 The first tool in the GSA IPecosystem (IPe) Tool Suite, the GSA Hard IP Quality Risk Assessment Tool, enables companies to collect important information about an IP vendor, its design methodology and the IP under evaluation to enable risk assessment across seven criteria/categories: IP design, integration, verification, process technology, product documentation, reliability and test.
The Tool is an effective standardized questionnaire that gathers important information about the IP vendor, its design methodology, foundry qualification and the IP under evaluation. The Tool then yields a risk profile with normalized results and allows the integrator to custom weight areas of important comparison that can be exported to a flat Excel spreadsheet. It ultimately aids the integrator in risk assessment when working with one or many IP vendors.
GSA’s Hard IP Quality Risk Assessment Tool has been built around a standardized Microsoft Excel process, allowing for flexibility and easy customization. The questions are focused, making it less time consuming for the vendor to complete each IP product family and easier for the integrator to weight specific factors.
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Representatives from industry-leading semiconductor, foundry, electronic design automation (EDA) and semiconductor IP (SIP) companies collaborated to create this industry best practices tool.
GSA solicited foundry involvement early in the Hard IP effort. Foundry participants include: Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing, IBM, Samsung, SMIC, TSMC, UMC
Companies that have contributed to the development of the Tool include: Avago Technologies, Cadence Design System, Inc., Cirrus Logic, Dolphin Integration, Freescale, IDT, Impinj, Inc., Knowlent Corporation, LSI Logic, Mentor Graphics, Micro Linear (acquired by Sirenza Microdevices), Philips, PMC-Sierra, Qualcomm, Sarnoff, Synopsys, Virage Logic
Dr. Raminderpal Singh, Systems and Technology Group, IBM, is the technical lead on for this project and has championed the development of the GSA Hard IP Quality Risk Assessment Tool, the first Tool in the suite, to benefit the IP vendor, integrator/evaluator and foundries involved in system-on-chip design.
The entire IPecosystem Tool Suite is complimentary to the entire industry – regardless of member status within GSA because GSA encourages all IP vendors and integrators worldwide to benefit from this tool to develop IP based on higher levels of quality and predictability.
For additional information or to provide feedback, please contact Chelsea Boone at GSA.
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The second Tool within the IPe Suite focuses on the licensing process. It has been documented that the IP licensing period can take more than 22 weeks! This industry Tool will shorten this time period by creating efficiencies for IP purchasers and enabling the negotiation process to be focused on the areas that really matter, thus accelerating the process of purchasing the IP from a vendor and aiding in lower costs for IP integrators.
 Without such an objective measure, the costs of using third-party IP will remain high and inhibit the development of a robust third-party Semiconductor IP (SIP) market, which is key to the health of the outsourced industry. The Licensing section of the Tool Suite focuses on selecting an IP vendor based on evaluating the quality risk involved with various IP offered and then moving to the licensing process to assess the licensing risk an integrator is willing to accept before acquiring the desired IP.
The IP Licensing Risk Assessment Tool will act and function similarly to the Hard IP Quality Risk Assessment Tool. It uses a series of questions on licensing to evaluate if the IP is a standards-based IP and how many times the IP has been proven in designs to market, which will help companies understand the terms of the warranty and indemnification clauses. The questions are being developed around categories for the vendor to communicate abstract answers at critical junctures for negotiation.
Nine sections are included:
- Scope of License
- Payment
- Warranty
- Limitation of Liability
- Indemnity
- Governing Law
- Term & Termination
- Confidentiality
- Other
Sample Questions Include:
- Is the Customer licensed to use third party designers/manufacturers?
- Must the Device containing the SIP be sold under the Customer’s brand?
- Is there a flat fee payable on signing of the Agreement? What is that fee?
- Is there a "buy out"? (e.g., a fee for unlimited use)
- Does the Licensor warrant ownership of IP and sufficiency of rights to grant the license?
- Is the Licensor’s liability limited to fees paid?
- Does the Licensor provide an indemnity?
- What is the Duration of the License?
- What are the effects of termination?
- What is your Summary Risk Opinion on this IP Family?
Download the IPecosystem Tool Suite
The entire IPecosystem Tool Suite is complimentary to the entire industry – regardless of member status within GSA because GSA encourages all IP vendors and integrators worldwide to benefit from this tool to develop IP based on higher levels of quality and predictability.
More Information
For additional information or to provide feedback, please contact Chelsea Boone at GSA.
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Volunteer
The IPe tools are a result of a collaborative effort by industry volunteers. GSA seeks additional participation from multiple areas within the industry; visit http://gsaglobal.org/ip/index.aspx for more information and learn how getting involved provides leadership and visibility for your company in defining solutions for the industry.
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