Synplicity Details Corporate Strategy to Support Growing Need for Programmable Silicon; Company Focuses R&D, Partnership Efforts on Enabling New Class of Devices.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 3, 2001

Synplicity, Inc. (Nasdaq:SYNP), a leading supplier of software for the design and verification of semiconductors, today highlighted its strategy to support the increasing use of programmable logic within the semiconductor industry. Targeting both designers implementing either proprietary intellectual property (IP) cores into complex programmable logic devices (PLDs) or PLD cores into ASICs, ASSPs or systems-on-a-chip (SoCs), Synplicity(R) intends to expand research and development efforts to create synthesis technology for this emerging class of mixed-architecture devices. Additionally, the company intends to establish selective partnerships with leading programmable device manufacturers focusing on development of optimized design flows for specific mixed-architecture devices. Synplicity has recently established related relationships with Adaptive Silicon, Altera and Xilinx.

"Over the past 12 months, a variety of mixed-architecture products have been introduced by leading programmable logic and ASIC vendors," said Bernard Aronson, president and CEO of Synplicity. "Companies such as Altera and Xilinx have developed programmable logic devices that incorporate complex system functionality such as microprocessors and other IP onto the PLD, while companies such as Adaptive Silicon have developed PLD cores as IP for implementation within ASIC, ASSP and SoC devices. Regardless of the approach designers choose to adopt, we believe that this emerging market presents the opportunity to leverage our synthesis technology and deliver sophisticated design tools that can handle either complex IP implemented on large PLDs or programmable IP implemented on large ASICs or SoCs."

"At the helm of a leading programmable logic company, and from my previous experience at a leading ASIC vendor, I have witnessed the evolution of the system-on-a-programmable-chip (SOPC) era," said John Daane, Altera's CEO and former executive vice president at LSI Logic. "Altera is the pioneer and market leader in SOPC products, and we are pleased that Synplicity is committed to partner with us by providing state-of-the-art, advanced synthesis technologies to further enable this new class of products."

Among the recent actions in its long-term strategy, Synplicity has signed separate joint development and distribution agreements with Adaptive Silicon and Altera, and Synplicity's synthesis tools have been selected by design teams at Altera and Xilinx for IP development.

Critical Areas for Expanded R&D Focus

Synplicity has identified two important areas for enabling programmability in

chip design and therefore has expanded research and development efforts to improve synthesis results in IP development and the implementation of IP in the context of the overall design.

According to Aronson, complex, high-quality semiconductor designs begin with quality intellectual property. The company believes that developers using Synplicity synthesis products in the IP development process can obtain higher quality of results. As part of its expanded R&D efforts, Synplicity will focus its technology development on areas that allow developers to do both logical and detailed physical design for critical elements of IP.

Implementing IP into a design -- either IP into a PLD or a PLD core into an ASIC, ASSP or SoC -- requires a synthesis tool with knowledge of the core and its place in the overall design. Synplicity has already developed its Synplify Pro(TM) product for IP implementation with support for both Verilog and VHDL IP cores, known as "mixed-language" designs, as well as IP cores whose timing is modeled in the STAMP format. Using this timing information, Synplicity has also developed techniques specific to the logic that interfaces the periphery of the implemented IP. Synplicity believes it is the first company to deliver physical synthesis for PLD designers and has a reputation for providing innovative solutions to solve emerging design challenges. With today's announcement, Synplicity intends to continue synthesis technology innovation to help designers overcome IP implementation barriers.

About Synplicity

Synplicity, Inc. (Nasdaq:SYNP) is a leading provider of software products that enable the rapid and effective design and verification of semiconductors used in next-generation networking and communications hardware and other electronic devices. The company leverages its innovative logic synthesis, physical synthesis and verification software solutions to improve performance and shorten development time for complex programmable logic devices, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and system-on-chip (SoC) integrated circuits. Synplicity's fast, easy-to-use products offer extremely high quality of results, support industry-standard design languages (VHDL and Verilog) and run on popular platforms (Windows 98/2000, Windows ME, Windows NT and UNIX). As of the end of March 2001, Synplicity employed over 230 people in its 16 facilities worldwide. Synplicity is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif.

Forward-Looking Statement:

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future events and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Synplicity's actual financial results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. In some cases, you will be able to identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "anticipates," "may," "will," "expects," "potential," "continue" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are only predictions and the actual events or results may differ materially. Synplicity cannot provide any assurance that its future results will meet expectations. Synplicity's operating results could differ materially due to a number of factors, including the continued growth of demand for FPGAs, ASICs and SoCs, continued acceptance of Synplicity's existing products and the successful introduction and widespread market acceptance of Synplicity's new products. For additional information and considerations regarding the risks faced by Synplicity, see its Registration Statement on Form S-1 and Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2000, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as well as periodic reports on Forms 10-Q and 10-K to be filed with the SEC. Although Synplicity believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, Synplicity cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. In addition, neither Synplicity nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of these forward-looking statements. Synplicity disclaims any obligation to update information contained in any forward-looking statement.

Note to Editors: Synplicity is a registered trademark of Synplicity, Inc. Synplify Pro is a trademark of Synplicity, Inc. All other names mentioned herein are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their owners.