Synopsys ends some chip software products to focus on AI

• Synopsys (NASDAQ:SNPS) plans to discontinue some semiconductor manufacturing analytics software products used by chipmakers.
• The company will continue maintenance support but stop developing future versions of affected products.
• Synopsys is shifting resources toward higher-margin areas, including AI-focused chip design technologies.

Synopsys (NASDAQ:SNPS) plans to stop offering future versions of certain semiconductor manufacturing process control software products as it redirects resources toward AI design technologies.

The affected products include Equipment Engineering System (EES) and Fault Detection and Classification (FDC) software, which are used by semiconductor manufacturers to monitor production processes.

Synopsys informed more than 10 chipmakers, including Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, Kioxia Holdings, and Qorvo (NASDAQ:QRVO), about the product end-of-life plans, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The company said it will continue maintenance obligations and honor existing support agreements for customers using the affected products.

Synopsys said the discontinued products are older manufacturing analytics tools and that it continues to invest in other capabilities within its portfolio.

The move comes as semiconductor software companies increase investment in AI-related chip design tools and some manufacturers develop internal production software.