Get2Chip Acquisition Empowers Cadence with Industry's Best Nanometer-Scale Synthesis Technology; Accelerates Cadence Encounter Momentum with Next-Generation RTL-to-GDS Solution

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 10, 2003--Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (NYSE:CDN) today announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Get2Chip, provider of the world's most advanced nanometer-scale synthesis technology to top chip and system design companies. Cadence plans to integrate Get2Chip's technology into its market-leading Cadence(R) Encounter(TM) platform for digital integrated circuit (IC) design.

"Major customers have enthusiastically embraced the Get2Chip product," said Ray Bingham, president and CEO of Cadence. "I am personally delighted to bring such an outstanding technology team into Cadence."

Get2Chip's patented core technology, called "global focused synthesis," provides the industry's highest synthesis capacity and performance, and produces superior logic and interconnect structures for nanometer-scale physical design. It complements the existing Cadence synthesis solution and extends the company's lead in delivering the best wires for nanometer-scale designs. Get2Chip's synthesis technology has already established significant customer successes and has been adopted by the world's leading producers of processors, graphics and networking chips.

Get2Chip's globally focused synthesis produces superior input to nanometer-scale placement and routing, resulting in rapid timing closure and higher-performance designs. It also provides improvements of up to 5x in run time and 10x in capacity relative to older synthesis architectures. Get2Chip's high capacity also enhances designer productivity by dramatically simplifying constraint definition and scripting.

Customers Applaud Merger

Teradiant Network's CEO, Satchit Jain, added, "Get2Chip's advanced synthesis tool helped us in designing the industry's densest 10, 20 and 40 Gbps packet processor and traffic manager chipset. The RTL Compiler Tool Suite was instrumental not only in reducing the die area but most importantly in closing timing rapidly -- enabling us to quickly deliver chips with the best density and performance. Get2Chip also has one of the most responsive electronic design automation (EDA) sales and support teams we have worked with. We welcome the merger of these two companies and look forward to continuing our relationship with the combined entity."

Randall Kruep, Procket CEO, said, "We have experienced first hand the power of using Get2Chip technology to create five of the world's most complex designs. The tool allowed us to create designs that are higher performance and lower power in significantly less time."

Merger to Produce World-class RTL-to-GDSII Solution

Commenting on the acquisition, Bernd U. Braune, Get2Chip's chairman and CEO, said, "Get2Chip has demonstrated the impact of next-generation synthesis technology on nanometer designs. We have already enabled multiple designs of over 50 million gates with less effort and less cost. My whole team is excited about the synergy between Get2Chip and Cadence SoC Encounter."

"With Get2Chip, Cadence plans to further demonstrate its unique ability to integrate our own technology with acquired technology from the industry's best and brightest," said Ping Chao, Cadence senior vice president and general manager. "We continue to deliver on our commitment to provide customers with the best design solution. Get2Chip's extremely advanced nanometer-scale synthesis technology will strengthen the Cadence IC Digital design flow. This will go far to address our customers' demands for a high-end synthesis solution able to meet the challenges of designs at 90 nanometers and below."

Cadence plans to retain most of Get2Chip's employees and will continue to support all of Get2Chip's customers and products.

About Cadence

Cadence is the largest supplier of electronic design technologies, methodology services, and design services. Cadence solutions are used to accelerate and manage the design of semiconductors, computer systems, networking and telecommunications equipment, consumer electronics, and a variety of other electronics-based products. With approximately 5,300 employees and 2002 revenues of approximately $1.3 billion, Cadence has sales offices, design centers, and research facilities around the world. The company is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., and traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol CDN. More information about the company, its products and services is available at www.cadence.com.

Cadence, the Cadence logo, and Get2Chip are registered trademarks and Encounter is a trademark of Cadence. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their respective holders.

CONTACT: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
             Judy Erkanat, 408/894-2302
             jerkanat@cadence.com
             or
             Get2Chip, Inc.
             Earle Speranza, 408/501-9549
             esperanza@get2chip.com