SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Jun 1, 2004 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Autodesk, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADSK), the world's leading design software and digital content company, today announces the upcoming release of Autodesk Inventor(R) Series, the world's #1 selling 3D mechanical design software. Autodesk Inventor Series 9, along with new releases of Autodesk Inventor Professional, AutoCAD(R) Mechanical, AutoCAD(R) Electrical and Autodesk(R) Vault, reflect the priorities of Autodesk's two million manufacturing customers. Autodesk solutions for manufacturing help mainstream manufacturers create, manage, and share valuable design data, to accelerate product development cycles and optimize existing investments in design data.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040601/SFTU055 )

In an industry known for increasing competitive threats and globalization pressures, manufacturers are looking for solutions that can help them accelerate cycle times while reducing costs in order to gain a competitive advantage. Autodesk solutions enable customers to deliver better quality products, drive design reuse, and collaborate more efficiently with manufacturing partners. With the introduction of Autodesk Inventor Series 9, designers can develop drawings more quickly with fewer mistakes. The industry's only integrated 2D and 3D design tool, Autodesk Inventor Series enables customers to work with existing 2D designs and move to 3D at their own pace. Autodesk Vault, now fully integrated into all Autodesk manufacturing design software, provides data management capabilities to store, manage, and organize design data, synchronize design-related efforts across teams and protect against inadvertent changes.

"We are committed to providing a complete solution for manufacturers, from the most innovative 2D and 3D design tools to the only practical data management solution on the market," said Robert Kross, vice president of Autodesk's Manufacturing Solutions Division. "Our customers need to produce quality products quickly and efficiently, and get them to market before their competitors. Autodesk is helping manufacturers streamline their design processes, which will ultimately result in their ability to deliver better quality products at a lower cost of development."

Based on feedback from its manufacturing customers, Autodesk's software provides an environment for designers and engineers to focus on solving complex design problems while accelerating product development. Key enhancements to the new releases include:

    -- Autodesk Inventor Series delivers enhanced performance for 3D users, as
       well as powerful new drawing capabilities such as styles and layers,
       and advanced DWG support for AutoCAD users moving to 3D
    -- Autodesk Inventor Professional now includes FEA functionality, powered
       by industry-leading ANSYS technology, to enable customers to execute
       stress and strain analysis directly in the Autodesk Inventor
       application
    -- AutoCAD Mechanical, developed on the AutoCAD 2005 platform, includes
       enhanced features purpose-built for 2D mechanical design
    -- AutoCAD Electrical allows customers to create and modify electrical
       control designs that are seamlessly integrated with their AutoCAD
       design environment
    -- Autodesk Vault, now integrated with all manufacturing design software,
       helps customers securely manage work-in-process design data
    -- Autodesk Streamline(R) and DWF(TM) functionality provide maximum
       project visibility and collaboration with suppliers and customers

Customers and Partners Endorse the Autodesk Approach

Engineering and Machine Design, an Oregon-based designer and fabricator of specialized machinery, will improve productivity with the new flexible assemblies functionality in Autodesk Inventor Series 9.0, "The ability to illustrate assemblies in various positions is beneficial for showcasing customer features," said Mike Halter, principal of Engineering and Machine Design, Inc. (EMDI). "This can help us minimize errors and improve overall product function."

U.V.P., a leading developer and manufacturer of ultraviolet products and life science instrumentation since 1932, leverages Autodesk Vault-integrated directly into Autodesk Inventor Series-to manage work-in-process design changes automatically, "We use Autodesk Vault to securely control design documentation (drawings, certification documentation, CNC programs, etc.)," said Darius Kelly, Mechanical Engineer and Mechanical Design Group Supervisor at U.V.P. "By adopting this software and a paperless system, we can ensure that the designs used in manufacturing are always the right versions."

"We are pleased to enhance our partnership with Autodesk by integrating our proven FEA capabilities with Inventor 3D design software," said Jim Cashman, president and CEO of ANSYS, Inc. "Engineering simulation is vital to the design and development of quality products. Customers now can improve time to market by deploying this technology to a larger part of their design community."

A Comprehensive Portfolio of Manufacturing Solutions

Delivering on its strategy to help customers create, manage, and share their digital design data and solve critical business challenges, Autodesk offers the most comprehensive portfolio of integrated 2D and 3D design and data management solutions available -- helping customers design better quality products, accelerate time to market, and achieve maximum project visibility and collaboration. Unlike other offerings on the market today, these solutions are easy to deploy and use, and help companies easily transition from 2D to 3D design. Autodesk's manufacturing solutions include Autodesk Inventor Series, the world's #1 selling 3D mechanical design software, Autodesk Inventor Professional, AutoCAD Mechanical, and AutoCAD Electrical software -- all with Autodesk Vault data management capabilities built in; and the Autodesk Streamline collaboration service. In addition, customers can take advantage of widely available third-party applications purpose-built for Autodesk software.

For an annual fee, Autodesk Subscription customers benefit from a complete technology, training, and support program that protects their software investments by providing them with the most current design technology, Web Support direct from Autodesk, flexible self-paced training options and a broad range of other technology and business benefits. For more information about Autodesk Subscription, visit www.autodesk.com/subscription.

Autodesk Consulting offers services that can help you streamline your business processes and get the best possible return on your investment in Autodesk technology. Visit us at www.autodesk.com/consulting.

About Autodesk

Autodesk is the world's leading design software and digital content company, offering customers progressive business solutions through powerful technology products and services. Autodesk helps customers in the building, manufacturing, infrastructure, digital media, and wireless data services fields increase the value of their digital design data and improve efficiencies across their entire project lifecycle management processes. For more information about the company, see www.autodesk.com.

NOTE: Autodesk, AutoCAD, Autodesk Inventor, Autodesk Streamline, and DWF 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.

During the course of this communication, we may make forward-looking statements regarding future events and the future performance of the Company. These forward-looking statements are subject to assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which are discussed in documents we file from time to time with the SEC and specifically in our Annual Report and 10-K filed for the year ended January 31, 2004. These documents contain and identify important factors that may cause the actual results to differ from those contained in our forward-looking statements.

Additionally, we may make statements regarding planned or future development efforts for our existing or new products and services. These statements are not intended to be a promise or guarantee of future delivery of products, services or features but merely reflect our current plans, which may change. Purchasing decisions should not be made based upon reliance on these statements.

The Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist or change after the date on which they were made.

NOTE: ANSYS, ANSYS DesignSpace, CFX, DesignModeler, DesignXplorer, ANSYS Workbench Environment, AI*Environment, CADOE and any and all ANSYS, Inc. product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of subsidiaries of ANSYS, Inc. located in the United States or other countries. ICEM CFD is a trademark licensed by ANSYS, Inc. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

       Contact:  Tiffany Pence, 415-547-2475
       Email:    tiffany.pence@autodesk.com

SOURCE Autodesk, Inc.

Tiffany Pence of Autodesk, Inc., +1-415-547-2475, or
tiffany.pence@autodesk.com
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