The Electronic Design Automation Consortium has achieved recognition throughout the EDA industry, and among the user community, as the primary representative of the EDA companies. We have restricted our activities to those areas where we are unable to achieve important results individually but where joint cooperation makes new things possible. As a result, we have been able to: 1) Avoid major problems in the area of export controls, 2) Improve the way exhibitors are treated at the Design Automation Conference, 3) Provide a forum for small EDA companies to exchange ideas and learn from experts at EDAC Emerging Companies events, 4) Work together for the promotion of standards that improve tool interoperability, 5) Minimize costs and maximize capability for designers and EDA companies via the Operating System Roadmap and 6) Provide users, member companies and third parties with timely information on trends in EDA tool purchases through our Market Statistics Program.
Over the past sixteen years, I have been glad to participate actively in the growth and accomplishments of the EDA Consortium, as Co-Chair, Chair (4, 2-year terms), and Vice-Chair of the EDAC Board, and as Board member supervisor for the Market Statistics Program and, more recently, the Export Controls Committee. I have regularly attended EDA Consortium activities and meetings and have worked with other CEO’s to address EDA Consortium issues, to communicate with the press, to host various EDA Consortium events and to revamp our Board membership to its present structure. We have grown the membership during most of this period and increased the number of activities available to members. We have been able to provide benefits for both small and large EDA companies and have tailored our activities to the special needs of each.
As we move forward, one of our most significant new opportunities is the improvement of protections against piracy of EDA software. Working together, in cooperation with the users of EDA software, we can make piracy more difficult and we can help honest customers develop internal systems to assure that they are in compliance with their EDA software licenses. I’d like to continue to work on the EDAC Board to advance our industry.
Thank you,
Walden Rhines
(Written Statement- PDF) |
