Nearly 30,000 Experience Power of the Possible Through Industry
Keynote Presentations, Customer Exhibits, Hands-on Classes, Labs and
Networking
SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Dec 15, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) --
In its 18th year, Autodesk
University, the annual user conference for Autodesk,
Inc. (NASDAQ:ADSK), a world leader in 3D
design, engineering and entertainment software, brought together a
record number of attendees, with nearly 30,000 designers, engineers,
architects and digital artists, as well as members of the news media,
industry analyst and investment communities, from more than 72 countries
gathering at the live conferences in Las Vegas, Tokyo, Beijing and
through AU
Virtual.
During the three-day Las Vegas conference, attendees were exposed to
innovations in 3D design technologies and witnessed the positive impact
of design and technology through industry keynotes, customer exhibits
and presentations.
"Great design has always had an impact, but today, the need for that
impact is greater than ever. We are facing urgent and complex global
challenges that demand our most creative work and innovative solutions,"
said Carl
Bass, CEO and president of Autodesk, during the opening Autodesk
University keynote.
Also during the opening keynote, Autodesk chief technology officer Jeff
Kowalski talked about how a change in toolset--due to a
transformative technology--can inspire a change in mindset.
Today's transformative technology is Infinite Computing which uses the
virtually unlimited computing power available through the cloud.
Kowalski challenged attendees to change the way they are thinking about
technology and to adopt a new paradigm to solve their greatest design
problems.
"Infinite computing is changing the nature and potential impact of
design in important ways," said Kowalski. "Now, we can create amazingly
robust design explorations, brilliant visualizations and precise
simulations more efficiently and easily than ever before."
The Impact of Great Design
Autodesk invited a broad range of speakers who inspired attendees with
examples of design's impact on a range of industries and communities.
-
Scott Summit, CTO of Bespoke Innovations, demonstrated how his company
used 3D design technology to create customized and affordable
prosthetics that reflect each person's morphology and personal style.
-
Franz von Holzhausen, chief designer at Tesla Motors, drove a
prototype of the all-electric Tesla Model S sedan onto the AU stage
before showing how he and his design team were able to create multiple
prototypes of the vehicle using Autodesk software.
-
Bart Nye, public information officer for CalTrans, revealed how
CalTrans used visualization technology to more effectively communicate
major transportation construction projects to the public, enabling
them to minimize traffic and optimize efficiency.
"Using visualization technology to influence public behavior around
transportation projects has been a game-changer for us," said Nye. "We
can do things at CalTrans now that we've never been able to do before.
We can use these robust visualizations to not only affect, but improve,
motorist behavior."
Other highlights from the show included the Design
Matters Customer Showcase + Autodesk Labs, exhibits from Autodesk
Clean Tech partners Tesla Motors and Pi Mobility and a Mobile
Art Gallery, auctioning pieces for charity.
Autodesk University Goes Global, Goes Viral
Autodesk users from around the world came together to network with peers
as well as industry and product experts. Attendees had access to 450
classes, 90hands-on-labs -- including 10 Mac-specific
labs -- and 520 speakers and instructors. Students and educators, as
well as participants in the Autodesk
Assistance Program, were given free registration and access to AU
Virtual, while all attendees at AU in Las Vegas were offered the
opportunity to become certified for free on multiple Autodesk software
products. More than 2,900 attendees completed certification exams and
assessment tests.
From December 6 through February 11, nearly 100 Autodesk
Authorized Training Center (ATC) partners in 20 countries will host
more than 400 local AU
Extension events, which bring the Autodesk University experience and
value to thousands more customers and design enthusiasts across the
globe.
Related News
About Autodesk
Autodesk, Inc., is a leader in 3D
design, engineering and entertainment software. Customers across the
manufacturing, architecture, building, construction, and media and
entertainment industries -- including the last 15 Academy Award winners
for Best Visual Effects -- use Autodesk software to design, visualize
and simulate their ideas. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in
1982, Autodesk continues to develop the broadest portfolio of
state-of-the-art software for global markets. For additional information
about Autodesk, visit www.autodesk.com.
Autodesk, AutoCAD and ATC are registered trademarks or trademarks of
Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA
and/or other countries. Academy Award is a registered trademark of the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. All other brand names,
product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk
reserves the right to alter product and services offerings, and
specifications and pricing at any time without notice, and is not
responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in
this document.
© 2010 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6545523&lang=en
SOURCE: Autodesk, Inc.
Autodesk, Inc.
Angela Costa Simoes, 415-547-2388
angela.simoes@autodesk.com
