Exbit Uses Synopsys' New Licensing Model to Accelerate Development of Gigabit and 10 Gigabit Switching Technology

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.----October 18, 2000-- Synopsys, Inc. (Nasdaq:SNPS) today announced that Exbit Technology has accelerated product development on several of its advanced multimillion-gate gigabit and 10 gigabit Ethernet solutions by using the latest EDA technology accessed through Synopsys' new Technology Subscription License (TSL).

Through Technology Subscription Licenses, Exbit has access to Synopsys' Scirocco(TM), a high-performance VHDL simulator; VCS(TM), the market leading Verilog simulator; Formality®, an industry-proven equivalence-checking formal verification tool; PrimeTime®, a full-chip, gate-level static timing analysis and sign-off tool, and physical synthesis technology (Chip Architect, Design Compiler(TM) and Physical Compiler).

Technology Subscription Licenses enable Synopsys to offer customers technology and terms that more closely match their needs. TSLs replace both the Time-Based Licenses and Term-Value Licenses previously offered by the Company.

``Getting access to tools through Synopsys' new TSL model provided the flexibility we were looking for,'' said Ole C. Andersen, CEO of Exbit Technology. ``The agreement we have with Synopsys is proof that their new TSL model is perfect for fast-moving companies like Exbit. We gained access to all of the best development tools, with terms that matched our needs, and accelerated product development on our next-generation networking solutions.''

``Designing multimillion gate chips operating at over 250 MHz with embedded DRAMs and SRAMs requires powerful EDA tools,'' said Deirdre Hanford, senior vice president of business and market development at Synopsys. ``Our new TSL agreement enabled Exbit to gain access to the newest EDA tools they needed to handle their most complex designs. Our relationship with Exbit demonstrates that Synopsys' tools are the EDA tools of choice for the new generation of networking companies.''

Exbit Technology, located in Denmark, is a fabless semiconductor company that designs advanced single-chip solutions for desktop switching applications and multi-terabit-bandwidth chipsets for backbone and wide-area networking applications. Using Synopsys' tools, the company will launch Heathrow, a 16-port gigabit Ethernet switch-on-chip. Later next year, Exbit will launch its Chicago chipset, featuring higher switching performance and quality of service for 10-gigabit Ethernet.

About Synopsys

Synopsys, Inc. (Nasdaq:SNPS), headquartered in Mountain View, California, creates leading electronic design automation (EDA) tools for the global electronics market. The company delivers advanced design technologies and solutions to developers of complex integrated circuits, electronic systems, and systems on a chip. Synopsys also provides consulting and support services to simplify the overall IC design process and accelerate time to market for its customers. Visit Synopsys at www.synopsys.com.

Synopsys, Formality and PrimeTime are registered trademarks of Synopsys, Inc. Scirocco, VCS and Design Compiler are trademarks. All other trademarks or registered trademarks mentioned in this release are the intellectual property of their respective owners.