SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Sept. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Autodesk, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADSK) today announced that Landscape Development, Inc., (LDI) a leading provider of design-build landscape services for homebuilders in California, has donated 25 seats of Autodesk Inventor software to Bakersfield College. The gift was made possible through the Autodesk Invest in Education program, which gives commercial companies purchasing Autodesk software the opportunity to donate seat licenses to an educational institution of their choice. The software grant gives Bakersfield College the ability to train its students on the latest version of Autodesk Inventor -- the foundation for Digital Prototyping -- which allows users to experience their ideas before they are built.

"One of our goals at Bakersfield College is to provide the quality instruction and services our diverse community needs in order to achieve personal, academic and occupational success," said Lindsay Ono, professor at Bakersfield College. "Having the latest version of Autodesk Inventor software ensures that our students are learning the necessary skills that put them on the cutting edge of industry trends such as Digital Prototyping."

LDI qualified for the grant of Inventor licenses to Bakersfield College after LDI had purchased 17 seat licenses of Autodesk software, which the company uses to prepare conceptual as well as construction documents for its landscape and construction projects. Bakersfield College was selected as the grant recipient due to its proximity to LDI's regional Bakersfield office, the largest landscaping operation within Kern County.

"We believe in being good neighbors and giving back to the communities in which we do business," said Rich De Palma, president of Landscape Architecture at LDI. "It was a pleasure to be able to donate Inventor software to Bakersfield College, especially since LDI staff members attend classes there and we've also recruited graduates to come work for us."

KETIV Technologies (KETIV), a leading Autodesk reseller for civil and mechanical engineering, helped connect their customer LDI and Bakersfield College.

"Our top priorities include developing strong relationships and offering a proactive business partnership with our customers to help lead design and engineering communities," said Anthony Rodriguez, vice president of KETIV. "It's very rewarding to use the Autodesk Invest in Education program to successfully connect local enterprises with local educational institutions. It serves to strengthen and develop the Southwest region engineering community, which KETIV has been committed to for 20 years."

"Autodesk is committed to excellence in education and we are excited that students at Bakersfield College will have the opportunity to enhance their skills with the professional design tools used in the industry," says Paul Mailhot, senior director of worldwide education programs at Autodesk. "We're proud of the impact Autodesk's participation, and the participation of our resellers, can make on the next generation of innovators."

About KETIV Technologies, Inc.

KETIV Technologies is a leading Autodesk solutions provider with 20 years' experience delivering CAD software and services in the Southwest United States. KETIV's team of industry experts increase the profitability of engineering services companies by proactively engaging with them to identify their business issues and deliver relevant solutions. KETIV currently serves the civil and mechanical engineering industries. For more information, visit http://www.ketivtech.com.

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 software 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.

Autodesk, AutoCAD, Autodesk Inventor, and Inventor are 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. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document.

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Contact: Rosemary Mori 415.547.2474 Alyson Howard 312.297.7430
Email: rosemary.mori@autodesk.com alyson.howard@edelman.com

SOURCE Autodesk, Inc. 09/05/2007


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7767 09/05/2007 08:30 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com