Frequently Asked Questions
Simucad Completing its Spinoff from Silvaco— your questions answered:
Simucad’s spinoff by Silvaco is the first of its kind for an EDA vendor. It enables each company to focus on its core competency; Silvaco to focus on the TCAD market and Simucad to focus on the analog/mixed-signal/RF market where being a public company can be a significant advantage. As a public company, Simucad will have access to the resources needed to become the #1 EDA supplier of simulation and CAD software tools.
Simucad’s philosophy is a simple one — we want every AMS/RF IC designer in the world to have access to the best possible design tools at an affordable price, by delivering and supporting the most powerful, productive, integrated and cost-effective design platform.
Questions:
- Why did Simucad spin off from Silvaco?
- What does this mean to me as a current customer?
- What will happen to the Silvaco line of products?
- What will happen to the Simucad line of products?
- What about pricing and licensing?
- I am in North America. Who will support my Silvaco and Simucad products?
- I am outside of North America. Who will support my Silvaco and Simucad products?
- What happens with existing US Silvaco maintenance contracts covering Simucad products?
- What happens with existing international Silvaco maintenance contracts covering Simucad products?
- What happens with US Silvaco purchase orders, supplier agreements, and professional service agreements that relate to Simucad products?
- What happens with international Silvaco purchase orders, supplier agreements, and professional service agreements that relate to Simucad products?
- Do our Silvaco NDAs transfer?
- Do our Silvaco government/military contracts transfer?
- What is the contact information for Simucad’s Billing Department?
- If I have both Silvaco TCAD and EDA software, who do I call?
- Will the two companies continue to maintain interoperability between their products to minimize impact on tool flow?
Why did Simucad spin off from Silvaco?
Simucad was spun off from Silvaco in order to continue its rapid growth in providing an integrated platform of software design tools for analog/mixed-signal/RF IC design. A future IPO will provide Simucad with the capital to fund this growth and gain the name recognition benefits of a public company.
Simucad has a large portfolio of EDA software products that specifically address the challenges of the AMS/RF IC design market—multi-level circuit simulation, design for manufacturability, nanometer technology, and delivering integrated PDK-based design platforms. This spinoff will enable Simucad to better focus on developing and delivering solutions to these challenges.
What does this mean to me as a customer?
The spin-off is great news for you and brings new opportunities for Simucad, Silvaco, their products and customers. Silvaco TCAD customers will continue to receive the best service and support through its existing channels. AMS/RF IC designers using Simucad tools will benefit from existing support and distribution and the increased availability of new simulation products, SPICE model parameter extraction software, and PDKs from Simucad as it is making its run for an IPO.
Simucad customers are looking for powerful complete solutions to address next-generation IC design challenges so they will greatly benefit from being able to purchase complete solutions. An IPO will enable Simucad to increase its product development, customer support and strong financial position, to serve its customers with a solid backing for the future and continued investment in EDA software to provide a complete set of solutions for the entire IC design process.
What will happen to the Silvaco line of products?
Silvaco will continue to develop and support all existing TCAD products and refocus itself on TCAD only to further its leadership by delivering cutting-edge technology to address the performance challenges in optoelectronics (TFT, organic and polymer TFT, OLEDs, VCSELS) and the DFM challenges in the latest nanometer technologies (65nm and 45nm).
What will happen to the Simucad line of products?
Simucad will continue to develop and support its PDK-based analog/mixed-signal/RF IC design products and focus on productizing its current R&D projects into high-quality software solutions that meet customer requirements. These new products will expand the current product lines.
What about pricing and licensing?
Simucad and its distributors will continue to provide the EDA industry’s most flexible licensing terms with perpetual, time-based, lease, rent, site-based, flow-based and peak use licensing. Simucad will also continue Silvaco’s tradition of being the price leader in delivering high-value IC design tools and services.
No need to worry. Simucad license keys will be issued for former Silvaco tools as they are renewed. Rest assured that your investment in Silvaco tools will be well preserved.
I am in North America. Who will support my Silvaco and Simucad products?
Within North America, Simucad Design Automation sells and supports both Silvaco's line of products and Simucad products with offices in Santa Clara CA, Boston MA, Austin TX, and Phoenix AZ.
I am outside of North America. Who will support my Silvaco and Simucad products?
Internationally, Silvaco’s offices in Yokohama Japan, Singapore, Hsin-chu Taiwan, Shanghai China, Seoul South Korea, Cambridge UK, Grenoble France, and Munich Germany will continue to sell and support Silvaco's line of products as they have done in the past and also support the Simucad products. In addition, existing international distributors remain on board to sell and service products in their respective territories. We plan to add additional local support in new territories.
What happens with existing US Silvaco maintenance contracts covering Simucad products?
US Simucad sales and support will honor all Silvaco maintenance contracts for Simucad products for the life of the contract with the same terms and conditions. Maintenance for both Simucad and Silvaco products will be renewed through through Simucad Design Automation.
What happens with existing international Silvaco maintenance contracts covering Simucad products?
Silvaco international sales and support will honor all Silvaco maintenance contracts for Simucad products for the life of the contract with the same terms and conditions. Maintenance for both Simucad and Silvaco products will be renewed through Silvaco international sales or through other international distributors.
What happens with US Silvaco purchase orders, supplier agreements, and professional service agreements that relate to Simucad products?
Simucad will honor all Silvaco purchase, lease and rental contracts for Simucad products for the life of the contract with the same terms and conditions. Future purchase orders, supplier agreements and professional service agreements will be through Simucad US sales and support.
What happens with international Silvaco purchase orders, supplier agreements, and professional service agreements that relate to Simucad products?
Silvaco will honor all existing purchase, lease and rental contracts for Simucad products for the life of the contract with the same terms and conditions. Future purchase orders, supplier agreements and professional service agreements will be through Silvaco international sales and support or through other international distributors.
Yes, Simucad is bound by Silvaco to honor all Silvaco non-disclosure agreements for their terms. If either party requires an independent NDA with Simucad due to the nature of the information, we will make best efforts to work with you to put one in place as soon as possible.
Do our Silvaco government/military contracts transfer?
Existing contracts between government/military customers and Silvaco will be completed through Silvaco. Future work will be contracted by Silvaco or Simucad as appropriate.
What is the contact information for Simucad’s Billing Department?
Simucad Design Automation
4701 Patrick Henry Drive, Bldg. 2
Santa Clara, CA 95054
ATTN: Accounts Payable
Phone: 408-654-4370
Fax: 408-468-6099
If I have both Silvaco TCAD and EDA software, who do I call?
Call your existing sales representative for all sales or support needs.
Will the two companies continue to maintain interoperability between their products to minimize impact on tool flow?
Absolutely. Both Silvaco and Simucad are committed to maintain full compatibility between the Silvaco TCAD products and the Simucad AMS/RF IC design products. Specifically this interoperability will be maintained in TCAD Mixed-Mode simulation, design-for-manufacturing (DFM), reliability, and radiation effects.
