[Cryptech Core] multiple offers...

[Jacob]

With your permission, I will throw my 2c in:

 >However, there is a glaring problem with both offers:

 >All deliverables are completely proprietary, locked to proprietary
 >software packages. Bitsim don't even say which tools: "its own design
 >tools" and BMOCon use Cadence OrCAD Capture and Mentor Expedition PCB.

 >Proprietary tools mean that re-use of the deliverables is essentially
 >only possible for those who already have a license for the respective
 >tools. This significantly reduces the value of the deliverables.

There aren't any good layout systems out there that are both free and 
capable of doing *efficiently* complex, hi-speed boards.
Expedition by Mentor is a good package among few - all proprietary.

On the other hand, the choice for the schematic capture (Orcad) is 
geared toward ubiquity rather than strength and correct-by-design (as 
could have been with Mentor's DxDesigner. OrCAD is more of a free-hand 
graphics package rather than a DB-based system as DxD, but almost 
everybody has it and its learning curve is minimal).
Neither of the two is free, but since OrCAD can be found at 95% of EE 
businesses, the choice of it is rather reasonable.

Regarding the reduction of the value of the deliverables by using 
proprietary packages, I would imagine that the end user will contract 
out a service bureau for any modification, and among those bureaus there 
are plenty with Mentor's design/layout packages (and Cadence's OrCAD).

Jacob