Brooks Automation and Teradyne Enter Multi-year OEM Agreement for eDiagnostics
Teradyne will embed Brooks' eDiagnostics solution in its new generation of semiconductor test products.
CHELMSFORD, Mass., Feb. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Brooks Automation, Inc. (Nasdaq: BRKS - news), a leading supplier of tool and factory automation solutions, today announced that it has signed a multi-year OEM agreement with Teradyne Inc. (NYSE: TER - news), a leading provider of Automated Test Systems for the global semiconductor industry. Under the terms of the agreement, Teradyne will embed Brooks' eDiagnostics technology as part of Teradyne's new eConnectNET(TM) product. This agreement will combine the efforts of key players in the eDiagnostics arena-including Brooks, Teradyne and KLA-Tencor-targeted at accelerating the adoption of eDiagnostics solutions by the semiconductor industry. Teradyne has already sold eConnectNET to a large semiconductor manufacturing customer, who will begin using the eDiagnostics solution to speed the development of new device test programs and reduce the time required to resolve hardware and software problems.
``Teradyne's decision to enable its new generation of testers with Brooks' eDiagnostics solution, iConnect(TM), and the recent sale of eConnectNET to a major semiconductor manufacturer, affirms both the importance of eDiagnostics as a support delivery model for the industry and Brooks' role as a leading solution provider in the emerging eDiagnostics marketplace,'' said Robert J. Therrien, president and chief executive officer of Brooks Automation. ``We are pleased to team with visionary suppliers such as Teradyne who see the value of eDiagnostics as a way to enable semiconductor manufacturers to achieve higher engineering productivity, an important part of the equation to bringing new products to market faster.''
``By embedding the Brooks eDiagnostics solution in our semiconductor test products, we will be able to deliver an extremely high level of support to our customers,'' said Mike Bradley, Teradyne president. ``With eConnectNET, our customers will experience increased system availability due to shorter times to diagnose and correct problems. They will be able to transfer device programs between engineering/development and production sites faster, enabling them to speed time to market, reduce costs and improve engineering productivity. Fabless semiconductor companies and integrated device manufacturers will both be able to increase the effectiveness of outsourcing with test subcontractors.''
One driving force behind Teradyne's selection of the Brooks eDiagnostics solution is Teradyne's preference to leverage an industry-developed, third- party capability rather than develop the capability itself. ``We believe that the semiconductor manufacturers will push for standardization in eDiagnostics solutions-in security architecture as well as in user look and feel,'' said Brian Amero, eConnectNET product manager. ``We are pleased to be one of the first OEMs to provide our customers with an eDiagnostics solution with a common infrastructure that can be used by a number of their other suppliers.''
Brooks and Teradyne actively participate in International SEMATECH's eDiagnostics program, along with other major semiconductor manufacturers. The technology that Teradyne and Brooks have brought to market directly aligns with the SEMATECH standards, which are based on the requirements of both integrated circuit manufacturers and equipment suppliers.
About Brooks Automation, Inc.
Brooks Automation, Inc. is the leading global supplier of OEM tool automation and factory management software for the semiconductor, data storage and flat panel display manufacturing industries. As an established player in hardware and software automation, Brooks continues to pioneer ``Best-in-Class'' technologies that outperform their competitors, from vacuum robots, cluster tool platforms and modules, ultra-clean mini-environments for isolating processing equipment and wafers, to factory and tool automation software and integration services. Both OEM and fab customers leverage Brooks Automation's products and environments. The Company has ISO 9001 certification, is headquartered in Chelmsford, Mass. and has direct operations in the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and China. Brooks' web-site is www.brooks.com.
About Teradyne Inc.
Teradyne (NYSE: TER - news) is the world's largest supplier of automatic test equipment and is also a leading supplier of high performance interconnection systems. Teradyne's test products are used by manufacturers of semiconductors, circuit assemblies, voice and broadband telephone networks. Teradyne's backplane assemblies and high-density connectors are used by manufacturers of communications and computing systems central to building a networking infrastructure. The company had sales of $1.4 billion in 2001 and currently employs about 8000 people worldwide. For more information visit www.teradyne.com.
``Safe Harbor'' Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: The foregoing discussion contains forward-looking statements relating to the expected benefits of the Brooks Automation products sold to Teradyne and its customers. These statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, risks relating to the manner in which the customer uses the products and integrates the products with other components, the Company's dependence on the cyclical semiconductor industry, the ability of the Company to continue to successfully develop and market new products and product enhancements on a timely basis, the Company's dependence on relatively few customers for a significant portion of its revenues, the Company's reliance on sales to OEM customers and the lengthy sales cycles of those customers, the highly competitive nature and rapid technological change that characterize the industries in which the Company competes, and other risks and uncertainties described in the Company's reports and registration statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. As a result, there can be no assurance that the Company's future results will not be materially different from those projected. The forward-looking statements contained herein speak only of the Company's expectations as of the date of this press release. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statement to reflect any change in the Company's expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.
Contact:
Mark Chung, Director of Investor Relations
Brooks Automation, Inc.
Telephone: (978) 262-2459
Fax: (978) 262-7606
mark.chung@brooks.com
Contact:
Brian Amero, eConnectNET Product Manager
Teradyne Inc.
Telephone: (617) 422-2763
Fax: (617) 422-2720
brian.amero@teradyne.com
SOURCE: Brooks Automation, Inc. |
