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 Press Release

Asyst
Technologies Forms New Connectivity
Solutions Group
Through Key Acquisition, Strategic Partnership

Agrees to Acquire
domainLogix Corporation; Partners with Satyam Computer Services
Ltd.
FREMONT, CALIF. , April 9, 2002 Asyst
Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq NM: ASYT), a leading provider of integrated
automation solutions for the semiconductor manufacturing industry,
today announced that it has created a new organization to address
the emerging market for equipment connectivity solutions. In
implementing its strategy, the company announced that it has
reached a definitive agreement to acquire the assets of domainLogix
Corporation (DLC), Austin, Texas, and will partner with Satyam
Computer Services Ltd. (NYSE: SAY) of India. Terms were not disclosed.
"As the leading supplier of
fab automation products for more than 17 years, Asyst has long
provided the interface between equipment and the fab," said
Mihir Parikh, chairman and CEO of Asyst. "The agreements
we are announcing today, combined with our acquisition last year
of tool communication software leader GW Associates, position
Asyst to be the leading global supplier of equipment connectivity
solutions, which are the software products and services that
provide connectivity between equipment and every layer of the
semiconductor fab. Furthermore, we believe that our solutions
can provide the vital interface through which the e-manufacturing
revolution will flow, and position us to take a leading role
in expanding markets such as e-diagnostics, recipe management
and Advanced Process Control."
The company's new Connectivity Solutions
Group (CSG) will have two primary divisions, Connectivity Products
and Connectivity Services:
- Connectivity Products. This
division will have as its backbone the market-leading products
of GW Associates (GWA), which the company acquired in 2001.
GWA is the leading provider of tool communications software
compliant with SEMI's SECS/GEM connectivity standard, which
GWA helped to establish. With the anticipated market introduction
of DLC's OBEM XP, which embodies the next generation
tool communication standard, Object-Based Equipment Model (OBEM),
Asyst is positioned with the strongest tool communication software
platform in the industry.
- Connectivity Services. This
division will provide high-level fab automation consulting/engineering
services, advanced product development and integration services
for customers and for other Asyst divisions. DLC's current
consulting operations will be folded into a new company, Asyst
Consulting Solutions, Inc. The company also has formed Asyst
Integration Services (India) Pvt. Ltd., which will provide
cost-effective integration services and will leverage offshore
product development provided through an exclusive partnership
with Satyam Computer Services, Ltd., one of the world's leading
providers of software development services.
DLC, founded
in 1999, is a leading developer of next-generation software for
tool communication and also provides a variety of consulting,
development and integration services to its customers. DLC has
received funding from the National Institute of Standards and
Technology - Advanced Technology Program (NIST/ATP) to support
research and development of communications software adhering
to SEMI's OBEM standard as well as a joint venture effort to
develop, prototype and validate an Internet-based security framework
for fabs. DLC also is working with Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE:
AMD) to develop advanced applications such as recipe management,
Advanced Process Control and e-diagnostics. Its current core
product, OBEM XP, is the first and only fully commercialized
tool communication solution that complies with the SEMI E-98
OBEM standard. DLC has approximately 40 employees. Its management
and senior development staff are expected to transition to Asyst
Consulting Solutions, Inc.
Charles Clark,
Director, Global Manufacturing Systems, Wafer Fab Division of
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) said, "AMD selected domainLogix
to develop and market advanced manufacturing applications because
of their depth of expertise and domain knowledge in semiconductor
factory integration and automation systems technology. This powerful
new relationship between domainLogix and Asyst, a long-time supplier
of factory automation hardware to AMD, should help ensure that
AMD will be able to depend upon deployment of a standard tool-centric
interface capable of seamless integration with AMD's advanced
factory automation software architecture and manufacturing application
product suite, as well as potentially support AMD's advanced
300mm automation initiatives."
Jim Macek,
CEO of domainLogix, said, "We have had a long relationship
with Asyst, and chose them for this next phase of DLC's growth
and evolution. Together, we can go much farther in this fast-growing
technology segment than either company could have gone alone.
Our senior management, employees, development partners and customers
all are excited about moving forward with an integrated vision
for how hardware and software connect and interact with the fab."
B. Ramalinga
Raju, chairman of Satyam Computer Services Ltd., said, "We
are delighted to partner with a well respected global organization
like Asyst Technologies. What has excited our development team
is the broad range of services that Satyam will bring to the
table, from software design and development to design architecture
and consulting. We believe in long-term relationships and I am
confident that this is just the beginning of an enduring relationship
between our two organizations."
Satyam Computer
Services Ltd., an SEI-CMM Level 5 Company, offers a range of
development and integration services through skilled teams of
professionals working onsite, offshore or offsite to provide
customized solutions for companies in several industry sectors.
Satyam has more than 10,000 employees. Its development centers
in India, the USA, the UK, and other parts of Asia serve more
than 250 global companies, of which nearly 40 are Fortune 500
corporations.
Conference
Call: The company will be hosting a conference call to
discuss its Connectivity Solutions business strategy today,
April 9, 2002 at 5:30 pm. Eastern Time (2:30 pm Pacific Time).
The conference call will be webcast live and available at www.asyst.com.
About Asyst: Asyst Technologies, Inc. is a leading provider
of integrated automation solutions that enable semiconductor
manufacturers to increase overall equipment effectiveness,
improve yields and increase fab throughput. The company offers
a broad range of 200mm and 300mm solutions that enable the
safe and rapid transfer of wafers and information between process
equipment and the fab line throughout the IC fabrication process,
while reducing IC damage caused by human, environmental, mechanical
and chemical factors. Asyst's homepage is http://www.asyst.com
is http://www.asyst.com
Safe Harbor: Except for statements
of historical fact, the statements in this press release are
forward-looking. Such statements are subject to a number of risks
and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially
from the statements made. These factors include, but are not
limited to, general economic conditions, semiconductor industry
cycles, risks associated with the acceptance of new products
and product capabilities and other factors more fully detailed
in the Company's recent 10Q quarterly report on file with the
Securities and Exchange Commission.
CONTACT:
John Swenson
Asyst Technologies, Inc.
(510) 661-5000
jswenson@asyst.com
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