Acquisition Enhances Autodesk's Infrastructure Solutions for Government, Utilities, and Engineering FirmsSAN RAFAEL, Calif., May 3, 2005 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Autodesk, Inc.
(Nasdaq: ADSK) today announced an agreement to acquire all outstanding shares
of c-plan AG, a leader in the European geographic information system (GIS)
market, whose customers include more than 2,000 users in 700 municipalities
and utility companies.
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The purchase price for the shares of the Gumligen, Switzerland-based
developer of the TOPOBASE(TM) family of geospatial applications and data
management solutions will be approximately $18 million plus net working
capital.
Autodesk will offer c-plan solutions in key European markets and will
continue supporting TOPOBASE software customers. In addition, Autodesk intends
to incorporate c-plan's expertise in its continued development of data
management solutions built with open industry standards and featuring Autodesk
Map(R) 3D software and Autodesk MapGuide(R) software.
Through the combination of Autodesk and c-plan expertise, technology and
partners, Autodesk will help customers realize their ideas by better enabling
them to integrate computer-aided design (CAD) and GIS technology. Customers
may benefit from closer integration of Autodesk products with c-plan's
industry-specific municipal, utility, and engineering applications built on
top of an open, relational geospatial database. The combined technologies are
expected to provide users with both the engineering precision and information
management flexibility required for today's multi-user infrastructure
applications.
The acquisition, expected to close in June, is designed to allow Autodesk
to more quickly deliver on its commitment to provide comprehensive industry
applications for government and utility agencies.
"We are pleased to welcome and integrate c-plan's employees and technology
with ours," said Chris Bradshaw, vice president of Autodesk Infrastructure
Solutions Division. "Since 1998, c-plan has grown more than 20 percent every
year by offering open geospatial solutions based on Oracle that work with
Autodesk, ESRI, Intergraph, and other GIS applications. c-plan's superior
database technology and targeted applications strengthen our suite of
geospatial solutions and enable us to better serve our European customers."
Frank Von Arx, chief executive officer of c-plan, added "This is a great
combination of Autodesk's ability to integrate CAD and GIS technologies on top
of Oracle with our industry solutions for municipal government and utility
companies. We are pleased to join the Autodesk family."
About Autodesk
Autodesk, Inc. is wholly focused on ensuring that great ideas are turned
into reality. With six million users, Autodesk is the world's leading software
and services company for the building, manufacturing, infrastructure, digital
media, and wireless data services fields. Autodesk's solutions help customers
create, manage, and share their data and digital assets more effectively. As
a result, customers turn ideas into competitive advantage by becoming more
productive, streamlining project efficiency, and maximizing profits.
Founded in 1982, Autodesk is headquartered in San Rafael, California. For
additional information about Autodesk, please visit www.autodesk.com.
NOTE: Autodesk, Autodesk Map, and Autodesk MapGuide are either 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.
During the course of this communication, we may make forward-looking
statements regarding future events and the future performance of the Company.
These forward-looking statements, which include but are not limited to the
statements above regarding expected integration of technologies and the
anticipated benefits to customers to be derived from the acquisition of
c-plan, are subject to assumptions, risks and uncertainties which may cause
actual results to differ from expectations. Factors that could cause actual
results to differ from the forward-looking statements include the ability of
Autodesk to retain and motivate key employees of c-plan; the timely
development, production and acceptance of products and services; the
challenges of integration and restructuring associated with the acquisition of
c-plan; the challenges of achieving anticipated synergies; potential
undisclosed liabilities of c-plan; and the assumption of maintaining revenues
on a combined company basis following the close of the acquisition. In
addition, other risk factors are discussed in documents we file from time to
time with the SEC and specifically in our Annual Report and 10-K filed for the
year ended January 31, 2004. These documents contain and identify important
factors that may cause the actual results to differ from those contained in
our forward-looking statements.
Additionally, we may make statements regarding planned or future
development efforts for our existing or new products and services. These
statements are not intended to be a promise or guarantee of future delivery of
products, services or features but merely reflect our current plans, which may
change. Purchasing decisions should not be made based upon reliance on these
statements.
The Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking
statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist or change
after the date on which they were made.
Contact: Public Relations: Kirsten Davidson, 415-547-2475
kirsten.davidson@autodesk.com
Investor Relations: Sue Pirri, 415-507-6467
sue.pirri@autodesk.com
SOURCE Autodesk, Inc.
