RVSI amends FY2004 fourth-quarter outlook

SEPTEMBER 30--Robotic Vision Systems Inc. (Nashua, NH; www.rvsi.com), a supplier of inspection systems for the semiconductor industry and machine-vision equipment for all industries, said that revenues for the quarter ending September 30, 2004, are expected to be in a range of $14 million to $16 million, an increase from the $13.6 million reported by the company in its quarter ended June 30, 2004, but below the $20 million--$23 million guidance provided by the company on its third-quarter conference call in early August.

"Our Semiconductor Equipment Group is not seeing the end-of-quarter book-and-ship business that has characterized the past several quarters," said Pat V. Costa, chairman and CEO of RVSI. "We see a high degree of interest, especially in wafer-inspection products, but that interest has not translated into the expected volume of orders."

Costa said the company's experience mirrored reports from other companies serving the test, assembly, and packaging, or "back end" of the semiconductor industry. "We believe these are order delays rather than competitive losses. Several of our major customers tell us they expect to resume volume equipment purchases in October and November."