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.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 9, 2002-- Asyst Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:ASYT - news), 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 - news) 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(TM), 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 - news) to develop advanced applications such as recipe management, Advanced Process Control and e-diagnostics. Its current core product, OBEM XP(TM), 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 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.
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Contact:
Guerrant Associates
Laura Guerrant, 808/882-1467
lguerrant@guerrantir.com
or
Asyst Technologies, Inc.
John Swenson, 510/661-5000
jswenson@asyst.com |
