At 9.2 ESRI focused on improving the use of CAD data in ArcGIS Desktop. In 9.3 ESRI has focused on improving the interoperability of ArcGIS information with AutoCAD.  Exporting GIS data to AutoCAD with 9.3 creates drawing files with fully attributed feature classes.  With 9.3 an improved AutoCAD data encoding technique uses objects in the AutoCAD drawing to retain both feature class organization and feature attribution inside the AutoCAD drawing file.  This encoding technique is called the Mapping Specification for DWG/DXF (MSD).  Work continues on ArcGIS for AutoCAD, the free plug-in that connects AutoCAD to ArcGIS Server map services.  This form of interoperability forgoes the complications of the different data models and cartographic display capabilities of CAD and GIS to provide AutoCAD users direct access to geodatabases and ArcGIS base maps as drawn by ArcGIS.  In addition to improvements to the map service functionality, the 9.3 ArcGIS for AutoCAD release will also contain tools to create and edit MSD CAD feature classes within AutoCAD.  These tools will assist AutoCAD users in preparing better GIS content and improving interoperability workflows.