MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., May 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Synopsys, Inc. (NASDAQ: SNPS), a world leader in software and IP for semiconductor design and manufacturing, today announced that the Liberty™ Technical Advisory Board (TAB) is expanding under the auspices of the IEEE Industry Standards and Technology Organization (IEEE-ISTO). After a successful incubation period under the Silicon Integration Initiative (Si2), the move to IEEE-ISTO enables the expansion of Liberty TAB membership to include more participants from the semiconductor and electronic design automation (EDA) industries. Newly added member companies include Magma Design Automation and Mentor Graphics. The Liberty TAB and its industry-leading member companies will continue to guide the evolution of the Liberty standard for library modeling, with a focus on improved productivity and reducing costs in creating and producing integrated silicon systems.

"Si2 has done an excellent job facilitating the launch of the Liberty Technical Advisory Board and gaining participation from the 12 founding member companies representing various facets of the semiconductor industry," said John Chilton, senior vice president of Marketing and Strategic Development at Synopsys. "The endeavors of all the Liberty TAB members under Si2's auspices have enabled the Liberty format to broaden in its scope and value to the design community. We thank Si2 and its president, Steve Schulz, for all their efforts to help accelerate innovation in the industry and drive the Liberty standard to the next level."

"One of Si2's key objectives is to engage and support EDA industry collaborative initiatives," said Steve Schulz, president and CEO of the Silicon Integration Initiative.

"We are pleased to have been part of this innovative chapter in the evolution of the Liberty standard. We believe the expansion of the Liberty TAB will foster further EDA industry collaboration and we wish its members continued success under the new organization."

"Magma continually works to provide designers with open, highly interoperable flows that enable them to address the power, variability, manufacturability, yield and time-to-market challenges of 45-nanometer designs," said Kam Kittrell, general manager of Magma Design's Implementation Business Unit. "By participating in the Liberty TAB, we can help guide the evolution of the Liberty standard to better address the requirements of the semiconductor industry."

"As our customers move to smaller geometries, the industry needs to align its efforts to evolve the Liberty standard," said Joseph Sawicki, vice president and general manager of the Design-to-Silicon Division at Mentor Graphics. "The Liberty Technical Advisory Board is the right place to do it, and we welcome the broad inclusiveness under IEEE-ISTO."

Under IEEE-ISTO, the Liberty TAB will grow, over time, from 12 to approximately 20 members. Member companies represent the broad semiconductor industry including the design community, EDA companies, silicon foundries, and semiconductor intellectual property (IP) companies. Requests for enhancements can come from the membership as well as from the overall Liberty user base. Companies interested in membership in the Liberty TAB may contact IEEE-ISTO.

The latest Liberty syntax specifications and tools can be found at http://www.opensourceliberty.org/. Open Source Liberty is a comprehensive online resource for the Liberty library modeling standard. In addition to providing up-to-date Liberty format specifications and related tools for download, this site hosts the Liberty Discussion Forum, where members of the semiconductor community can interact with each other and discuss topics relating to the Liberty format and the Composite Current Source (CCS) modeling technology. This site also provides the latest news and information regarding the Liberty format and the Liberty TAB.

About Synopsys

Synopsys, Inc. is a world leader in EDA software for semiconductor design. The company delivers technology-leading semiconductor design and verification platforms and IC manufacturing software products to the global electronics market, enabling the development and production of complex systems-on-chips (SoCs). Synopsys also provides intellectual property and design services to simplify the design process and accelerate time-to-market for its customers. Synopsys is headquartered in Mountain View, California and has offices in more than 60 locations throughout North America, Europe, Japan and Asia. Visit Synopsys online at http://www.synopsys.com/.

About the IEEE-ISTO

The IEEE-ISTO is affiliated with the IEEE and the IEEE Standards Association. The IEEE-ISTO is an independent not-for-profit corporation offering standards-related industry groups an innovative and flexible operational legal forum and support services. The IEEE-ISTO facilitates the activities that support the development, implementation and acceptance of standards in the marketplace. For further information about the IEEE-ISTO visit http://www.ieee-isto.org/ or contact Peter Lefkin, IEEE-ISTO secretary treasurer and CFO, at +1 732 981 3434, or ieee-isto@ieee.org.

Synopsys and Liberty are registered trademarks or trademarks of Synopsys, Inc. Any other trademarks or registered trademarks mentioned in this release are the intellectual property of their respective owners.

   Editorial Contacts:
   Sheryl Gulizia
   Synopsys, Inc.
   650-584-8635
   sgulizia@synopsys.com

   Lisa Gillete-Martin
   MCA, Inc.
   650-968-8900 x115
   lgmartin@mcapr.com

   Peter B. Lefkin, CAE
   COO/CFO, IEEE-ISTO
   732-562-3802
   peter.lefkin@ieee-isto.org

SOURCE: Synopsys, Inc.

CONTACT: Sheryl Gulizia of Synopsys, Inc., +1-650-584-8635,
sgulizia@synopsys.com; or Lisa Gillete-Martin of MCA, Inc., +1-650-968-8900,
ext. 115, lgmartin@mcapr.com; or Peter B. Lefkin, CAE, COO/CFO of IEEE-ISTO,
+1-732-562-3802, peter.lefkin@ieee-isto.org

Web site: http://www.synopsys.com/