(Autodesk, Inc., San Rafael, CA) A leading provider of computer-aided design (CAD) software, founded in 1982. Autodesk introduced AutoCAD in its first year, and three years later, became the first PC CAD company to go public. The product line was expanded to include design software for multimedia and home improvement. Autodesk has more than four million users in more than 150 countries, and its products are available in more than 20 foreign languages. See
AutoCAD.