In the previous posts in this series we covered some definitions of cloud computing; drivers of the transition to cloud computing by electronic design tools; and a potential roadmap for how this transition could look over time for the EDA tool flow.
In this post we conclude the series with a discussion of different approaches to Cloud Computing.
Remote Access and Cloud Computing Approaches
Cloud Computing could be thought of in different ways, but as with the adoption of most new technologies it will be gradual and in different forms.

Tool Access Models
Beyond the completely locally hosted scenario, there are three basic remote access and SaaS models available today.
VNC (Virtual Network Computing)
This scenario is built upon technology and tools that have been commercially for a few years now. It takes quite a bit of maintenance and support on its own and is not extremely user friendly on its own. However, many electronic design firms are using this for different phases of technology adoption. Engineers also typically use VNC to access tools that are internally hosted.
This is not “Software as a Service”. It an ad hoc technology that provides remote access in a bare knuckle fashion. Software needs to be installed on the server and the client to set up the environment. Connections are set up from the command line and not very user friendly.
EDA SaaS 1.0
As has been productized within a Xuropa Online Lab™, this is an infrastructure that provides systematic, secure remote access to an EDA tool without any installation, setup or teardown by the user. The tool is available on demand and provides for an ideal environment within which to carry out many of the tool adoption phases above.

SaaS and Tool Adoption Process
Also, a Xuropa Online Lab can be extended to provide a design environment allowing the user to upload and download design files. This last model can be adapted to provide SaaS remote access to the EDA tool and would be ideally suited to perform evaluations and even utility of some tools under the right use-model.
For existing EDA tools, this is the shortest, most secure and economical way to place your product in the cloud to provide global access to your market.
The hardware supporting this environment could be a dedicated server or a server farm running virtualization software to maximize resource utility and lower costs. The hardware could be an internal or leased server farm with VMWare or Parallels software. There are other commercial providers of Cloud Computing, the most widely quoted is Amazon with their EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud).
Above and beyond the Xuropa Online Lab, Xuropa provides services to extend this product to accommodate different use- and business-models. Please inquire for details: sales@xuropa.com.
EDA SaaS 2.0
Using similar hardware configurations as described with SaaS 1.0, this architecture requires the replacement of an existing user interface with a web-based user interface. Alternatively, a new company wishing to broaden the reach of their core tool engine would begin by building a web interface and make it scalable and accessible globally from the start.
There are two early examples of this within electronic design today. Think Silicon provides IPGenius™ as a web service to generate IP cores from different configurations. PDTi™ provides a web-based tool called SpectaReg that is a web enabled collaborative development environment for addressable register interfaces within an SoC. In the past 3 or 4 years this space has become crowded with competing commercial solutions or internally developed frameworks. A SaaS approach is a great way to compete on business model and support model.
[You might want to have a paragraph of the issues/costs of maintaining two versions, one a “regular old” EDA version and a second SaaS version of the tool. And perhaps how Xuropa knows and can offer services to reduce that cost. Just a thought!]
The business model will also migrate from a per-seat time-license model that the user has little control over to a cost-per-“X”, model where “X” can be a number of different parameters. For example, X could be the number of bugs found, the number of cores integrated, the number of regressions run, the length of time the tool was used, the number of designs created, the number of micro-watts saved, etc. ie. the model could be a simpler time/user-based model, but it could also be more tightly tide to the value a particular tool delivers. And the real power of this model is that these metrics can be measured.
Not only can more creative business models be created, but they will make more sense and be more easily and naturally support by both vendor and user.
If there wasn’t such inertia within the existing EDA business models the business model could be a driver that trends gradually towards change, but then experience a significant “tipping point” as a major player changes the rules of the game.
Whether your company is looking to move an existing tool to the web, or is developing a tool for a SaaS model from scratch, it is important that you focus your resources on your core value proposition – your tool’s engine. Xuropa SaaS Design Services is the ideal strategic partner to collaborate with. Leverage our web and EDA expertise and the Xuropa Infrastructure to realize your SaaS vision. Contact us for more information sales@xuropa.com.
Conclusion
We’re at the beginning of a trend, but without a doubt it is a trend. There are 4 key drivers to the development of the use of Cloud Computing and the adoption of SaaS as a business model, and gradually these drivers will align for different products and different companies.
While the drivers do not align for some companies and products just yet, the electronic design industry is primed for a change of this magnitude. Business pressures due to macro-economic “re-adjustments” could be the catalyst for the trend. Also, for those start-up EDA companies that either cannot get funding or are not able to obtain their Series B or C, moving to a SaaS model could be the only way to penetrate accounts, global markets, lower the cost of sales and out maneuver their competition. It might even be a way to get VC’s interested in EDA again…maybe.
SaaS also offers opportunities to semiconductor vendors. It is a way for them to reduce their total cost of ownership and increase their flexibility. Not all of their CAD department is tightly coupled with their value proposition. In much the same way as having a fab no longer became essential to a semiconductor’s success, an internal CAD department could go the same way through SaaS and Cloud Computing.
Finally, there are many benefits to SaaS and a Cloud Computing model for the end user. They always have access to the latest revision of the tool without the pain of installation and transition. They also have an environment that is architected to operate in a distributed and collaborative fashion across specializations and teams. This will remove a lot of the friction and inefficiencies within geographically distributed companies. And the business will be a pay-as-you-use or a results/value-delivery model, which should result in a higher return-on-investmet.
If you’re considering making the move, drop us a line and let’s discuss. sales@xuropa.com or register within the community and send me an email from my Xuropa Professional Profile – Search for James Colgan within the Community area.
Click here to register for the Xuropa Online Electronic Design Community
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