FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW RELEASE OF AUTODESK MAPGUIDE OFFERS FASTER, WIDER ACCESS TO DATA
Release 4.0 Now Shipping with Java, Support for Non-Mapping
Coordinates
San Rafael, CA, January 25, 1999-Autodesk, Inc. announced that today
it has begun worldwide shipping of Autodesk MapGuide Release 4.0.
The new release extends the geographic information system (GIS)
industry's leading online mapping software to more users, eases
access to facility management data, and delivers all significant new
features requested by customers.
Autodesk MapGuide software is a Web-based GIS that reduces the high
operational costs expenses related to the distribution of maps and
associated information at utilities, telecommunications companies,
governments and other organizations. As a complement to other GIS
software or as a stand alone system, the software distributes
intelligent maps, schematics and reports that reside on paper,
microfilm, or in multiple, remote databases to hundreds or thousands
of users at a fraction of the cost of traditional GIS software.
Current customers include ScottishTelecom, Pacific Gas & Electric,
the City of Los Angeles, and the Hong Kong Lands Department. Visit
www.autodesk.com/mapguide for a free download, starter applications,
and live demos.
The latest version extends to Macintosh and Sun Solaris users the
ability to access live, interactive maps and associated data with the
new Autodesk MapGuide Viewer, Java Edition. Additionally, the new
release expands use beyond the browser, as it can be incorporated
directly into Visual Basic applications.
"Adding a Java-based Viewer to what was already a highly scalable,
secure solution means that all of customers' employees can use
Autodesk MapGuide as a decision support system," says Joe Astroth,
Ph.D, Autodesk vice president for GIS.
"Deploying Autodesk MapGuide in Pima County has finally given
end-users easy, very inexpensive access to the data that we have
spent the last 10 years creating," says Jack Lloyd, GIS Manager,
Department of Transportation, Pima County, Arizona. "We have never
worked with a better solution for delivering GIS data to the desktop."
Facility managers, already heavy users of the product, will find the
new release streamlines the development of FM applications and
provides interactive access to inside plant FM designs and data in
non-mapping system coordinates. And, Autodesk MapGuide Release 4.0
now includes DWG and DXF support for faster access to maps and
drawings in these FM industry standard file formats.
Autodesk included every significant new feature requested by users in
Autodesk MapGuide Release 4.0. Most notably, users now can rapidly
integrate archived microfilm and paper maps and schematics not
previously available electronically by overlaying multiple scanned
raster maps with bitonal transparency. Additionally, users can serve
gigabytes of raster data in seconds.
Autodesk MapGuide Release 4.0 supports a number of industry standard
web development platforms, and comes bundled with Allaire's
ColdFusion 4 Application Server Professional Edition and version 4 of
Allaire's ColdFusion Studio Software, the leading cross-platform Web
application server.
Worldwide Availability
Autodesk MapGuide software is now shipping in the Americas in US
English. In Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the company expects
to ship International English, French and German versions in the
first half of February, and Italian and Spanish versions in early
March. The suggested entry-level retail price in the United States
and Canada is US$9,990. VIP program pricing is available in North
America. Users outside the United States and Canada should contact
local Authorized Autodesk Resellers for pricing.
About Autodesk MapGuide
Autodesk MapGuide software is a tool for building web-based
applications requiring maps and GIS data. Unlike any other product,
Autodesk MapGuide software delivers integrated vector, raster and
attribute data to provide true GIS functionality out of the box. The
first GIS built from the ground up for the protocols of
intranet/internet use, Autodesk MapGuide software is optimized for
distributed and scaleable computing, allowing users to access data
stored on multiple servers across their organization's network. It
complements existing GIS solutions, enabling users with heavy
investments in ARC/INFO coverages, ArcView shapefiles, Microstation
DGN and other file formats to quickly distribute thin applications.
About GIS at Autodesk
Autodesk provides easy to use, cost-effective mapping and GIS
software to help businesses and governments manage their assets and
infrastructure. The company's award-winning products include AutoCAD
Map software for map creation and maintenance; Autodesk World
software for integrating and managing spatial data in the Microsoft
environment; and Autodesk MapGuide software, the most powerful
Web-based GIS in the world. For more information, visit
www.autodesk.com/gis.
About Autodesk
Autodesk is the fourth largest PC software company in the world and
the leading supplier of PC design software and multimedia tools. More
than four million customers use the company's 2D and 3D products for
architectural design, mechanical design, geographic information
systems and mapping, civil engineering and surveying, and through its
Kinetix division for film and video production, and video game and
Web content development. For more information, contact any Authorized
Autodesk Reseller, call Autodesk at 800-964-6432, or visit
www.autodesk.com. Autodesk shares are traded on the Nasdaq national
market under the symbol ADSK.
Editor Contact
Andrew Carothers, Autodesk, Inc., 415-507-4794 or
andrew.carothers@autodesk.com
