Speaker Manufacturer Delivers Innovative Car Audio Technology to Customers in Record Time with Autodesk Inventor Software

Business Wire, Jan 24, 2002

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SAN RAFAEL, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 24, 2002

Phoenix Gold Cuts Cycle Time by 71 Percent,

Increasing Market Opportunity

Autodesk, Inc. (Nasdaq:ADSK), the world's leading design software and digital content company, today announced that Phoenix Gold, a world-class manufacturer of high-fidelity car audio electronics and accessories, has reached a significant milestone with its deployment of Autodesk Inventor(TM) software. Using Autodesk Inventor software, Phoenix Gold recently reduced their production cycle time by 71 percent, cutting a three-and-a-half-year project down to one year. Phoenix Gold chose Autodesk Inventor software for its ability to deliver enhanced design visualization, automated drawing production, and increased accuracy in design revisions.

"The dramatic reduction in cycle time that has been achieved using Autodesk Inventor presents us with an incredible opportunity to deliver products to market faster, as well as the ability to develop the most cutting-edge designs available in car audio today," said Bill Hasbrook, Acoustics Engineer at Phoenix Gold. "The opportunity costs of a three-year product development cycle were tremendous. Over the course of the next few years, we are really going to start seeing the benefits, both from a design and revenue point of view, of getting our products out the door so quickly."

At Phoenix Gold, car audio speaker sales make up approximately 20 percent of the business. Getting products to market faster is essential for keeping an edge in a market where competitors are always introducing new products and customers are continually looking for the most sophisticated equipment. With Autodesk Inventor, the company has been able to diminish costs by eliminating expensive prototypes that typically have been used to design speakers.

Sharing Information Downstream -- Collaboration

The entire company has felt the positive impact of using Autodesk Inventor software. Product review meetings at Phoenix Gold have changed into interactive brainstorming sessions where everyone is able to explore new ideas and contribute individual creativity.

In addition to the improved product review meetings, the creative team can now access the drawings that are developed with Autodesk Inventor software. The creative designers can then import the drawings into marketing collateral, owner manuals, and catalogs, enabling them to generate the most impressive customer materials Phoenix Gold clients have seen to date. The marketing team is now able to craft the speakers that they envision, while allowing the engineering team at Phoenix Gold to focus on its goal of manufacturing an audio speaker that produces the highest quality sound on the market.

"We are pleased to see that leading companies like Phoenix Gold are recognizing the need for a sophisticated 3D design system like Autodesk Inventor, which provides unmatched visualization and collaboration capabilities," said Robert Kross, Vice President of the Manufacturing Division at Autodesk. "What really sets Autodesk Inventor software apart from the competition and makes it such a valuable design tool is its ability to let customers create design information that is easily shared beyond the engineering department, benefiting the entire organization and, ultimately, its customers and partners."

About Autodesk

Founded in 1982, Autodesk, Inc., is the world's leading design and digital media creation, management, and distribution company. The company serves a diverse portfolio of markets, including building design, geographic information systems, manufacturing, digital media, and wireless data services. By delivering tools that foster innovation and creativity, Autodesk helps customers throughout the value chain leverage digital design data to work better, faster, and smarter. Autodesk is one of the largest global software companies with annual revenues of $936 million. For more information about the company, see www.autodesk.com.

Note to Editors: Autodesk and Autodesk Inventor 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.