Design resource company, Autodesk, has acquired industry-specific design functionality and services that help it to extend its vision of a comprehensive asset management/facilities management/geographic information system (AM/FM/GIS) enterprise solution to the electric utility market. The company recently announced that it had acquired Gentry Systems, a leading supplier of specialised software tools and services to over 300 companies in 11 countries in the electric utility industry.

By acquiring Gentry Systems, Autodesk gains important front-end design capabilities specific to the electric utilities industry including job estimating, electric network design calculations, and physical design calculations. Combining these capabilities with Autodesk GIS Design Server, AutoCAD Map, Autodesk MapGuide and Autodesk OnSite, enables Autodesk to deliver the only end-to-end solution for meeting challenges specific to the electric utility industry.

Electric utility companies are facing increasing pressures from a variety of directions including tighter customer service regulations and increasing demand. They need technology to help them maximise the value of their GIS data across the entire enterprise and supply chain in order to provide essential services to their customers. Combined with the recently announced Autodesk GIS Design Server ( www.autodesk.com/gisdesignserver), electric utility companies will have a powerful solution for designing networks and integrating their GIS data and systems at the enterprise decision support level.

"The result is reduced costs, streamlined operational efficiency and increased competitiveness," says Errol Ashwell, MD of Autodesk Africa. "The Gentry acquisition gives Autodesk a wider range of better-integrated AM/FM/GIS technology for solving challenging problems in the utility market," he concludes.

For more information, contact any Authorised Autodesk Reseller, call Autodesk at (011) 318 2900, or visit www.autodesk.com

Autodesk is a leading design creation resource. The company is providing software and Internet services to help customers drive business through the power of design. One of the largest software companies in the world. Autodesk helps designs became a reality for more than four million customers in over 150 countries.