SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Nov. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Autodesk, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADSK) today announced that Franke Group (Franke) -- a global manufacturer of foodservice and kitchen systems -- has been named as the Autodesk Inventor of the Month for November 2007. The Inventor of the Month program (http://www.autodesk.com/inventorofthemonth) recognizes the most innovative design and engineering advancements made by the extensive community using Autodesk Inventor software, which provides the foundation for Digital Prototyping (http://www.autodesk.com/digitalprototyping).

While best known for its highly designed kitchen sinks, Franke offers a wide range of products and services worldwide, including kitchen systems, foodservice systems, washroom systems and professional coffee systems to a long list of well-known clients such as McDonald's, Burger King, YUM and IKEA. Franke's products are designed and manufactured through its global operations with 44 production sites and 100 marketing organizations around the world. Due to the multinational nature of the company, a new product line might be designed in one part of the world, but manufactured in another. This global business model requires quick and effective communication between diverse business teams.

By using Autodesk solutions to create a continuous digital pipeline for its product design data, Franke is able to provide effective collaboration throughout the company. During the industrial design phase, Franke captures its ideas -- from initial sketches to 3D concept models -- digitally, using software from the Autodesk AliasStudio product family and then shares those designs with the engineering team using a common file format.

The engineering team imports this 3D digital design data into Autodesk Inventor software and leverages it throughout all phases of the product development process to create a robust digital model. This Inventor model is an accurate 3D digital prototype that enables users to validate design and engineering decisions as they work, minimizing the need for physical prototypes, and reducing costly engineering changes that previously were discovered after the design was sent to manufacturing teams.

"Autodesk Inventor software has played a critical role in helping us increase development cycle speed for new products," said Christian Sperka, CIO of Franke Group and Member of Group Management. "The ability to use Digital Prototyping to virtually explore a complete product before it is built saves us time at every step of the product development cycle, from the industrial design phase through the manufacturing process."

"For global companies like Franke, macroeconomic trends -- such as globalization, sustainable product design and the need to manage complexity and technology innovation -- are the new realities for manufacturers today," said Robert "Buzz" Kross, senior vice president of Autodesk Manufacturing Solutions. "By reducing their reliance on physical prototypes, Inventor is helping Franke find success in an ever-changing world."

About the Autodesk Inventor of the Month Program

Each month, Autodesk selects an Inventor of the Month from the more than 700,000 users of Autodesk Inventor software, the foundation for Digital Prototyping. Winners are chosen for engineering excellence and groundbreaking innovation. For more information on Autodesk Inventor of the Month, contact us at IOM@autodesk.com.

About Franke Group

Franke Group, based in Aarburg, Switzerland is an industrial manufacturer with companies located around the world. Franke has about 12,000 qualified employees working in 83 companies in Europe, South and North America, Africa, Australia and Asia. For additional information about Franke Group, visit http://www.franke.com.

About Autodesk

Autodesk, Inc. is the world leader in 2D and 3D design software for the manufacturing, 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 built. 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, AliasStudio, 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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                 (C) 2007 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.

    Contact:   Christine Stoner 416.874.8841     Alyson Howard 312.297.7430
    Email:     christine.stoner@autodesk.com     alyson.howard@edelman.com

SOURCE Autodesk, Inc. 11/28/2007

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4076 11/28/2007 16:30 EST http://www.prnewswire.com