SAN RAFAEL, Calif. - Autodesk Inc. announced that it has acquired the majority of Applied Spatial Technologies' assets, including its flagship software application for facilities management, FMDesktop. This acquisition signals Autodesk's entry into the facilities management area and, according to the company, will enable Autodesk customers including owners and tenants to create, manage, and share building data throughout the building lifecycle. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

"Autodesk is confident that FMDesktop is the right product with the right vision for our customers," said Jay Bhatt, vice president, Building Solutions Division, Autodesk. "We are committed to the facilities management market and will continue to develop new products and services to help space planners and facility managers realize their ideas."

FMDesktop supports space management and basic maintenance management with easy-to-use applications that can be quickly installed and implemented by the user, says the company. Applied Spatial built the scalable computer aided facility management (CAFM) suite of products on Autodesk's Design Web Format (DWF) platform. As a member of the Autodesk Developer Network (ADN), Applied Spatial used the Autodesk DWF Toolkit. Leveraging the DWF file format for FMDesktop allows building managers to transform floor plans and other visual drawings into files that can be accessed and shared through a simple desktop application. This approach allows space planners and facility managers to utilize complex CAD information without having to be trained on CAD software, and readily access graphical images that aid in day-to-day facilities management.