LAS VEGAS, Oct 16, 2002 (BUSINESS WIRE) --

Alliance Facilitates Deployment for Carriers while Optimizing Quality of Services

Tele Atlas and Autodesk Location Services, a division of Autodesk, Inc. (Nasdaq:ADSK), today announced a strategic alliance to jointly provide wireless operators worldwide with essential technology for the successful deployment of location services. The two companies will work together on the development and marketing of their combined solution.

Autodesk Location Services will incorporate Tele Atlas data into the Autodesk LocationLogic platform to provide a turn-key solution for wireless carriers. The depth and breadth of coverage included in Tele Atlas' digital map data will provide superior content for wireless operators to deploy location-based services, such as personalized traffic alerts and dynamic routing directions; proximity searches for local hotel, restaurant, ATM, gas stations, etc.; and notification of nearby friends or gaming participants.

"Rich and highly accurate content is essential to the carriers' ability to provide a quality service for their subscribers. Quite simply, quality drives usage," said Joe Astroth, executive vice president, Autodesk Location Services. "As a proven leader in Europe and now in North America, Tele Atlas provides some of the most comprehensive and highly accurate map data available. The goal of our new teaming agreement is to offer carriers an integrated solution that simplifies and accelerates the process of bringing location services to market.

The Autodesk(R) LocationLogic platform, together with the Autodesk Location Connect suite of location-based applications and services, enables operators to deliver the types of relevant, personalized and actionable wireless services that will help to drive subscriber adoption and increase transactions. In this way, operators will be able to build revenue streams beyond those based on the voice services used by subscribers today. The Autodesk Location Connect market-ready suite of applications includes Business Connect, Directions Connect, Entertainment Connect, Friend Connect, and Traffic Connect.

"With Autodesk Location Services we are extending the use of Tele Atlas digital map data to potentially millions of users by provisioning content for location services," said George Fink, president and COO, Tele Atlas North America, Inc. "This alliance provides a win-win solution for everyone involved. Just as quality content is critical to the success of wireless data services, the right location services' technology is essential to delivering revenue-generating services for wireless operators."

    Autodesk LocationLogic

Building on Autodesk's core strengths in mapping, visualization, and location analysis, Autodesk LocationLogic was engineered from inception to meet the specific requirements of wireless carriers. LocationLogic handles the complexities of network integration, content management, and application integration using standard APIs and protocols to ease integration and lower the cost of application development. This kind of standardization also makes it easy to extend today's wireless data services into the future as technology evolves and customer requirements change.

    About Tele Atlas North America

Tele Atlas North America, Inc., headquartered in Menlo Park, CA, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tele Atlas NV, a leading provider of digital map data. Tele Atlas North America had its beginnings in 1983 with a vision to provide geographic information in digital form. Today, the company enables its customers' success through unsurpassed leadership in delivering both high-quality digital maps and real-time traffic information for business and consumer applications. The company focuses on providing content to three key areas in the geo-referencing market including Location Based Services (LBS), Telematics/Automotive Navigation, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). For more information on Tele Atlas products and services, please visit www.na.teleatlas.com.

    About Autodesk Location Services

Autodesk Location Services (www.autodesk.com/locationservices), a division of Autodesk, Inc., provides infomobility solutions to carriers and enterprises worldwide. The Autodesk LocationLogic platform and Autodesk Location Connect suite of applications bring personalized, localized, and actionable wireless data services to wired, mobile, and wireless environments. Founded in 1982, Autodesk, Inc., is the world's leading design and digital media creation, management, and distribution 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 throughout the value chain leverage digital design data to work better, faster, and smarter. For more information about the company, see www.autodesk.com.

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

CONTACT:          Autodesk
                  Shannon Hart, 415/507-6241
                  shannon.hart@autodesk.com
                  OR
                  Publicis (for Tele Atlas)
                  Krista Carlson, 415/445-2246
                  krista.carlson@publicis-usa.com
                  OR 
                  Applied Communications (for Autodesk)
                  Bill Danon, 415/365-0222
                  bdanon@appliedcom.com

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