TOKYO, JAPAN - November 6, 2000 - Mentor Graphics Corp. and Synopsys, Inc. today announce the availability of the Japanese translation of the jointly developed OpenMORE (Open Measure of Reuse Excellence) assessment program for evaluating the reusability of hard and soft intellectual property (IP) cores for System-on-Chip (SoC) designs. The first English version of the OpenMORE assessment program was released in November 1999 to address the need for a common reference measurement guide for reusability.

OpenMORE Japan and RMM Japan Edition Serve IP Users and Providers

Interest in OpenMORE has been strong worldwide, and users from Japan have shown a particularly high interest for OpenMORE. Based on the registered downloads for OpenMORE, Japan users represent 26 percent, with North America and Europe at 30 percent, and the Asia Pacific region at 14 percent.

"Japan is one of the largest producers and users of semiconductor intellectual property," said Laura Horsey, IP partnerships manager at Synopsys. "With the widespread success and popularity of the English version of OpenMORE, we believe that the new Japan translation of OpenMORE combined with the RMM Japan edition will offer a significant IP evaluation system for system-on-chip (SoC) designers in Japan."

"By providing a common reference to the entire design industry, OpenMORE makes it easy to measure the reuse quality of IP for SoC design," said Pierre Bricaud, director of marketing for Mentor Graphics' Inventra IP Division and co-author of the RMM. "The Japanese translation of OpenMORE expands this realistic and proven reference for IP reuse to the design marketplace in Japan."

Since its release in 1999, OpenMORE has rapidly become referenced as a common assessment program for reuse in many segments of the SoC industry including systems companies, semiconductor vendors, and IP providers. The most common uses for the system are for developing reuse infrastructure, for evaluating intellectual property licensed from internal and external IP providers and for developing intellectual property for the commercial IP market.

Availability and Use of OpenMORE Japanese Translation

The Japanese translation of OpenMORE is available now to everyone free of charge by downloading the program from the Synopsys - Mentor jointly sponsored Web site at http://www.openmore.com.

After downloading the spreadsheet, assessment data can be added by the user, usually an IP design engineer or engineering team. OpenMORE prompts the user to determine how closely the approximately 180 rules and guidelines for soft IP, or 90 rules and guidelines for hard IP described in the RMM and VSIA deliverables specifications were followed. OpenMORE then uses assigned weightings and percentages to calculate an OpenMORE score. The higher the percentage score, the greater the confidence IP customers will have that the IP core will readily integrate into a SoC design.

Japan Edition of the Reuse Methodology Manual now Available

Delivering on the commitment made by Synopsys and Mentor Graphics at the IP2000 Conference in Yokohama, Japan in June, 2000, the two companies have made the Japanese translation of the jointly authored Reuse Methodology Manual (RMM), second edition available to the industry. The 300-page manual outlines guidelines and design examples that provide the underlying methodology for establishing a best-practice intellectual property (IP) reuse process for system-on-chip (SoC) designs. More than 15,000 copies of the English editions of the RMM have been distributed worldwide since its initial publication in English by Kluwer Academic Publishers in 1998.

Pricing and Availability

Maruzen Co., Ltd is the publisher of the Japanese translation of the RMM. It is available through Maruzen's stores and distribution outlets in Japan and sells for ¥4,800. For any ordering questions, consult http://www.maruzen.co.jp or email Maruzen at mz-pub@mx6.nisiq.net.

About OpenMORE

OpenMORE is a practical, easy-to-use reference guide and assessment program supporting the industry's need for rapid adoption of the best design reuse practices for both hard and soft IP. OpenMORE is based on the widely used Reuse Methodology Manual (RMM) Second Edition co-authored by Synopsys and Mentor Graphics and MORE developed by Synopsys in 1998. It also includes key specifications from the Virtual Socket Interface Alliance (VSIA) deliverables documentation. In developing OpenMORE, Mentor and Synopsys engaged with IP customers, IP developers and key industry groups including; VSIA, Virtual Chip Exchange (VCX), and Design and Reuse (D&R) to ensure that OpenMORE serve the broader industry's need for a common reference score for IP reusability.

About Mentor Graphics

Mentor Graphics Corp. [Nasdaq: MENT] is a world leader in electronic hardware and software design solutions, providing products and consulting services for the world's largest electronics and semiconductor companies. Established in 1981, the company reported revenues over the last 12 months of over $510 million and employs approximately 2,700 people worldwide. Company headquarters are located at 8005 S.W. Boeckman Road, Wilsonville, Oregon 97070-7777. World Wide Web site http://www.mentor.com.

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. Additional information on Synopsys' design reuse solutions can be found at http://www.synopsys.com/design_reuse.