1 October 2001

TimeCertain LLC, the company that provides technology stabilizing digital reality, and ILS Technology, developer of the e-Centre e-Diagnostic solution which is built upon industry standard guidelines defined by ISMT (International SEMATECH), and provider of the first industry standard product for secure fab and supplier connectivity using remote tool access, data collection and troubleshooting via the Internet, announced a strategic partnership in which ILS will incorporate TimeCertain digital timestamping and audit technology into ILS e-Diagnostic Suite.

ILS has, with industry partners, developed, and will prototype and validate a novel security framework for electronic collaboration. Two types of collaboration are envisioned: equipment suppliers will collect real-time data from distant fabs to diagnose problems, dispatch replacement parts, and offer engineering assistance; and advanced software will autonomously and continuously share data and measure and improve factory effectiveness. Security features will enable fabs to classify and manage distribution of data, and suppliers to cloak proprietary algorithms and tool parameters. A key innovation will be the binding of security protocols to data content rather than data transmission or storage, an approach that provides flexibility and opens closed architectures to collaboration while still protecting them.

In the semiconductor industry, every hour of tool down time can cost $100,000. "A local, secure trusted timestamp stabilizes digital reality, provides auditability and immunity from content challenge for any digital data, and thereby provides protection from potential legal liability based on content challenges. With TimeCertain technology, tool diagnostic content as well as an audit trail which are immune from content challenge can be created on a cost-effective and highly scalable basis, and relied upon by any participant in the e-diagnostics framework," said Steven Teppler, CEO of TimeCertain, LLC. "We are pleased that ILS Technology has become our exclusive provider to fabrication industries requiring e-diagnostic tool deployments."

About TimeCertain:

TimeCertain provides technology that stabilizes digital reality. Utilizing patents pending technology, TimeCertain's solutions offer cost effective, high volume digital timestamping and audit technology. Our insurance backed warranty for commercial deployments protects against business losses resulting from technology compromises.

About ILS Technology

ILS Technology is a highly skilled software development organization that develops and installs applications and software tools to help automotive, semiconductor and discrete manufacturers automate their factories. Existing products include Automation Connection, a suite of cross platform software tools that enables process engineers and IT specialists to create, test, modify and run deploy plant web-centric production floor applications without the need for lower-level programming. Automation Connection provides the capability to integrating new tools, new devices, new lines and new processes into existing applications

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