Esterel Technologies acquires the IMAGE Embedded Graphical Display Software Design Environment from Thales and Diehl Aerospace. IMAGE will be sold as a Commercial Off-The-Shelf product (COTS) under the SCADE Display brand name

The resulting SCADE product line becomes the world’s only comprehensive, fully integrated and DO-178B qualified design environment for safety-critical embedded software, integrating embedded graphical display design tools with logic and algorithm design tool suite.

BORDEAUX and ELANCOURT, France, FRANKFURT, Germany — September 5, 2006

Thales Avionics S.A., the worldwide leader in avionics displays, Diehl Aerospace, the European system supplier for avionics and cabin systems and Esterel Technologies, the leading worldwide supplier of model-based design, validation and code generation tools for safety-critical embedded software, announced today the signature of a strategic technology transfer agreement, that results in the acquisition by Esterel Technologies of an exclusive source code license of Thales Avionics and Diehl Aerospace internally developped IMAGE Embedded Graphical Display Design Environment.

IMAGE is already in operational use on large-scale avionics programs, such as the Cockpit Display Systems of the Airbus A380 and A400M, the Sukhoi Russian Regional Jet and the Dassault Aviation Rafale program.

IMAGE will be fully integrated within Esterel Technologies’ SCADE product line, that is already the current market leader for the design of safety-critical software applications in aerospace and defense, rail transportation, automotive and heavy duty industries, under the SCADE Display brand name.

The SCADE Display family of tools will feature:

The SCADE Display Modeller, an advanced symbology drawing and simulation tool,
The SCADE Display Ergonomy Checker, a unique tool enabling the automated checking of human factors and ergonomy design rules,
And the SCADE Display DO-178B Qualified C Code Generator, that automatically generates highly portable and efficient C code, and includes a DO-178B Certification Kit.

Thales Avionics, Diehl Aerospace and Esterel Technologies already partner in several joint collaborative R&D projects, within the 6^th Framework Research Programme of the European Union, the ITEA Eureka framework and the System@tic Competitiveness Cluster (Pole de Competitivite) within the « Software Factory » project as well as the Aerospace Valley Competitiveness Cluster.

Thales Avionics and Esterel Technologies are also actively involved in the ARTEMIS European Technology Platform initiative.

By partnering with Esterel Technologies, Thales Avionics demonstrates its commitment towards the development of an effective high tech SME ecosystem in Europe, while facilitating the emergence of the worldwide leader of safety-critical software development tools, for the benefits of its aircrafts customers. It is also an innovative way of leveraging internal intellectual property assets and benefitting from their exploitation on a worldwide basis, said Dominique Pons, Vice President Strategy of Thales Aerospace Division.

This agreement also underlines the effectiveness of collaborative R&D programsadded, Christian Below, Vice President Marketing and Business Development of Diehl Aerospace.

This agreement with Thales Avionics and Diehl Aerospace enables Esterel Technologies to integrate complementary, high quality and production proven Display Design modules to the SCADE tool suite, providing our customers with the world’s only comprehensive, fully integrated and DO-178B qualified design environment for safety-critical embedded software, said Eric Bantegnie, President & CEO of Esterel Technologies.

We are very honored of the confidence of Thales Avionics and Diehl Aerospace. This reinforces our commitment towards integrating within the SCADE framework previously separated tools to deliver an openly architected yet fully integrated « Certified Software Factory » environment, added Eric Bantegnie.

Availability

SCADE Display solutions will be available in September 2006.

About Thales

Thales is a leading international electronics and systems group, serving defence, aerospace and security markets worldwide, supported by a comprehensive services offering. The group’s civil and military technology businesses develop in parallel to serve a single objective: the security of people, property and nations. Thales employs 60,000 people in 50 countries and generated revenues of € 10.3 billion in 2005.

About Diehl Aerospace

In July 2006, Diehl Avionik Systeme and Diehl Luftfahrt Elektronik, two successful companies, merged to form Diehl Aerospace GmbH, a joint venture of Diehl and Thales, continuing the successful cooperation in the area of aircraft systems and offering system solutions and functions for the equipment from cockpit to cabin from one hand. Airbus, Boeing, Eurocopter as well as Bombardier and Embraer are among the key customers of Diehl Aerospace. Diehl Aerospace plays a decisive role in the development and delivery of equipment systems - in cooperation with its European partners - for the Eurofighter, Tiger and NH 90 platforms in the military segment.

With innovative technologies and mature products in the competence areas :

Cabin and Utility Control Systems
Cockpit and Display Systems
Flight Control
Cabin Lighting and Safety
Cabin Management Systems
Power Conversion and Distribution
Engine Control

Diehl Aerospace is a high-performance and internationally recognized partner of the aircraft manufacturers in the areas of avionics and cabin. Diehl Aerospace is responsible for the development and production of the new electrical Doors and Slides Management System, the High Lift Control as well as for the Cabin Lighting as a First Tier Supplier for the A380. The coloured LED cabin lighting system for the Boeing 787 is another new development of Diehl Aerospace.

At its locations Uberlingen, Frankfurt, Nurnberg and Rostock more than 1200 qualified and dedicated employees stand for excellent competencies and quality in developing and manufacturing of avionics and cabin systems. To provide optimum service, Diehl Aerospace GmbH operates qualified customer service centres in Toulouse, Hamburg, Sterrett and Singapore. Diehl Aerospace generated revenues of 180 Million Euro in 2005.

About Esterel Technologies

Esterel Technologies is the worldwide leader of model-based design and verification tools for critical embedded systems.

SCADE Suite™ is the market leading model-based development environment dedicated to safety-critical embedded software:

DO-178B qualified up to level A for Military and Aerospace Industries: DO-178B Code Generation
IEC 61508 certified for all SIL levels by TUV for Rail Transportation, Heavy Equipment, and Energy.

SCADE Drive™ is the market leading model-based development environment dedicated to safety-critical automotive embedded software:

IEC 61508 certified for all SIL levels by TUV
MISRA C compliant

Esterel Studio™ is the market leading front-end design and verification suite for control-intensive hardware IP

Esterel Technologies is a privately held company with headquarters in Elancourt, France and Mountain View, California, USA, and with direct sales offices in Germany, the United Kingdom, and China. For additional information, visit the Esterel Technologies website at www.esterel-technologies.com

Esterel Technologies and SCADE are trademarks or registered trademarks of Esterel Technologies S.A. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Contacts

Thales Avionics

Jocelyne Amoros

Phone : +33 (0)5 56 13 66 84

e-mail : jocelyne.amoros@fr.thalesgroup.com

Diehl Aerospace

Tanja Braut

Phone : +49 (0)69 58 05 - 1724

e-mail : tanja.braut@diehl-aerospace.de

For Esterel Technologies :

Gundel Hahn

Phone : +49 (0) 89 123 922 04

e-mail : Gundel.Hahn@esterel-technologies.com

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