Panel session - Consolidation, a modern "Moor of Venice" tale

• Main Authors: Casale-Rossi, M., De Micheli, G.
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Subjects: Electronics industry; Fuels; Integrated circuits; Research and development; Resource management; Silicon; Technological innovation
• ISSN: 1530-1591; 1558-1101
• DOI: 10.1109/DATE.2009.5090647

Summary form only given, as follows. "Othello, The Moor of Venice" is undoubtedly one of the most famous plays by William Shakespeare, and because of its themes – love, jealousy and betrayal – it remains relevant to the present day… and to the electronic industry! Like Othello, EDA vendors confront their Desdemona IC vendor customers, accusing them of adultery whenever they seem to look for somebody else's – Cassio – EDA technology, pretending they consolidate on a single-vendor EDA solution. According to these high-tech Othellos, a cooperative approach and a faithful partner are indeed essential ingredients towards the allocation of the huge financial and R&D resources that are required to improve existing EDA technology and develop the new EDA technology that is badly needed as the challenges of nanometer IC designs become more complex. Adultery, besides being a serious relationship issue, harms the EDA innovations’ stream, which is so necessary to fuel the electronic industry's growth. Are these modern Othellos visionary heroes, trying to spare their Desdemona the perils of slipshod solutions, which may harm silicon success at 45 nanometers and thereafter, or are they egoistic fools, only interested in making as much revenue as possible by enforcing groundless franchises? Is Desdemona sincerely interested in advancing design technology, or just playing the one vendor against the other game to save extra money? And finally, who's playing the role of Iago – the sinister villain who sets out to foment disunity among the other players? In this panel, Desdemona will explain the reasons why she's given Cassio her handkerchief, while Othello will try to convince Desdemona that she should be loyal and faithful to him, truly partnering to fight the challenges of nanometer IC designs. Is there a happy end for Othello and Desdemona? A record of the panel discussion was not made available for publication as part of the conference proceedings.