Synopsys Launches OpenVera Catalyst Program

Twenty leading companies to provide OpenVera verification intellectual property and expert verification services.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA, September 25, 2001 - Synopsys, Inc. (Nasdaq:SNPS), the technology leader for complex integrated circuit (IC) design, today launched the OpenVera™ Catalyst Program, with 20 design and verification service companies participating. The OpenVera Catalyst Program creates a broad network of verification companies with expert tool and methodology knowledge in leading verification solutions such as the VERA® testbench tool, VCS Verilog™ simulator and Scirocco™ VHDL simulator. The OpenVera Catalyst Program complements Synopsys® Professional Services' existing design and verification offerings by expanding the support and services options available to customers for meeting their system-on-chip (SoC) verification challenges. Participating members of the Catalyst Program will create and commercialize OpenVera verification intellectual property (IP) to accelerate the development of complete verification suites. OpenVera verification IP typically consists of verification modules such as bus functional models, traffic generators and protocol checkers for widely used protocols.

"With the growing momentum around OpenVera, many third party service companies have expressed interest in developing IP and services around this open language. We're very excited to announce the OpenVera Catalyst Program and look forward to working with current and future members to increase support for mutual customers," said Jim Watts, OpenVera program manager at Synopsys. "Our joint customers will benefit by having access to a broader range of OpenVera verification IP and networks of experts trained on leading verification technologies to enhance their verification productivity."

The initial OpenVera Catalyst Program members are: Aurora VLSI, Azure Software, ControlNet India, CMOSchips, eInfochips, GDA Technologies, HCL Technologies, Inspiration Technologies, Interra Technologies, Intrinsix, nSys, Paradigm Works, PicoCraft, SmartSand, Qualis Design, Silicon Interfaces, Spike Technologies, Willamette HDL, Wipro Technologies and Zaiq Technologies.

"Customers are clamoring for proven verification methodologies and tools to ensure that their designs are done right the first time," said Janick Bergeron, chief technology officer at Qualis Design, a leading verification IP and methodology consulting firm. "Through the OpenVera Catalyst Program, we will address our customers' challenges by providing expert services on VERA methodology and by offering high quality, reusable OpenVera verification IP."

"We are happy to provide our customers with OpenVera expertise and IP for state-of-the-art verification technology," said Ravi Thummarukudy, vice president of IC design services at GDA Technologies, a leading design services company. "We are witnessing a growing demand for OpenVera support and are looking forward to developing ready-made verification solutions to help customers get up and running with complex testbench solutions in days instead of weeks or months."

"We welcome the opportunity to join the OpenVera Catalyst Program and apply Zaiq's recognized leadership in system level verification and verification IP to the OpenVera language and tools," said Jim Pena, vice president of sales and marketing at Zaiq Technologies. "The OpenVera Catalyst Program is an ideal way for us to help our mutual customers to enhance their verification productivity and meet critical product development objectives."

About OpenVera Catalyst Program
The OpenVera Catalyst Program is open to design service companies that offer services in verification of complex ICs. Catalyst Program members will get access to licenses for VERA, VCSi and Scirocco to create OpenVera verification IP and make it available to a rapidly growing market base of OpenVera users. Through the OpenVera Catalyst Program, customers verifying complex ICs and systems-on-chip (SoCs) are assured of fully trained and supported verification service companies that will apply Synopsys' proven verification technology in the verification flow of their complex designs. OpenVera is an open source hardware verification language developed specifically to meet the unique requirements of functional verification. The language enables users to describe the target application environment, including complex protocols and data objects, at a high level of abstraction, which dramatically increases productivity, readability and reusability. For more information on OpenVera, visit www.open-vera.com.

About Synopsys Professional Services
Synopsys Professional Services directly contributes to the success of leading electronics firms worldwide by delivering the technology, methodology and expertise to solve their most demanding SoC development challenges. Synopsys' comprehensive portfolio of services covers all critical phases of the SoC development process, as well as systems development in wireless and broadband applications. Leading edge development demands close collaboration, and customers are offered a variety of engagement models from methodology-driven project assistance to full turnkey development to best fit their business and project needs.

About Synopsys
Synopsys, Inc. (Nasdaq:SNPS), headquartered in Mountain View, California, creates leading electronic design automation (EDA) tools for the global electronics market. The company delivers advanced design technologies and solutions to developers of complex integrated circuits, electronic systems and systems on a chip. Synopsys also provides consulting and support services to simplify the overall IC design process and accelerate time to market for its customers. Visit Synopsys at http://www.synopsys.com.

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