AUTODESK OFFERS $3 MILLION IN GIS EDUCATIONAL GRANTS

San Rafael, California, September 16, 1997 _ Autodesk, Inc., the world's leading supplier of GIS, mapping, and design software for the PC, announced today a $3,000,000 geographic information systems (GIS) software grant program for educational institutions and faculty in the U.S. and Canada.

Grants of AutoCAD Map, Autodesk World and Autodesk MapGuide software will be awarded for curriculum development, instruction and research.  Up to 75 grants will be awarded on the basis of merit, need and software availability to not-for-profit educational institutions and full-time faculty.

 "These grants will help the many educational institutions that are improving their GIS programs by building AutoCAD Map, Autodesk World, and Autodesk MapGuide into their curricula," said Joe Astroth, vice president of Autodesk's GIS Market Group.  "Autodesk is a committed member of the GIS community, and these grants will give many students the opportunity to reap the benefit of our technology."

The grants are limited to one license per faculty member or ten licenses per department or institution. Autodesk will grant up to 650 copies of AutoCAD Map and/or Autodesk World, and 10 Autodesk MapGuide Servers and Authors.  Applicants must have hardware that meets the minimum requirements for operating the software.

Applications will be accepted through December 31, 1998. Applications are available via Autodesk's Fax-Back system by calling 415-446-1919 and choosing document #330.  For more information about the grant program, interested parties can access Autodesk's web site at  www.autodesk.com/ebd or call Autodesk at 508-540-6660.

GIS and Mapping at Autodesk

Autodesk is the world's leading supplier of GIS, mapping, and design software for the PC.  The company provides easy to use GIS and mapping software to help business and governments manage their assets and infrastructure.  Autodesk's family of GIS products address the entire GIS workflow within organizations, from data creation, integration and analysis to communication both inside and outside of organizations.  For more information, visit the GIS at Autodesk web site at www.autodesk.com/gis.

About Autodesk

Autodesk is the world's leading supplier of PC design software and multimedia tools.  The company's 2D and 3D products and data management tools are used in many industries for architectural design, mechanical design, mapping and GIS, film and video production, video game development and Web content development.  Its Kinetix division is the leader in PC-based 3D modeling and animation software, providing a full range of products for digital media and design professionals.

The fifth largest PC software company in the world, Autodesk has three million customers in more than 150  countries.  For more information, contact any Authorized Autodesk Dealer, call Autodesk at 800-964-6432, or fax requests for information to 415-507-5100. Outside of North America, fax requests for information to +1 415-507-6110 (Latin America), +1 415-507-6117 (Asia Pacific), or +1 41-22-788-21-44 (Europe).  For more information on Autodesk, call 415-507-5000, type GO ADESK on CompuServe, or visit http://www.autodesk.com.  Autodesk shares are traded on the Nasdaq national market under the symbol ADSK.


The Autodesk name and logo and AutoCAD Map are registered trademarks of Autodesk in the United States and in certain other countries.  Autodesk World, Autodesk MapGuide and Kinetix are trademarks of Autodesk. All other trademarks belong to their respective companies.

Editor and Industry Analyst Contact:  Andrew Carothers, Autodesk, Inc., 415-507-6568 or andrew.carothers@autodesk.com