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YOKOHAMA, Japan, Nov. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Avant! Corporation (Nasdaq: AVNT) today announced that Ricoh Corporation, a leader in digital imaging systems, has selected six SinglePass design automation tools for their current and next generation System-on-Chip (SoC) designs. The multi-million dollar contract enables Ricoh Corporation with IC development at 0.25, 0.18, and 0.13 micron process geometries.

The six Milkyway-based products selected are: Apollo II, for very deep-submicron (VDSM) place-and-route; Saturn for VDSM timing and logic optimization; Mars-Rail for power, IR-drop, and EM driven analysis and optimization; Hercules-II for physical verification; Star-RCXT for parasitic extraction and analysis; and Star-Sim XT for high performance, high-capacity circuit simulation. With Milkyway acting as the backbone for the tools in the SinglePass flow, it enables the sharing of algorithms and data across applications while supporting powerful techniques for incremental design. These factors combine to enable the industry's most advanced solution for reducing time-to-market.

``In designing an advanced SoC for today's imaging markets, it is necessary to create multi-million gate systems in a short period of time. Avant!'s SinglePass design tools are integral to Ricoh's strategy for achieving rapid closure of designs for timing and signal integrity,'' said Zenji Oka, EDA design group, Electronic Devices Company of Ricoh Corporation.

``We are grateful that Ricoh Corporation has chosen our SinglePass design methodology for their current and future generation SoC designs,'' said Gerald C. Hsu, chairman, president and CEO of Avant! Corporation. ``Their commitment to our technology is a direct result of our continued high-level investment in R&D and our drive to providing the industry's most advanced products,'' concluded Hsu.

About Ricoh Corporation

Ricoh Corporation, headquartered in West Caldwell, NJ, is a subsidiary of Ricoh Company Ltd., the 64-year-old leading supplier of office automation equipment with 1999 sales in excess of $13.8 billion.

Ricoh Corporation is a diversified office equipment and electronics provider. The company is a pioneer in the development of computer-connected and digital multifunctional document systems, and is a market leader in color and black & white digital imaging systems, facsimile products, printers, scanners, digital duplicators and wide format engineering systems.

Ricoh has received the 1998, 1999 and 2000 Energy Star Imaging Equipment Partner of the Year Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) -- the EPA's highest industry award. Ricoh was chosen for its commitment to the environment and its extraordinary leadership role in promoting and producing energy efficient copiers, facsimile machines, printers and scanners. In addition, Ricoh has received the Market Research Consultants Digital Copier Manufacturer of the Year Award for 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999. Ricoh is also the recipient of Business Marketing Magazine's Top 200 business-to-business web sites for 1999, and also received the Council on Economic Priorities Environmental Stewardship Award for its commitment to the environment. Information about Ricoh's complete range of products and services can be accessed on the World Wide Web at http://www.ricoh-usa.com .

About Avant!

Avant! Corporation develops, markets, and supports integrated circuit (IC) design automation software solutions (from system definition to mask synthesis) for the rapid design of multimillion gate products including system on chip (SoC). These ICs power the consumer electronics, Internet infrastructure, wireless, telecommunications, and automotive products. The Company is the leading provider of physical foundation IP libraries for IC design and provides a full suite of software for integrated circuit design, process simulation, device modeling, and mask synthesis

Avant! is a global company with over 50 offices in 17 countries. Telephone: 510-413-8000. Fax: 510-413-8080. Worldwide web: www.avanticorp.com.

NOTE: Avant!, Apollo-II, Hercules, Mars-Rail, Milkyway, Saturn, Star-RCXT, and Star-Sim XT are trademarks of Avant! Corporation. All other company and product names mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners and should be treated as such.