2002 Retirement FAQ

On January 16, 2006, Autodesk will no longer provide support for AutoCAD® 2002-based products. That's why now is the right time to consider moving to AutoCAD 2006 or any one of the AutoCAD 2006-based products. The newest Autodesk® software is built to maximize your productivity:

New drafting and annotation tools such as Dynamic Blocks and enhanced hatching minimize the need for time-consuming workarounds.
Organize multiple drawings within a project with the Sheet Set Manager.
Enjoy faster file operations with an optimized DWG file format.
And simplify the upgrade process with powerful migration and deployment tools.

Now is also the right time to take a look at the newest release of Autodesk Inventor® software. Autodesk Inventor Series 10 accelerates your design cycle with one complete package that delivers a risk-free path from 2D to 3D. On October 15, 2005, Autodesk will no longer provide support for Autodesk Inventor Series 7. So plan your upgrade now and soon you'll be able to realize your ideas more powerfully than ever before.

Frequently Asked Questions

What products will be retired?

What does the retirement mean to me?

Why is Autodesk retiring these releases?

What if I don't upgrade before the retirement date?

Can I upgrade to another Autodesk product?

Why is now the best time to upgrade?

What is Autodesk Subscription?

What products will be retired?
The following Autodesk products will be retired on January 16, 2006:

General Design

AutoCAD® 2002
AutoCAD LT® 2002
Autodesk® CAD Overlay® 2002
Autodesk® Raster Design 3
Autodesk® VIZ 3 and 3i
Volo® View 2 and 3

Building Solutions

Autodesk® Architectural Desktop 3.3

Infrastructure Solutions

Autodesk® Civil Design 3
Autodesk® Land Desktop 3
Autodesk® Survey 3
Autodesk Map® 5 and 6

Manufacturing Solutions

Autodesk® Mechanical Desktop® 6
AutoCAD® Mechanical 6
If you're using Autodesk Inventor® Series 7 software, don't miss your opportunity to upgrade before October 15, 2005.

What does the retirement mean to me?
Autodesk will stop selling upgrades and crossgrades from AutoCAD 2002-based products after January 16, 2006. Additionally, Autodesk will no longer sell upgrades from Autodesk Inventor Series 7 after October 15, 2005. That means upgrade pricing will no longer be available and Autodesk will no longer provide technical support, except for existing maintenance patches that are downloadable from www.autodesk.com. But don't worry, there's still an opportunity to move to the latest Autodesk software release, even after the retirement date. The Autodesk Legacy Program gives customers who own valid licenses of select retired Autodesk software the opportunity to purchase specially discounted licenses of current Autodesk products at 30% off the suggested retail price of a new license. (AutoCAD LT software is not eligible for the Autodesk Legacy Program.)

Why is Autodesk retiring these releases?
Autodesk is continually adding new functionality to our software products. Many of the new and improved features are based on feedback from customers just like you who are faced with increasing pressure to get more done in less time. Customers who have already moved to the latest releases say these time-saving tools are worth the cost of upgrading and help them stay ahead of the competition.

One challenge of keeping up with customer demand is the cost associated with supporting older releases. So like many other software companies, Autodesk has a policy of supporting products two releases back from the currently shipping release of that product. This policy enables Autodesk to control the costs of maintaining older versions of our software, which in turn helps keep down your price to purchase new Autodesk software. Following the release of the AutoCAD 2006-based family of products in March 2005, we announced the retirement of AutoCAD 2002-based products and Autodesk Inventor Series 7.

Since we released AutoCAD 2002, we have subsequently released AutoCAD 2004, AutoCAD 2005, and AutoCAD 2006 together with a complete family of products compatible with these releases. We believe that your upgrade to the current release will more than pay for itself in the productivity gains you can achieve.

What if I don't upgrade before the retirement date?
You do not have to upgrade right now. You have until January 16, 2006, to upgrade or crossgrade to upgrade or crossgrade to the current release. (The retirement date for Autodesk Inventor Series 7 software is October 15, 2005.) After their respective retirement dates, all of these products will be recognized under the Autodesk Legacy Program. The Autodesk Legacy Program recognizes your prior investment in Autodesk software and allows you to purchase a new, full commercial license of select, current releases at up to 30% off the normal suggested retail price. Some restrictions apply. For example, you must have a valid license of the retired release and purchase Autodesk Subscription. But otherwise, it's easy to participate in the Autodesk Legacy Program and we know this may be a better option for some our customers.

Can I upgrade to another Autodesk Product?
You can upgrade to the latest release of the product you're using today, or you can upgrade to any of the specific solutions for the building, manufacturing, and infrastructure industries.

Why is now the right time to upgrade?
In order to continue receiving the most benefits from your Autodesk software, we want to make it as easy as possible for you to upgrade to the latest release right now. Save up to 20% when you upgrade between May 1 and July 29, 2005. Don't wait until the last minute! The sooner you buy, the more you save.

What is Autodesk Subscription?
The Autodesk® Subscription Program makes it simple to keep your software up to date. For an annual fee, Autodesk Subscription gives you the latest releases of your Autodesk® software, any incremental product enhancements, personalized web support direct from Autodesk technical experts, and self-paced training to help extend your skills. And with access to a range of exclusive community resources and members-only privileges, you can use the power of your design tools to the fullest and make the most of your technology investment.