In the backend business, it's rumored that 2 start-ups have recently run into
trouble.  The first is Silicon Dimensions, based in Marlboro, MA and who used
to sell the Chip2Nite floorplanner/placer/router tool.  Four months ago Mass
High Tech reported:

   Marlborough's Silicon Dimensions Inc., a maker of EDA platforms for
   engineers, was built on the company's mantra: "Get things right the
   first time."  But that sword cut both ways, and while the company got
   its first round of funding right -- $3 million in March 2003 from
   Kodiak Venture Partners and Globespan Capital Partners -- it failed
   to get it right a second time, and has now closed its doors.

This was confirmed by the fact that Silicon Dimensions' web page is dead and
that the company is not listed to show at this month's upcoming DAC.  (On a
personal note it was interesting that ESNUG 453 #7 had hinted at Silicon
Dimensions going out of business, too, but it didn't register with me then.)

         ----    ----    ----    ----    ----    ----   ----

The second company rumored to be in trouble is Silicon Design Systems, based
in Sunnyvale, CA and who sold the K-Route router -- 3 sources (on condition
of anonymity) said SDS had laid off practically all its Sunnyvale employees
4 months ago and some Israel R&D people 2 months ago.  What's remaining is
the core Israel R&D team plus their technology looking for a new home.  What
I had last known about SDS was from ESNUG 453 #5 where they were rumored to
be working on a litho-aware router to join the overcrowded DFM Gold Rush.

The last money I could find for SDS was in Nov 2004 -- Gemini Israel Funds
had joined Carmel Ventures, Gilo Ventures and Infinity Venture Capital for a
total of $9.2 million in Series B funding.  In April 2005, Douglas Fairbairn,
joined SDS' board of directors, which led speculation that SDS was going to
be acquired by Cadence.  Doug was the former GM of Cadence's Alta division,
the former founder of Redwood (which got bought by Cadence), and the former
chairman of Verisity's board when it, too, was bought by Cadence.

What's funny is that the Silicon Design Systems home page has a big link:
 
     EVENTS
     43rd Design Automation Conference (DAC)
     July 24 - 28, 2006, Moscone Center, San Francisco, CA, Booth 2206

But if you check the list of DAC exhibitors, Silicon Design Systems is NOT
listed and THERE IS NO SUCH BOOTH 2206 ON THE DAC FLOOR.  The closest is
Booth 2204, but that's Ponte!  And to be sure, I called the DAC people.
It's no mistake; Silicon Design Systems won't be showing anything whatsoever
at the upcoming DAC.  SDS is just faking that they'll be there!  Funny!  :)

P.S. And if you check this out before the SDS folks "correct" their home
     page, be sure NOT to confuse them with Silicon Design Solutions of
     Milpitas, CA.  They sell the eFlex Embedded Memory Compilers, have
     an R&D center in Vietnam, and will be at the upcoming DAC at a very
     real Booth 3445 -- between TenSilica and UMC.

P.P.S. Too late!  The SDS folks "corrected" the DAC Booth 2206 "mistake"
       that's been on their home page for the past 15 weeks.  Wow!  That
       was fast!  It was in less than 2 hours after this Wiretap went up!
       Now I'm wondering why it took them 15 weeks to "correct" this in
       the first place since they're such a "responsive" company...   :)