Cadence and National Instruments Enter into Strategic Alliance Agreement to Enhance Electronic System Innovation

AUSTIN, Texas – December 2, 2019 – National Instruments Corporation (Nasdaq: NATI) and Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: CDNS) today announced a system innovation strategic alliance to create an integrated design to test flow, leveraging reusable data and test IP from electronics design and verification to validation and production test for electronic system and semiconductor companies. This strategic alliance builds upon the broad-ranging collaboration that National Instruments (NI) and Cadence initiated in 2018 to improve the overall semiconductor development and testing of next-generation wireless, automotive and mobile integrated circuits (ICs) and modules. Through the strategic alliance agreement, NI and Cadence expect the joint development of technology, methodology and intellectual property to streamline electronics development. 

The objective is to provide customers with a seamless flow from pre-silicon development to post-silicon test, leveraging design, verification and analysis data between Cadence and NI technologies. The collaboration is anchored in analog, mixed-signal and RF integrations around the Cadence^® Virtuoso^® and Spectre^® platforms, and physical data from the NI LabVIEW and PXI modular instrumentation systems, which customers can use to enhance system design via a comprehensive flow from concept to volume production to help them achieve faster time to market and lower overall costs.

“The rapid product expansion in the wireless, consumer, automotive, and aerospace and defense market segments calls for an accelerated pace of system innovation and collaboration,” said Lip Bu Tan, chief executive officer at Cadence. “By working even more closely with NI on this strategic alliance, we aim to deliver an integrated flow from pre-silicon mixed-signal design and verification to post-silicon validation and test, shortening the overall time to electronic product creation.”

Cadence and NI also plan to collaborate to define and build a common, connected flow enabling re-use of mixed-signal testbenches and stimulus from pre-silicon design verification to post-silicon validation and production test. Reusable test IP helps customers accelerate their time to market and reduce errors. A goal of the collaboration is to better integrate flows for analog/mixed-signal and RF ICs and modules from design to test. 

“Cadence is the ideal partner for National Instruments as we work together to define the next generation of design to test methodology,” said Alex Davern, chief executive officer at National Instruments. “By combining NI’s advanced semiconductor validation and test systems with Cadence’s industry-leading technology in analog mixed-signal and RF design and verification, we can help our customers accelerate time to market, reduce costs and improve product quality. We look forward to working with Cadence to make this vision a reality in a fast-paced environment.”

In addition to the strategic alliance agreement, Cadence and NI have entered into a definitive agreement pursuant to which Cadence expects to acquire AWR Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of NI. For more information, please visit ni.com/nati/news

About Cadence

Cadence enables electronic systems and semiconductor companies to create the innovative end products that are transforming the way people live, work and play. Cadence software, hardware and semiconductor IP are used by customers to deliver products to market faster. The company’s Intelligent System Design^™ strategy helps customers develop differentiated products—from chips to boards to intelligent systems—in mobile, consumer, cloud, data center, automotive, aerospace, IoT, industrial and other market segments. Cadence is listed as one of Fortune Magazine's 100 Best Companies to Work For. Learn more at www.cadence.com.

National Instruments Forward-Looking Statements 

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements of NI, including statements regarding the expected benefits of the strategic alliance with Cadence, that the alliance will create an integrated design to test flow leveraging reusable data and test IP from electronics design and verification to validation and production test for electronic system and semiconductor companies, that through the system innovation alliance agreement, NI and Cadence expect the joint development of technology, methodology and intellectual property to streamline electronics development, that the objective is to provide customers with a seamless flow from pre-silicon development to post-silicon test, the plan to collaborate to define and build a common, connected flow enabling re-use of mixed-signal testbenches and stimulus from pre-silicon design verification to post-silicon validation and production test, a goal of the collaboration being to better integrate flows for analog/mixed-signal and RF ICs and modules from design to test, that Cadence is the ideal partner for National Instruments as we work together to define the next generation of design to test methodology, and that we can help our customers accelerate time to market, reduce costs and improve product quality. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside of the control of NI, including, among others: the failure or inability of Cadence or NI to meet the closing conditions or to otherwise consummate the AWR acquisition transaction, the ability of the parties to realize the expected benefits of the strategic alliance agreement including the integrated product being tightly connected with the NI LabVIEW and PXI modular instrumentation systems, the risk of adverse changes or fluctuations in the global economy, further adverse fluctuations in NI’s industry, foreign exchange fluctuations, fluctuations in demand for NI products including orders from NI’s large customers, component shortages, delays in the release of new products, NI’s ability to effectively manage its operating expenses, manufacturing inefficiencies and the level of capacity utilization, the impact of any recent or future acquisitions by NI, expense overruns, and adverse effects of price changes or effective tax rates. Actual results may differ materially from the expected results. NI directs readers to its Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2018, its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2019 and the other documents it files with the SEC for other risks associated with its future performance. NI undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement in this press release. Stockholders are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements herein, which speak only as of the date such statements are made. 

Cadence Forward-Looking Statements 

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the expected benefits to Cadence, its products and its customers from the strategic alliance, that are based on current expectations and preliminary assumptions that are subject to factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside Cadence’s control, including the failure or inability to close the acquisition of AWR Corporation by Cadence and to realize the expected benefits of the strategic alliance agreement, the changes in customer demands and markets, and other risk factors set forth in Cadence’s most recent reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. Cadence undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement in this press release.

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