New Global Organization of Cadence Customers Created to Bolster Exchan

New Global Organization of Cadence Customers Created to Bolster Exchange of Ideas and Information

    Business Editors/High-Tech Editors

    SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 23, 2005--

Cadence Designer Network Provides Technical Forum for Customers and Helps Cadence Strengthen Alignment with Customer Needs
    Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (NYSE:CDN) (Nasdaq:CDN) today announced the launch of the Cadence Designer Network, a global, customer-driven user community designed to promote a greater exchange of technical information and ideas among customers, and between customers and Cadence(R). The Cadence Designer Network will provide designers with a variety of ways to connect with other Cadence users to solve problems, to share ideas, best known methods and expertise.
    Cadence will offer three primary avenues to boost the flow of technical information. Under the direction of a customer-driven steering committee, Cadence will sponsor a series of global technical conferences called CDNLive!, including a major event in Silicon Valley Sept. 12-14, which is being co-sponsored by IEEE Spectrum. It will establish technical advisory teams to gain direct input from customers to help drive product development and technology roadmaps. Finally, beginning later this year it will host a Web-based community for customers.
    "The Cadence Designer Network will provide outstanding opportunities for our customers to strengthen peer-to-peer technical collaboration as well as provide direct access to Cadence experts and executives, benefiting us all," said Mike Fister, Cadence president and CEO. "Fostering serious technical exchanges with customers about the challenges facing designers will enable Cadence to incorporate customer feedback directly into our product development process so we can deliver the technologies that design teams need to succeed."
    The board of the International Cadence Usergroup (ICU) has voted to join forces with Cadence to form this new customer community.
    The Cadence Designer Network will be led by a 22-member steering committee, including 15 customer members. The three executive members of the ICU -- Chairman Michael Catrambone of UTStarcom, Co-Chair Sue Strang of IBM, and Communications Officer Steven Klass of National Semiconductor -- will retain their respective roles with the new organization. Seven representatives from Cadence -- including CTO Ted Vucurevich -- will also sit on the steering committee.
    "I'm thrilled to be part of the founding leadership of the Cadence Designer Network, which I'm certain will prove to be of great value to customers," Catrambone said. "With Cadence serving as sponsor, the Cadence Designer Network will be a premier user community that helps Cadence customers get the answers -- and technologies -- we need."
    More information about the Cadence Designer Network is available at www.cadence.com/cdn. More information about the September CDNLive! event is available at www.cadence.com/cdnlive.

    About Cadence

    Cadence is the world's largest supplier of electronic design technologies and engineering services. Cadence products and services are used to accelerate and manage the design of semiconductors, computer systems, networking equipment, telecommunications equipment, consumer electronics, and other electronics based products. With approximately 4,900 employees and 2004 revenues of approximately $1.2 billion, Cadence has sales offices, design centers, and research facilities around the world. The company is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., and trades on both the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq under the symbol CDN. More information is available at www.cadence.com.

    Cadence and the Cadence logo are registered trademarks of Cadence Design Systems, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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CONTACT: Cadence Design Systems, Inc. Dean Solov, 408-914-6077 dsolov@cadence.com

KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: HARDWARE SOFTWARE MANUFACTURING PRODUCT SOURCE: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.

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