Autodesk Announces New Products to Help Utilities Improve Network Design and Management

Autodesk Announces New Products to Help Utilities Improve Network Design and
Management
Autodesk Utility Design 2009 Software and Autodesk Topobase 2009 Software Help
Utilities Enhance Efficiency and Data Quality

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., July 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Autodesk, Inc.
(Nasdaq: ADSK), a leader of design innovation software and technologies, today
announced new releases of two products to help improve network design and
management for the utilities industry: Autodesk Utility Design (AUD) 2009
software and Autodesk Topobase 2009 software. These products will help
utilities design their networks more efficiently and integrate precision
as-built information into their processes.
"Trends today in the utilities industry -- including intelligent grid and
sustainability initiatives -- drive the need for more complex design projects
and better access to accurate and precise network information," said Lisa
Campbell, vice president, Autodesk Geospatial. "By improving design processes
and integrating network design and asset management, Autodesk helps utilities
to improve efficiency and data quality throughout the lifecycle of their
assets."
What's New in Autodesk Utility Design 2009 Software
Autodesk Utility Design 2009 software helps utilities more quickly and
accurately design, engineer, estimate costs and order materials for
distribution networks. It streamlines the design process with true
rules-based automation-integrating the creation of construction drawings,
performing engineering calculations to size facilities, and linking to
materials management systems to create the correct materials orders for new
facilities. The new version is built on AutoCAD Map 3D 2009 software, the
leading software for creating and managing spatial data, and includes enhanced
engineering calculations.
"Autodesk Utility Design enables our designers and engineers to produce
standards-based layouts, material orders, project estimates and reports. AUD
is highly configurable and its open architecture allowed us to develop
applications to automate time-consuming procedures," says Ray Pearce,
engineering support supervisor at Anchorage Municipal Light & Power, in
Anchorage Alaska, "The delivered functionality of AUD combined with our
configurations have yielded significant efficiencies and improvements to our
design process."
What's New in Autodesk Topobase 2009 Software
Autodesk Topobase software, built on AutoCAD Map 3D and Autodesk MapGuide
Enterprise software, integrates infrastructure design and management. It
provides easy access to accurate design, spatial and asset information to
engineering, GIS and field operations teams. Topobase 2009 software has over
50 new utility features, including wastewater inspection workflows that
integrate network management and video, network schematic generation and the
ability to visualize the inside of network structures such as transformer
stations. It also works with more versions of Oracle databases, and now
includes vertical modules for managing water, wastewater, gas and electric
assets in the base product.
Better access to accurate asset information is important for utilities
managing the growing number of private solar and wind generators in their
service area "Thanks to Autodesk, we've got the data we need to quickly
approve new solar hookups all in one system," says Artur Brei, GIS and
Documentation Manager at UEZ Lulsfeld. "What used to take from several days up
to two weeks can now be accomplished for our customers in a few hours."
Availability
Autodesk Utility Design software is currently available in the United
States and Canada. Autodesk Topobase software is available in the United
States, Canada, and Mexico, throughout Europe and in Australia. For more
information, visit http://www.autodesk.com/utilitydesign and
http://www.autodesk.com/topobase
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 MapGuide, Autodesk Utility Design and Topobase
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) 2008 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.

Contact: Brett Smith (415) 547-2405
Email: brett.smith@autodesk.com

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SOURCE Autodesk, Inc.

Brett Smith of Autodesk, Inc., +1-415-547-2405, brett.smith@autodesk.com