Sicuro, 48, most recently was chief financial officer for Progressive Gaming International Corp., a publicly traded technology company serving the gaming industry. He previously served as the chief financial officer for public companies Lightspan, Inc. and ITLA Capital.

Steve Schwartz, chief executive officer of Asyst, said, "Asyst has a unique opportunity to leverage its many technical assets for greater growth and profitability in its served markets. To help us capture this opportunity, we sought an executive who could assemble and lead a world-class finance organization and at the same time develop perspectives and build bridges across our entire business. Michael is this type of leader. He has more than 25 years of financial and operating experience in a variety of industries, including substantial experience in growth companies and in larger organizations. We are delighted that he sees the significant opportunity at Asyst and look forward to his immediate contributions as a member of the management team."

Prior to joining ITLA Capital, Sicuro was CFO of Blue Cross of California (WellPoint Health Networks) during its approximately $3 billion conversion from non-profit to for-profit status. Prior to Blue Cross, he was the CFO of U.S. Bancorp Mortgage. Previously, Sicuro held senior financial positions with several other multi-billion dollar organizations and was a certified public accountant with Deloitte and Touche. Sicuro serves as a member of the Business Council for the Paralysis Project of America, raising money and awareness for research related to spinal cord injuries. He is a native of Warren, Ohio, and received a bachelor's degree in business administration from Kent State University, Ohio.

About Asyst

Asyst Technologies, Inc. is a leading provider of integrated automation solutions that enable semiconductor and flat panel display (FPD) manufacturers to increase their manufacturing productivity and protect their investment in materials during the manufacturing process. Encompassing isolation systems, work-in-process materials management, substrate-handling robotics, automated transport and loading systems, and connectivity automation software, Asyst's modular, interoperable solutions allow chip and FPD manufacturers, as well as original equipment manufacturers, to select and employ the value-assured, hands-off manufacturing capabilities that best suit their needs. Asyst's homepage is http://www.asyst.com

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

Except for statements of historical fact, the statements in this press release are forward-looking. The forward-looking statements include statements regarding the company's opportunities for growth and profitability and the anticipated roles and contributions of members of the management team. The forward-looking 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: the ability to continue to retain key members of the management team, ability to leverage technical assets for greater growth and profitability in served markets, and other risks described in the company's Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2006 and other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.