Mentor Graphics Nucleus 802.1X SUP Software Helps Secure Critical Networks

WILSONVILLE, Ore., August 15, 2006 - Mentor Graphics Corporation (Nasdaq: MENT) today announced that the Nucleus® 802.1X Supplicant (SUP) software is now available for developing devices connecting to wired and wireless networks. Employing a secure authentication system based on IEEE standards 802.1X-2001 and 802.11i, the software provides security system providers, as well as defense and network equipment manufacturers, with a method for securing existing and emerging critical networks and applications.

The Nucleus 802.1X SUP software, when used in conjunction with the Nucleus 802.11i software, provides the most comprehensive security solution for wireless local area networks (WLANs,) termed as Wireless Protected Access™ (WPA and WPA-2) by the Wi-Fi Alliance.

"Networks today are quickly moving towards more and more security, and port access security solutions such as the 802.1X protocol are becoming the standard for controlling user access to any particular network, be it wireless or wired," said Glen Johnson, product marketing manager, embedded systems division, Mentor Graphics. "The Nucleus 802.1X SUP product requires little user involvement to function in the Nucleus RTOS family of networking solutions and gives our customers the high level of security they demand."

The Nucleus 802.1X SUP software is an embedded client side (Supplicant) implementation of the IEEE Std. 802.1X-2001. It also implements 802.1X Supplicant and system management information bases (MIBs), providing complete support for dynamic keying management to the IEEE 802.11 WLAN Stations employed in 802.11i-enabled WLANs. The keying management features of the Nucleus 802.1X SUP software include Pairwise key handshake, Group key handshake, PMK (Pairwise Master Key) caching and Pre-shared keying.

The Nucleus 802.1X SUP software seamlessly integrates with several key Nucleus products including the Nucleus NET networking stack and the Nucleus 802.11 STA software. This eliminates the need to modify or enhance any existing applications based on Nucleus products using 802.1X functionality.

The Nucleus 802.1X SUP software is highly configurable, allowing for different industry standard authentication scenarios. In addition, the services provided by the administrative application programming interfaces (API) give developers a great deal of control over its functionality. These services include enabling/disabling 802.1X Supplicant functionality on both the system level and per interface basis, configuring user information, authentication methods, and retrieving current status information of the Supplicant.

Nucleus 802.1X SUP provides support for the most popular extensible authentication protocol (EAP) methods. It has an easy and standardized interface to the EAP authentication methods, which enables the developers to add new EAP authentication types conveniently to the Nucleus 802.1X SUP software.

Pricing and Availability
The Nucleus embedded software is sold in source code format and without royalty fees. Licenses for the Nucleus 802.1X SUP software begin at U.S. $22,995. For more information, please contact Mentor Graphics embedded systems division at 800-468-6853 or embedded_info@mentor.com.

About Mentor Graphics
Mentor Graphics Corporation (Nasdaq: MENT) is a world leader in electronic hardware and software design solutions, providing products, consulting services and award-winning support for the world's most successful electronics and semiconductor companies. Established in 1981, the company reported revenues over the last 12 months of over $725 million and employs approximately 4,050 people worldwide. Corporate headquarters are located at 8005 S.W. Boeckman Road, Wilsonville, Oregon 97070-7777. World Wide Web site: http://www.mentor.com/.

Mentor Graphics and Nucleus are registered trademarks of Mentor Graphics Corporation. All other company or product names are the registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective owners.

For more information, please contact:
Jennifer Tanveer
Mentor Graphics
251.208.3400 ext 3415
jennifer_tanveer@mentor.com

Sonia Harrison
Mentor Graphics
503.685.1165
sonia_harrison@mentor.com