with clients through visualization, three-dimensional rendering, walk-throughs and animations, as well as lifecycle benefits and cost-estimating," McNeel says. "We've always tried to stay at the forefront. We think this is the leading edge, and that's where we want to be."

Investing in Education

In addition to its own Autodesk Revit implementation, JBHM also participated in the Revit Invest in Education Program, a software-granting program aimed at connecting commercial customers with local education customers. By purchasing more than five seats of Autodesk Revit, JBHM was able to grant a 25-seat network lab of Autodesk Revit software to the University of Southern Mississippi. This generous grant will give the university's architecture students a chance to use state-of-the-art software to simultaneously explore design and expressive building forms, building materials and technology, and the technical documentation of projects.

About JBHM

Founded in 1970, JBHM is the largest full service architectural firm in the state of Mississippi. Operating as one company with five offices strategically located in Columbus, Hattiesburg, Jackson, and Tupelo, Mississippi, and Memphis, Tennessee, the firm provides local delivery that is responsive, cost efficient, and satisfactory on a regional basis. Diversified services include: architecture, landscape architecture/master planning, interior design, facility planning, educational planning, technology, facility management and marketing.

About ALACAD

ALACAD, an Autodesk Reseller since 1988, is based in Birmingham, Alabama and has offices throughout the southeast United States including Mobile and Huntsville, Alabama and Jackson, Mississippi. ALACAD offers a variety of professional services including consulting, customization, telephone support, and training on the full range of Autodesk products. For more information, visit the company's website at www.alacad.com.

About Autodesk

Founded in 1982, Autodesk, Inc., is the world's leading design software and digital content company. The company serves a diverse portfolio of markets, including building design, geographic information systems, manufacturing, digital media, and wireless data services. By delivering tools that foster innovation and creativity, Autodesk helps customers create, use, and maximize the value of their digital design data. For more information about the company, see http://www.autodesk.com.

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

    CONTACT: Autodesk, Inc. Carol Lettieri, 415/507-6908
             carol.lettieri@autodesk.com

    SOURCE: Autodesk, Inc.