Comments on: Merger mania? What will happen in ESL if Cadence swallows Mentor? http://www.chipdesignmag.com/martins/2008/06/20/merger-mania-what-will-happen-in-esl-if-cadence-swallows-mentor/ ESL, embedded processors, and more Wed, 07 Jan 2009 18:44:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Patrick Madden http://www.chipdesignmag.com/martins/2008/06/20/merger-mania-what-will-happen-in-esl-if-cadence-swallows-mentor/#comment-74 Patrick Madden Mon, 23 Jun 2008 00:19:21 +0000 http://www.chipdesignmag.com/martins/?p=13#comment-74 I'll have to say that this acquisition attempt makes no sense to me. I really don't see what Cadence thinks they can get out of the deal (that they couldn't get cheaper in another way). When Mentor bought Sierra, they filled the doughnut hole with physical design jelly. I don't see how Mentor fits any kind of Cadence hole. Perhaps this is a stock market maneuver, which would mean that it must defy logic. I’ll have to say that this acquisition attempt makes no sense to me. I really don’t see what Cadence thinks they can get out of the deal (that they couldn’t get cheaper in another way).

When Mentor bought Sierra, they filled the doughnut hole with physical design jelly. I don’t see how Mentor fits any kind of Cadence hole. Perhaps this is a stock market maneuver, which would mean that it must defy logic.

]]> By: Grant Martin http://www.chipdesignmag.com/martins/2008/06/20/merger-mania-what-will-happen-in-esl-if-cadence-swallows-mentor/#comment-73 Grant Martin Sun, 22 Jun 2008 20:49:11 +0000 http://www.chipdesignmag.com/martins/?p=13#comment-73 I will leave all art interpretation to readers and art experts. We also must remember that sometimes, no matter how tasty a dish looks, almost anything, if eaten in too great a quantity or at the wrong time, might give one indigestion! I will leave all art interpretation to readers and art experts. We also must remember that sometimes, no matter how tasty a dish looks, almost anything, if eaten in too great a quantity or at the wrong time, might give one indigestion!

]]> By: Gordon McGregor http://www.chipdesignmag.com/martins/2008/06/20/merger-mania-what-will-happen-in-esl-if-cadence-swallows-mentor/#comment-71 Gordon McGregor Sat, 21 Jun 2008 04:53:27 +0000 http://www.chipdesignmag.com/martins/?p=13#comment-71 It seems a curious decision all around. I'm sure it probably makes good sense financially, for the execs and shareholders. I don't see it as particularly healthy for the users and customers, either in moving the state of the art forward, improving pricing or improving the technology in any particularly meaningful way. The churn and uncertainty is bound to ripple on for years if the merger/take-over actually goes ahead. As you mentioned, Mentor's rag-tag collection of ESL tools and IDEs has some interesting pieces, like Catapult. The verification space is equally muddled in terms of overlaps and missing pieces. With the large overlaps, hostile nature of the bid and general size of the combined company, I'd be quite surprised if it does go ahead, but like you, I'm not a 16th century fortune teller. So is Mentor Jonah in this story? It seems a curious decision all around. I’m sure it probably makes good sense financially, for the execs and shareholders. I don’t see it as particularly healthy for the users and customers, either in moving the state of the art forward, improving pricing or improving the technology in any particularly meaningful way.

The churn and uncertainty is bound to ripple on for years if the merger/take-over actually goes ahead.

As you mentioned, Mentor’s rag-tag collection of ESL tools and IDEs has some interesting pieces, like Catapult. The verification space is equally muddled in terms of overlaps and missing pieces.

With the large overlaps, hostile nature of the bid and general size of the combined company, I’d be quite surprised if it does go ahead, but like you, I’m not a 16th century fortune teller.

So is Mentor Jonah in this story?

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