WILSONVILLE, USA: Mentor Graphics Corp. has acquired the assets of Ponte Solutions Inc., a developer of model-based design for manufacturing (DFM) solutions that analyze, predict, and reduce the impact of process variability during the manufacture and design of semiconductors. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Ponte personnel and technology will be merged into the respective departments within the Mentor Graphics Calibre organization under Joe Sawicki. Mentor will maintain the Ponte R&D team located in Yerevan, Armenia, a longstanding center of excellence for electronic design automation (EDA) and other technical software companies in Eastern Europe including Microsoft, Virage Logic, Synopsys and Credence Systems. Existing Ponte products and customers will continue to be supported by Mentor Graphics as Ponte capabilities are fully integrated into the Calibre DFM platform.

"We are pleased to have the Ponte team joining Mentor Graphics' design-to-silicon business unit where they will contribute to future generations of Mentor solutions," said Joseph Sawicki, vice president and general manager for the design-to-silicon division at Mentor Graphics. "DFM issues continue to be more complex as we move to 32 and 22 nm process nodes. Having access to multiple integrated DFM capabilities delivered on the Calibre platform via Mentor's worldwide direct sales and support channels is a clear advantage for design teams as they encounter these new DFM challenges."

"Ponte shares Mentor's vision for an integrated DFM offering being required as the semiconductor market continues to evolve," said Alex Alexanian, president and CEO, Ponte Solutions. "While Ponte was providing a solution for today's requirements, it makes complete sense for Ponte to align with Mentor Graphics to deliver complete DFM technology on the market-leading Calibre platform going forward.