VDC Launches Study on Electronic Systems Level (ESL) Tools

VDC has launched its 2006 global market analysis of Electronic Systems Level (ESL) Tools. This study will provide answers to critical questions about the competitive landscape, customer requirements, profitability, and strategy within the ESL space. VDC currently defines ESL as a development methodology using abstract modeling or system description language (often on a higher level than RTL) to design an embedded system. ESL tools can be used to design, prototype, verify, debug, and virtually simulate embedded hardware and systems. These tools are often used in the development of SoC and/or multiprocessor architectures, and may also enable the advanced development of software running on these systems.

The founding sponsor discount period has been extended to November 15th, 2006. Sign up now to take advantage of the survey guide review process that takes place during October and November. Make sure your views and questions are considered for inclusion in the 2006 survey guides for this study.

VDC will be looking to founding sponsors to offer early guidance on market and segment definition and product identification. These companies will also have the greatest influence on the primary research process. VDC believes that participation in the development of the infrastructure development phase of the research will bring added value to its clients. Founding sponsors will have early access to key content not available to purchasers of the final report, including:

· Vendor product lists
· Infrastructure documents
· Interim findings

As this is the first report VDC has conducted in the ESL space, VDC looks forward to working collaboratively with all vendors and industry participants. The ESL tools market touches on both the EDA and embedded software development tools markets. There are varying opinions among market participants regarding the boundaries of the market. There are also many questions about future demand for these products, rates of customer adoption, and evolving business models.

While initial advances into the ESL domain originated out of the EDA market, VDC has witnessed increased vendor activity in the embedded software development market as well. VDC believes that a number of market dynamics within the embedded systems industry are driving interest in tools that enable better defined practices and tools to develop software and hardware in a more collaborative and integrated approach. Several of these factors include:

· The increasing density/complexity of silicon architectures requiring tools to facilitate the design of these systems at higher levels of abstraction.
· The growing interest in the development of complex multiprocessor/multi-core system designs.
· The growing role of software development as a key part of the device development process.
· The desire to enable the parallel development of software before the hardware is available.

The term “ESL” represents a broad set of technologies and is not particularly well defined in the eyes of many in the software industry at large. VDC looks forward to working with its research partners to design primary research infrastructure (targeted at the vendor and end-user communities) that addresses key questions and perspectives relevant to the ESL market.