Design Innovation and Engineering Advancements Set 2007 Inventor of the Month Recipients Apart from the Competition

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Dec. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Autodesk, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADSK) today kicked off the official Inventor of the Year voting process by inviting the manufacturing community to log onto the Autodesk community web site and choose which of their favorite 2007 Inventor of the Month recipients should be named Inventor of the Year (http://mfgcommunity.autodesk.com/featured/inventorofyear/).

The Inventor of the Month (IOM) program (http://www.autodesk.com/inventorofthemonth) recognizes the most innovative design and engineering advancements made by the extensive community using Autodesk Inventor software. Recognizing manufacturers of all sizes, the IOM program tells the stories of many customers who are achieving competitive advantage through design innovation with Digital Prototyping solutions.

The Inventor of the Month with the highest community rating will be presented with the title Inventor of the Year. The voting will commence immediately and will wrap up on Friday, January 18 at 11:59 p.m. ET. The Inventor of the Year winner will be announced at the end of January 2008. Inventor of the Month winners for 2007 included:

January 2007: Marine Advanced Research develops new seagoing technologies that redefine ways in which vessels go to sea. Marine Advanced Research used Autodesk Inventor software to develop the WAM-V: the Wave Adaptive Modular Vessel, an entirely new class of sea going vessel.

February 2007: Rapiscan Systems is leading supplier of security inspection solutions that utilize X-ray, gamma ray imaging and advanced threat identification imaging. Rapiscan uses Inventor to quickly and easily create 3D digital prototypes of its products, which contain anywhere from 300 to more than 1,000 parts.

March 2007: BigToys, Inc. is a manufacturer of environmentally friendly commercial playground equipment. With an emphasis on caring for the environment as much as on children, BigToys uses Inventor to continue its role as a leader in the playground equipment industry by promoting environmental awareness and responsible stewardship of natural resources.

April 2007: Famed Zywiec is the largest producer of medical equipment in Poland, manufacturing hundreds of diverse products and specialized furniture for hospitals and doctor's offices. Inventor plays a key role in helping Famed Zywiec design and manufacture their products with minimal waste.

May 2007: Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS) is a research facility operated by the Brazilian Ministry of Science and Technology. LNLS allows a broad range of scientists to use powerful X-ray and ultraviolet beams to gain new insights into the atomic and molecular structure of various materials and relies on Inventor to design the equipment required for these scientific applications.

June 2007: Michael Piersa and a team of college students designed a "Wheelchair for the 21st Century". Inventor allowed Piersa and his team to easily create an accurate digital prototype of their wheelchair and confirm that the scores of moving parts all worked together seamlessly before building it.

July 2007: Jayco is a leading designer and manufacturer of Human-Machine Interfaces and used Inventor to package a new type of mobile electronic flightdeck for one of its aviation customers. These devices are portable computing solutions that enable flight crews to access critical digitized flight navigational data and flight deck/cabin management documentation.

August 2007: Magic Wheels is a developer of multigear wheel systems for manual wheelchairs. Using Inventor, the company has created a two-gear wheel system that makes it easier for rear-push wheelchair users to ascend and descend hills, or navigate rough and uneven surfaces.

September 2007: SkidTek is a leading designer and manufacturer of modular processing and purifying systems for the pharmaceutical industry. Inventor software plays a key role in helping SkidTek to develop the most sophisticated high-purity modular processing systems on the market.

October 2007: HTC Sweden is the market leader in machines for grinding and polishing stone floors. Inventor plays a critical role in helping HTC develop machines which use a diamond-based grinding system that can be used for any kind of stone -- including granite, natural stone, marble and concrete floors.

November 2007: Franke is a global manufacturer of foodservice, kitchen systems washroom systems and professional coffee systems. Inventor helps Franke to increase the development cycle speed for new products by reducing the need for physical prototypes.

December 2007: Craftsmen Industries is a leading provider of customized vehicles for the event and promotion industry. Craftsmen uses Inventor to create mobile displays, sophisticated, expandable exhibit trailers and one-of-a-kind vehicles that transform ordinary vehicles into visually compelling advertisements on wheels.

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, 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.

(C) 2007 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.

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

SOURCE Autodesk, Inc.

CONTACT: Christine Stoner of Autodesk, Inc., +1-416-874-8841, christine.stoner@autodesk.com; or Alyson Howard, +1-312-297-7430, alyson.howard@edelman.com, for Autodesk, Inc.
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