HP and BNeD to Develop EDA Products Together for Broadband Optical Market

February 25, 1998

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE) via Individual Inc. -- To address the needs of engineers planning and designing photonic networks, systems and components, Hewlett-Packard Company and BNeD Broadband Network Design (BNeD) today announce an agreement to work together to develop electronic design automation (EDA) products for the photonic systems market. The announcement was made here at the Fiber Optic Communications Conference, Feb. 24 to 26.

The growing traffic in data and image services, fuelled by the dramatic increase in the use of the Internet and mobile communications systems, requires that the capacity of the present global fiber-optic telecommunications infrastructure be expanded. To accommodate this increased demand, designers of submarine cable and long-distance systems, cable TV (CATV) and metro, utility and corporate networks worldwide are moving to new technologies. Two of the technologies that engineers are using to upgrade existing systems are 10Gb/s to 40Gb/s time division multiplexing (TDM) and wavelength division multiplexing (WDM).

"As with any new technology, designing WDM telecommunications networks brings with it a host of new issues, including the need to consider associated complicated physical effects, particularly nonlinearities," said Kay Iversen, president and chief executive officer of BNeD. "Presently, optimization of WDM networks is being performed mainly by trial and error, using lab tests and trial networks. We look forward to working with HP to provide the industry with more accurate, cost-effective solutions through EDA simulation techniques."

HP and BNeD will work together to develop an EDA software package that combines the powerful simulation technology and RF and DSP models in HP EEsof Division's Advanced Design System with the comprehensive optical model libraries from BNeD. The software is expected to allow telecommunications service providers, photonics and component systems manufacturers for the first time to codesign both the electrical high-frequency and the optical elements of photonics networks. This will allow them to optimize their designs early in the design process and to decrease time-to-market.

"The agreement will provide us and BNeD with the opportunity to contribute to the emerging photonics market," said Jake Egbert, general manager of HP EEsof Division. "The products that result from our combined expertise will provide powerful solutions for telecommunications system and component manufacturers facing the challenges posed by rapidly evolving technologies. "

HP's Advanced Design System high-frequency-simulation software, developed by the HP EEsof Division, integrates multiple simulation technologies to provide complete end-to-end communications signal-path-design capability.

ABOUT BNED

In response to the telecommunications industry's need to update its networks quickly and frequently, BNeD offers software solutions and professional services for photonic automated design (photonic EDA). BNeD has established long-term contracts with major telecommunications providers as well as equipment and component manufacturers to deliver practical tools for the industry's most daunting problems.

Information about BNeD and its products can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.BNeD.com

ABOUT HP

Hewlett-Packard Company is a leading global provider of computing, Internet and intranet solutions, services, communications products and measurement solutions, all of which are recognized for excellence in quality and support. It is the second-largest computer supplier in the world, with computer-related revenue in excess of $35.4 billion in its 1997 fiscal year. HP has 123,300 employees and had revenue of $42.9 billion in its 1997 fiscal year.

Information about HP and its products can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.hp.com.

Information about HP EEsof products can be found on the World Wide Web via http://www.hp.com/go/hpeesof.