December 15, 2004

Brooks Software and AssurX Announce Partnership Agreement to Deliver Integrated Manufacturing Execution and Quality Management Solutions

Manufacturing Execution, Non-Conformance and Corrective and Preventive Action (NC/CAPA) Applications Targeted for Discrete Manufacturers


CHELMSFORD, MA and MORGAN HILL, CA.– December 15, 2004 –Brooks Software, a division of Brooks Automation, Inc. (NASDAQ: BRKS), and a leading provider of real-time applications for enterprises with collaborative, complex manufacturing operations, and AssurX, Inc., a leading provider of enterprise quality systems, today announced a joint-development agreement to deliver a fully-integrated manufacturing execution and quality management solution targeted at discrete manufacturers. Under terms of the agreement, Brooks will resell AssurX’s CATSWeb® non-conformance, corrective/preventive action and compliance applications to its global customer base. Brooks will also utilize CATSWeb components in solutions for the discrete manufacturing marketplace. Additionally, both companies will conduct joint marketing activities.

“Newly-enacted federal regulations are driving discrete manufacturers to implement product and process tracking and traceability systems throughout their enterprise,” said Joe Bellini, senior vice president of Brooks Software. “These systems must be highly adaptive and configurable to meet the unique requirements of each manufacturer. The integration of CATSWeb into the Brooks real-time manufacturing application suite provides real-time visibility, analysis and corrective action for potential quality issues on the manufacturing floor. The solution leverages the strengths of each of our companies, and we look forward to working together to deliver solutions that improve the operational efficiency of our customers.”

Non-conformance, quality management and compliance to regulatory and quality standards are critical elements for managing operations in a discrete manufacturing environment. Issue management and quality assurance are key extensions to the Brooks quality suite. Brooks will make the CATSWeb NC/CAPA system a strategic component of its Sense Decide Respond™ real-time enterprise solution set to deliver:

• An electronic Device History Record (eDHR) solution targeting regulated manufacturers, including the medical device and aerospace & defense industries.
  
• The most comprehensive quality management application that delivers AssurX’s NC/CAPA capabilities fully integrated with Brooks’ best-in-class online statistical process control (SPC), engineering data analysis (EDA), out-of-control action plans (OCAP) and automated exception management applications.
  
• A fully integrated application uniting Brooks’ FACTORYworks3® manufacturing execution system (MES) with CATSWeb to enable real-time execution control linked with process and product quality management.
  

“The dual pressures of increased regulation and need to reduce warranty costs make the combination of MES with NC/CAPA a business necessity for today’s discrete manufacturers,” said Sal Lucido, vice president of product development at AssurX. “Today, superior quality control is no longer simply an issue of good customer service. It impacts the bottom line and ultimate viability of manufacturers in highly competitive markets. We are pleased to unite our CATSWeb product with a number of Brooks Software products, including FACTORYworks, the industry’s leading MES. Together we can provide low-cost, easy-to-implement solutions that comply with mandated regulations, giving discrete manufacturers the competitive advantage they need to lead their markets.”

About AssurX, Inc.
AssurX, Inc. provides companies with best-of-breed enterprise-wide global solutions for their quality tracking needs. CATSWeb is a proven leader as the industry's quality tracking software of choice -- used at FDA-regulated and ISO/QS 9000 certified companies around the world. CATSWeb is a zero client application that can be accessed from any computer, running any operating system, with any Web browser, anywhere and anytime that an Internet or intranet connection is available. AssurX is headquartered in Morgan Hill, CA with satellite offices throughout North America. More information about CATSWeb and AssurX can be found at www.assurx.com or by calling Tamar June, 408-778-1376, ext. 705.

About Brooks Software
Brooks Software, a division of Brooks Automation, provides real-time applications that support enterprise-wide initiatives for greater efficiency and productivity in collaborative, complex manufacturing. Brooks’ Sense Decide Respond manufacturing software solutions are the foundation for enterprise initiatives in supply chain execution, closed loop automation, lean manufacturing and enterprise performance management. Installed in the majority of Fortune 500 manufacturers, Brooks Software delivers competitive advantage to aerospace & defense, automotive, high tech, life sciences and semiconductor manufacturers worldwide. According to industry analysts such as AMR, Gartner/Dataquest, and ARC, Brooks today is the leading supplier of manufacturing and supply chain execution applications to discrete manufacturers. For more information, visit www.brookssoftware.com.

About Brooks Automation, Inc.
Brooks Automation (NASDAQ: BRKS) delivers automation solutions to the global semiconductor and related industries. The company provides hardware, factory and tool management software, and professional services to help manage every wafer, reticle, and data movement in the fab, improving throughput and yield while reducing cost and time to market. Brooks’ products and capabilities are used in virtually every semiconductor fab in the world. For information, visit the company’s web site at www.brooks.com.

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“Safe Harbor” Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: The foregoing discussion contains forward-looking statements related to future results and capabilities of the products and services of Brooks Automation and AssurX and speaks only of Brooks Automation’s and AssurX’s expectations as of the date of this press release. The forward-looking statements involve several known and unknown risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, the continued success of Brooks Automation, Inc. (the “Company”) in the marketplace, the Company’s dependence on the cyclical semiconductor industry, the highly competitive nature and rapid technological change that characterize the industries in which the Company competes, the performance of the Company’s products and services, 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 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.

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