Mentor Graphics PCB design investment strategy and execution results in 50 percent worldwide market share

WILSONVILLE, USA: Mentor Graphics Corp. announced that, according to the Electronic Design Automation (EDA) Consortium Market Statistics Service Report for 2010, the company has achieved a 50 percent worldwide market share in PCB design solutions.

For over 12 years, Mentor Graphics has been consistently executing on a vision and investment strategy to bring the most advanced design capabilities to the industry. Today, Mentor is supplying industry-unique capabilities that extend beyond the design of the PCB and integrate the multiple engineering disciplines necessary for complete product development and delivery.

“Our continued R&D and strategic investments in advanced systems design technologies, far exceeding that of other suppliers, has resulted in a gradual increase in our revenues and market share,” stated Henry Potts, vice president and general manager of Mentor’s Systems Design Division. “The electronics industry requires these advanced technologies to support their PCB product development and manufacturing processes and Mentor is the only supplier seriously investing. This positive cycle continues, as the more revenues and market share we obtain, the more we can continue to invest in future design solutions to the benefit of our customers.”

R&D and strategic investments in systems design have been a major focus for Mentor Graphics. The result has been industry-unique technologies that address users’ most advanced design and manufacturing needs including:

* Mechanical analysis supporting thermal analysis of electronic products including the IC package, the PCB, and the complete system.
* The expansion of Mentor’s capabilities to support the complete design-through-manufacturing process including design for manufacturability, new product introduction (NPI) to manufacturing, and PCB manufacturing process execution optimization.
* The HyperLynx PI (power integrity) for AC and DC analysis of complex power distribution networks on high-end products.
* Major enhancements to the Expedition Enterprise platform in support of advanced technology product design by mid-sized to large and global enterprises.
* Best-in-class desktop PCB technologies with PADS software, tailored to meet the design needs of individual users.

“In 2010 we conducted and published a research project entitled Why Printed Circuit Board Design Matters to the Executive,” stated Michelle Boucher, research analyst for Aberdeen Group. “This study highlighted several PCB design best practices that enabled electronics companies to achieve best-in-class status by meeting their aggressive business goals. The design capabilities offered by Mentor Graphics support these best practices.”

Of particular note in the EDA Consortium report is Mentor’s market share in North America, Europe, and Asia/Pacific with 60 percent, 57 percent and 50 percent, respectively. Japan was the only market where Mentor did not show the largest PCB design market share but did grow their market share by more than 75 percent from 2009 to 2010. The impressive growth in Japan is due to Mentor’s emphasis on this important market with increased dedicated sales and support targeted at major enterprise companies.