Software connects enterprise with manufacturing applications.

Press Release Summary:



Enterprise Interoperability Hub(TM) enables information exchange between manufacturing and enterprise business applications. Conformant with ISA-S95 and OAG standards, EI Hub uses Smart Adapters to link FACTORYworks® manufacturing execution system to ERP, CRM, and SCM applications. Adapter enables mySAP ERP to create work orders for FACTORYworks, export and validate bills-of-materials, receive updates of order status and inventory consumption from MES, and manage exceptions.



Original Press Release:



Brooks Software Announces Enterprise Interoperability Hub Connecting Manufacturing Applications to Enterprise Business Systems



First Smart Adapter(tm) Integrates SAP and Brooks' Manufacturing Execution System

CHELMSFORD, Mass. - May 17, 2005 - Brooks Software, a division of Brooks Automation, Inc. (NASDAQ: BRKS) and a leading provider of real-time applications for complex manufacturing operations, today announced the Enterprise Interoperability Hub(tm) (EI Hub), which enables comprehensive information exchange between manufacturing and enterprise business applications. Conformant with ISA-S95 and OAG standards, the EI Hub uses Smart Adapters to link Brooks' FACTORYworks® manufacturing execution system (MES) to enterprise applications such as enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM) and supply chain management (SCM). The first Smart Adapter to be made available was developed in partnership with SAP and integrates mySAP ERP and FACTORYworks and contains components that are certified through SAP's "Powered by NetWeaver" program. Additional Smart Adapter configurations for SCM, CRM and other leading ERP applications are expected to be announced in the future.

"In today's complex manufacturing environment, global companies are trying to anticipate and more effectively respond to fluctuating market demands and changes in the supply chain," said Joe Bellini, executive vice president and general manager of Brooks Software. "Forecast driven planning is no longer a viable way to run a company. Production planning must be demand driven and the best way to achieve that is to seamlessly connect enterprise business systems to manufacturing applications. With the Brooks EI Hub, manufacturers can now integrate their enterprise systems with MES for true 'shop floor' to 'top floor' interoperability."

Integration of enterprise business applications with manufacturing applications is essential for manufacturers striving to overcome market and supply chain variability. When ERP systems are integrated with the MES, planning and execution are synchronized in real-time. This increased interoperability improves a manufacturer's responsiveness to changes in customer order demand and other unplanned events that occur throughout their global supply chain. The SAP Smart Adapter for the EI Hub enables mySAP ERP to create work orders for FACTORYworks, export and validate bills-of-materials, receive updates of order status and inventory consumption from the MES and manage exceptions due to changing market, supply chain or factory conditions. The Smart Adaptor allows a user to easily configure and integrate standard business processes into a scenario that meets their specific needs.

In an earlier release, Brooks Software announced the availability of its first SAP-Certified Integration Gateway. The Integration Gateway is the architectural framework of EI Hub. The Integration Gateway provides a Web-service integration solution that is aligned with Enterprise Service Architecture, SAP's blueprint for service-oriented architecture, and enabled through the use of ISA-S95 Standards. For example, now customer orders can flow seamlessly from mySAP ERP into Brooks' FACTORYworks® MES. FACTORYworks Enterprise Integration Gateway 3.3.1 was certified for deployment on SAP WebAS 6.40 and for its integration to the SAP Enterprise Portal 6.0 via iView technology.

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(tm) 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. For more information, visit www.brookssoftware.com.

About Brooks Automation
Brooks Automation (Nasdaq: BRKS) delivers automation solutions to the global semiconductor and related industries. The company provides hardware, 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 the URL www.brooks.com.

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