Hoping to tap the full potential of the Internet as a design
platform, start-up Toolwire has introduced its Toolwire Electronic Design Workbench -- a Web-based applications server platform that includes the ability to allow FPGA and ASIC designers to rent multiple third-party EDA tools and services on a per-use basis from a single source. Toolwire, formerly Reflex Networks, demonstrated its software earlier this year at the Design Automation Conference. Since then, the five-person company has been arranging venture financing, perfecting its software,and creating partnerships in preparation for the launch of its website, said Mark Gilbreath, director of marketing. A first round of venture funding has been secured, and partnership agreements have been made with SunMicrosystems, Lucent, Synopsys, and Avnet.
Toolwire said it is the first company to give designers the option of renting a broad range of design tools from a Web-based applications service provider rather than buying, installing, and maintaining the tools on in-house servers.
Toolwire replicates each EDA tool's desktop interface using Java, but the EDA tools themselves are run and maintained on Toolwire's server farms in San Jose, Calif. Users connect to Toolwire via an Internet browser and then run the tools, platform-independent, via their browsers.
toolwire.com
I have yet to try the service,
Temp' |
