Arena Solutions Announces New EDA Adapter Designed to Integrate Arena PLM's Centralized Product Record With Schematic Design Tools

Market Wire, April, 2008

Arena Solutions, the leading provider of on-demand product lifecycle management (PLM) software for manufacturers of all sizes, today announced a new electronic design automation (EDA) adapter for integrating Arena PLM's centralized product record with engineering's schematic design tools, so engineers can make better design decisions, maximize reuse of preferred company parts, accelerate design completion, and easily generate manufacturing-ready bills of materials (BOMs). With this integration, design and engineering groups can consolidate electronic component databases and get access to constantly updated component information such as preferred parts, descriptions, parametric information, symbols, footprints, and datasheets. The complete EDA integration solution from Arena PLM includes all necessary configuration tools and works with Altium Designer, Mentor Graphics' DxDataBook, and CADENCE's OrCAD Capture CIS, among others.

Currently concluding beta-testing, with a full version available in early June, Arena Solutions is now pre-selling The Arena PLM EDA Adapter at a discounted, promotional price for those who purchase it before June 1, 2008. More information about Arena PLM integrations can be found in the Integration section of the Arena website. For further questions or to pre-purchase the adapter, contact Arena PLM integration professionals at 1.866.937.1438, or email them at sales@arenasolutions.com .

Companies from around the world are participating in The Arena PLM EDA Adapter beta-testing program. They include:

--  North America-based Openpeak, Inc., which creates, designs, and
    develops innovative communication systems and devices that enable simple
    user control of VoIP telephony, digital media, Internet content, messaging
    applications, and consumer electronics. The company is using the EDA
    Adapter to connect to CADENCE OrCAD Capture CIS.
--  Australia-based Structural Monitoring Systems, the developer of
    proprietary crack-detection technology for use in a broad range of
    commercial, military and industrial applications, is using the EDA Adapter
    with Altium Designer.
--  iRex Technologies BV, the Netherlands-based inventor of electronic
    paper -- and some of the most innovative electronic readers and digital
    sketchbooks on the planet -- is using the EDA Adapter to connect with
    Mentor Graphics' DXDatabook.
    

The Arena PLM EDA Adapter offers a number of benefits, including the ability to:

--  Make better design decisions that are based on complete information
    Arena PLM captures, organizes and centralizes product data -- cost and
    technical performance parameters along with lifecycle status
    information -- so engineers always have current part and assembly
    information. The Arena PLM EDA Adapter supports rapid part selection
    with part browsing by type as well as part querying. Attribute links
    within the schematic design software provide direct online access to
    supplementary information like component datasheets within Arena PLM.

--  Fully cost BOMs early in the product lifecycle
    Once functional design is complete, a BOM can be imported into Arena
    PLM to generate a fully costed BOM. Arena's advanced cost management
    tools provide rolled-up cost BOMs for prototype and production runs,
    based on existing estimated costs or on active quoted cost data in
    Arena PLM. The software's costing module also provides cost breakdowns
    to help identify the most effective opportunities for cost improvement.

--  Instantly share board layouts
    The Arena PLM EDA Adapter makes it easier for design engineers to
    initiate the board layout process. Because the BOM is generated
    directly from the schematic linked to Arena PLM part numbers, the
    design engineer can import the netlist to Arena PLM and share it with
    the board design firm. With Arena's advanced sharing tools, suppliers
    and partners always have correct and current information for cost
    quotes and design work.

--  Easy transfer of information for prototype or production runs
    After board layout, the board design team can add Gerber files directly
    to the printed circuit board (PCB) assembly and generate complete
    documentation for quoting a prototype run. With one click, the entire
    package can be shared securely with multiple fabrication houses to
    quote a prototype run based on desired turn-time. Arena PLM's
    purchasing view generates flattened and net BOMs with complete AML/AVL
    information that fabrication houses can use to obtain current cost data
    and provide quotes by line item or at the assembly level.
    

"Design engineers can make better design decisions when they have access to up-to-date information on each part," said Craig Livingston, chief executive officer of Arena Solutions. "Engineers can rely on the fact they're seeing current product information because the Arena PLM EDA Adapter ensures that the schematic design software's part library is automatically and constantly updated."