NewsCAST and Lineage Systems Merge

New IP and Design Data Management Products to Premier at DAC-99

June 7, 1999, Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey — Electronic intellectual property (IP) provider CAST, Inc. and design data management consultants Lineage Systems, Inc. today announced the merger of their two companies.

The new organization will use the CAST name and identity. It will continue to offer CAST’s IP products — reusable cores and simulation models — and will add new products for IP and design data management based on Lineage’s tools and consulting experience. Several new IP and design data management products will be introduced at the Design Automation Conference in New Orleans, June 21 – 24, 1999.

"In their own ways, Lineage and CAST have each proven their value to customers. This new organization has the right mix of people to move to a new level in supporting system-on-a-chip and other forms of advanced electronic design," said John Barr, analyst at Needham & Company, Inc. "Together they offer a synergistic breadth of products and services that should prove tremendously beneficial to their customers."

Networked Organization for Greater Customer Value

The new company will employ an innovative operational model to minimize overhead costs and focus its resources on those activities that directly benefit end customers. This model features networked virtual offices, an international team of contributing developers and distributors, and a Web-based orientation.
The company plans to leverage its extensive background in the field of electronic design automation products and customized solutions to focus on practical IP and design management solutions that fill missing gaps in its customers’ development processes.

According to Hal Barbour, former president of Lineage and now president of CAST, "Mainstream automation tool suppliers have become detached from the day to day issues facing their customers. We constantly find opportunities to lower development costs and improve time to market by simply listening, applying creativity and providing unique solutions to our customers’ problems."

IP Line Supports Both Parts Replacement and System-on-a-Chip Applications

CAST’s IP line includes both simulation models for system verification and cores for system consolidation and new product development.

The models range from standard, TTL-type parts to advanced functional devices. The cores support a wide array of design applications, and are available in synthesizable HDL form or already-optimized for implementation through vendors such as Altera and Xilinx. Several new cores and interesting new initiatives will be announced at DAC.

"Customers like our combination of an ‘IP depot’ sort of commodity cores store plus ‘star IP’ for leading edge product development," said Newton Abdalla, former CAST president and now vice president of operations. "Demand for practical, affordable IP-based solutions is growing daily, and we’re satisfying it by combining our seasoned internal R & D staff with a network of some of the best developers and support teams around the world." Tools and Services for IP and Design Data Management

The Lineage Systems based products coming later this year will bridge the typical gaps that exist in most development environments. These tools will facilitate the development and distribution of critical design data, making design processes more efficient and helping companies manage their IP more effectively.

"We’ve been out in the trenches doing design process consulting for years," said Steve Mills, new vice president of data management. "Now we’re rolling that experience into focused, effective solutions for the sorts of real-world problems that designers face everyday."

The first new design data management products will be announced at DAC-99.

About CAST, Inc

CAST offers IP and design data management products backed by consulting, training, and custom development services. The company is headquartered near New York City at:

11 Stonewall Court, Woodcliff Lake, NJ 07675
Phone: 201-391-8300 Fax: 201-391-8694
E-mail: info@cast-inc Web: www.cast-inc.com

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