Viewlogic to Acquire Transcendent Design Technology

10 August 1999

Viewlogic to Acquire Transcendent Design Technology; Merges Electrical and Mechanical Design Processes to Help eProduct Companies Get To Market Sooner

    MARLBORO, Mass.--Aug. 9, 1999--Viewlogic Systems, Inc. today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Transcendent Design Technology, Inc., a provider of electromechanical design and analysis solutions and consulting services. The acquisition is subject to approval of Transcendent shareholders. Transcendent's products are used by the world's leading automotive, aerospace and industrial companies to design wire harness and cable systems. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
    Will Herman, president and CEO of Viewlogic, said the acquisition of Transcendent "will align perfectly with Viewlogic's strategy to develop and acquire solutions that enable companies developing eProducts (electronic products) to maximize productivity from concept to manufacturing. Transcendent's products bridge the gap between the electrical and mechanical worlds. Its solutions for designing the system interconnect bring together all the eProduct subsystems, and its electromagnetic analysis products extend Viewlogic's industry-leading analysis capability from the board level up through the interconnect of multiple subsystems. By acquiring Transcendent, Viewlogic will strengthen its ability to help companies be first to market with their eProducts."

    System Design from Concept to Manufacturing

    Transcendent's TransDesign(TM) and TransAnalysis(TM) product families complement Viewlogic's eProduct Designer(TM) tools and provide solutions from concept through the manufacturing of complex systems. Transcendent's TransDesign family includes: TransCable(TM), a design capture environment for electromechanical systems; TransDatabook(TM), a parts library browser system; TransLayout(TM), a next-generation interconnect synthesis product; SDRC/TransCable(TM) Interface, a bi-directional interface between TransCable and SDRC's Harness Design product; and CAT/TransCable(TM) Interface, a direct bi-directional interface between TransCable and Dassault's CATIA E3D environment. Transcendent's TransAnalysis product family includes TranSIT(TM), a 2-D field solver and transmission line simulator for analyzing signal integrity and crosstalk effects and estimating electro-magnetic interference (EMI) of wire harness and cable systems within eProducts.
    Viewlogic plans to sell integrated solutions immediately, based on the compatibility of Transcendent and Viewlogic products. Transcendent products are developed on top of Viewlogic's core technology. TransCable utilizes Viewlogic's ViewDraw product, and TranSIT uses Viewlogic's XTK product for its analysis. Viewlogic and Transcendent share a common culture and many existing customers.

    Ford's C3P Program

    In the automotive market, the rapid adoption of new electronics and the 42V standards are having a dramatic impact on design teams. Ford Motor Company selected Transcendent to provide the design and analysis solutions for its C3P program, an initiative to standardize on design methodologies, processes and solutions to achieve significant advances in productivity. The program encompasses CAD (computer-aided design), CAM (computer-aided manufacturing), CAE (computer-aided engineering), and PIM (product information management) solutions.
    Ford's C3P program is achieving dramatic improvements in design productivity. It defines advanced design methodologies and standardizes on design solutions and solution providers for Ford and its suppliers. The merger of Transcendent and Viewlogic will further strengthen the design, analysis, and data management capabilities of the C3P solutions.

    Efficiency in Aerospace Design

    "We expect to realize a 20-to-30-percent reduction in time to market by automating the generation of manufacturing documentation such as wire lists, material and equipment lists, and being able to track components to be used," stated Bernard Conrad, senior vice president of Lufthansa Technik. "We also will have a more flexible approach to reusing design material on future aircraft."

    Spinout Returns to Roots

    Transcendent, a privately held company in Camarillo, Calif., was founded in January 1998 after spinning out from Synopsys, Inc. Viewlogic was purchased by Synopsys on December 4, 1997, and became a privately held company on October 2, 1998 in a management buyout led by Herman. Viewlogic has held an equity interest in Transcendent from its inception.

    About Viewlogic

    Viewlogic Systems, Inc., based in Marlboro, Mass., develops, markets and supports a comprehensive family of integrated eProduct design software and services for advanced electronic systems. Viewlogic defines eProducts as products that are differentiated by their electronic content. Viewlogic is a privately held company with offices in North America, Europe and the Pacific Rim. Additional information on Viewlogic and its products can be found on the company web site at: http://www.viewlogic.com

    Editor's note: All registered trademarks and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.