Four New Partners Join Synopsys' Tap-in Program; EDA Industry Continues to Embrace Synopsys' Library Standard.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 13, 1998--Synopsys Inc. (Nasdaq:SNPS), today announced four new partners in their technology access program, TAP-in(TM), further validating the need for improved methods of EDA interoperability. Through Synopsys' TAP-in program, Denali Software, Synplicity Inc., Ultima Interconnect and Verplex have licensed Synopsys' Liberty(TM) package, which includes the popular .lib and Stamp formats for advanced library modeling. With the addition of these four new partners, nearly a dozen companies have now joined the program.

"Judging from the overwhelming requests for Liberty licenses, now more than ever, it is clear that the industry wants an alternative approach to obtaining access to important formats," said Rich Goldman, senior director of strategic market development at Synopsys. "Through the TAP-in program, Synopsys is providing an improved method for industry interoperability. Synopsys is pleased to welcome these four outstanding companies to the TAP-in program and we look forward to working with them."

The basis of the TAP-in program is to exchange proprietary formats, and many companies opt to do so therefore taking the industry one step closer to easier interoperability. Agreements were signed to exchange Synopsys' Liberty licenses for Denali's Yukon format and Ultima's URAPI format. Liberty licenses were purchased by Synplicity and Verplex.

"We are excited about the leadership that Synopsys is demonstrating toward fostering industry cooperation through its TAP-in program," said Bernie Aronson, president of Synplicity. "Although both Synopsys and Synplicity provide synthesis solutions, Synopsys is encouraging true interoperability by providing access to its synthesis library formats. By licensing their formats to the entire industry, Synopsys is doing exactly what they set out to do with this program."

TAP-in Program Changing the Standard

"This program is exactly what the industry needs and the entire format exchange process couldn't have been any easier. This is the first time in Denali history that a third-party contract has been signed without a single change," says Sanjay K. Srivastava, president of Denali Software. "Designers must be able to integrate best-in-class tools from several vendors in their system-on-a-chip design environment. We anticipate our partnership will result in an integrated design flow where memory modeling will be tightly linked to simulation, synthesis and timing analysis solutions."

Through TAP-in, partners have access to the most widely used library format in the electronics design industry today. The Liberty format drives industry-leading tools in synthesis, timing analysis, formal verification, test, simulation and power, and is integral to the design flows of both semiconductor vendors and electronic designers. With TAP-in, members can also leverage the industry's continued investment in over 400 submicron libraries. Encouraged by the success of Liberty licensing, Synopsys continues to lead the industry in interoperability efforts by licensing additional key formats that help close the design productivity gap.

"Liberty is the industry's most widely adopted library format for both synthesis and timing analysis," says Joe G. Xi, vice president of products and marketing of Ultima Interconnect. "Virtually all of Ultima's customers have been using the .lib files with Millenium, Ultima's deep- submicron delay calculator. Our partnership with Synopsys can now provide designers with the best timing verification flow for 0.25-micron and below designs."

"While library support is important for any EDA company, for Verplex this support is critical," said C. Michael Chang, president of Verplex Systems. "With the Liberty license and access to over 400 submicron certified libraries, it will be much easier to integrate our formal verification tool into customers' existing design flows."

Since the TAP-in program was created to promote interoperability through openness, Synopsys held the first Liberty developers forum, which took place at the Design Automation Conference in San Francisco, Calif., on June 17, 1998. Attending this forum were current Liberty licensees and the Synopsys TAP-in team, who met to discuss how Synopsys could further meet the needs of the industry with Liberty. The purpose of the meeting was to establish ongoing communication with licensed companies regarding the evolution of the Liberty format. Going forward, regular meetings will take place in an effort to establish an effective standards channel that differs from the traditional committees.

Pricing

Synopsys' intent is to provide enhanced interoperability in the industry and prefers to trade access to formats in lieu of the licensing fee. However, if a company wishes to purchase a Liberty license, they are available to new licensees at a list price of U.S. $95,000. Additionally, current Liberty licensees can receive discounts on other licensed Synopsys formats.

About Synopsys

Synopsys Inc. (Nasdaq:SNPS), is a leading supplier of electronic design automation (EDA) solutions to the global electronic market. The company provides comprehensive design technologies to creators of advanced integrated circuits, electronic systems and systems on a chip. Synopsys also provides consulting services and support to its customers to streamline the overall design process and accelerate time-to-market. Additional information about Synopsys is available at http://www.synopsys.com.

Synopsys is a registered trademark of Synopsys Inc. TAP-in and Liberty are trademarks of Synopsys, Inc. All other trademarks or registered trademarks mentioned in this release.

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