Fremont, CA, November 12, 1996 - Asyst Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASYT), the leading supplier of SMIF-based technology and automation solutions to the worldwide semiconductor industry, today announced its subsidiary Asyst Software, Inc. (ASI) has signed a joint marketing agreement with FASTech Integration, Inc. (FASTech) (Lincoln, Mass.), a privately held company that is the leading supplier of factory automation software tools for the semiconductor manufacturing industry. Under terms of the agreement, ASI now has the capability to offer FASTech's software products as part of the company's fab automation solutions to new or existing customers around the world. With this agreement, Asyst Technologies, through its subsidiaries, Asyst Automation and ASI, strengthens its position as a single-source fab automation provider.

The new agreement enables ASI to offer a broader range of fab integration solutions. Adding FASTech's technology to ASI's extensive systems integration resources, Asyst is able to provide chipmakers one-stop shopping for fab automation. Bill Leckonby, ASI president, noted, "Our goal is to help our customers increase yields and lower manufacturing costs through powerful software products and comprehensive systems integration services. Utilizing FASTech's proven software tools elevates our implementation efficiency while providing our customers a flexible platform for future upgrades or enhancements."

Making FASTech's re-usable software modules and applications readily available, the agreement vastly improves ASI's fab automation capabilities. This strategy will reduce the amount of custom software engineering required for each implementation, which results in shorter cycle times, lower costs and increased system reliability. Jim Pelusi, FASTech's president and chief executive officer, explained the industrial benefit of the agreement. "The demand for turn-key fab automation solutions is increasing," observed Pelusi. "The combination of our software tools and Asyst's systems integration resources will provide the semiconductor industry with a set of products that are configurable and re-configurable."

ASI officials report that FASTech's Grapheq™ products, the industry's leading equipment interface software, are currently being used by ASI to execute fab automation projects. ASI will offer FASTech products as part of Asyst's fab automation solutions.

About Asyst
Asyst Technologies, Inc. is a leading provider of material control and automation systems that help semiconductor manufacturers improve their integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing productivity. The company's Asyst-SMIF™ System combines state-of-the-art minienvironments with advanced robotics to create ultraclean processing environments that are both comprehensive and flexible. The SMART-Traveler System (STS) works in tandem with SMIF to eliminate misprocessing. Both Asyst-SMIF and its companion STS products are integral to seamless factory automation. Asyst's subsidiary, Asyst Automation, Inc., focuses on material handling control software and inter-bay/intra-bay automation systems. The company's newest subsidiary, Asyst Software, Inc., is dedicated to the development of software products for equipment communications and automated material handling, identification and tracking. Founded in 1984, Asyst Technologies, Inc. is headquartered in Fremont, CA, with facilities in Europe and the Far East. Asyst Automation, Inc. is located outside Boston, Mass., with Asyst Software located in San Jose, CA The company's common stock trades on the NASDAQ Stock Market under the symbol ASYT.