WATKINS JOHNSON CO
8-K, 1999-10-28
SPECIAL INDUSTRY MACHINERY, NEC
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                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                                 ---------------

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of Earliest event reported)     October 25, 1999
                                                --------------------------------

                             WATKINS-JOHNSON COMPANY
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               (Exact name of registrant as specified in Charter)

          California                     1-5631                   94-1402710
          ----------                     ------                   ----------
(State or Other Jurisdiction        (Commission File            (IRS Employer
      of Incorporation)                  Number)             Identification No.)

3333 Hillview Avenue, Palo Alto, California                           94304-1223
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)                              (Zip Code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code:  (650) 493-4141
                                                   -----------------------------
                                      None
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

<PAGE>


Item 5.  Other Events

         On October 25, 1999,  Watkins-Johnson  Company (the "Company")  entered
into an  Agreement  and Plan of Merger  (the  "Merger  Agreement")  with FP - WJ
Acquisition  Corp. ("FP - WJ"), a company formed by Fox Paine Capital Fund, L.P.
("Fox Paine Capital"), which is a private investment fund managed by Fox Paine &
Company LLC ("Fox Paine"). The Merger Agreement provides that, upon satisfaction
of certain  conditions,  FP - WJ will merge  into the  Company in a merger  (the
"Merger") to be accounted for as a recapitalization,  with the Company surviving
the Merger.  Upon the consummation of the Merger,  each share of common stock of
the Company will be converted  into the right to receive  $41.125 in cash (other
than shares with  respect to which  dissenters'  rights are  properly  exercised
under  California  law). The Merger  Agreement is attached hereto as Exhibit 2.1
and is incorporated herein by this reference.

         In connection with the Merger Agreement,  the Company also entered into
a Recapitalization  Agreement (the  "Recapitalization  Agreement"),  dated as of
October 25, 1999,  with FP - WJ and the Watkins  Trust dated  September 19, 1988
(the  "Watkins  Trust").  Dr.  Dean  A.  Watkins,  the  Company's  Chairman  and
co-founder,  is a trustee of the Watkins  Trust.  In the series of  transactions
contemplated by the Recapitalization  Agreement, Fox Paine Capital will purchase
a portion of the  shares  held by the  Watkins  Trust for  $41.125  per share in
conjunction  with the  consummation  of the  Merger and the  Watkins  Trust will
maintain a 9% equity interest in the common stock of the  corporation  surviving
the Merger.  This  investment is designed to facilitate Fox Paine's  requirement
that the Merger qualify for recapitalization accounting treatment.

         The Merger and related  expenses will be financed by: (i) a $50 million
equity investment from Fox Paine Capital and, possibly,  certain other investors
(principally,  related  private equity funds and  institutional  investors which
have invested in  investment  funds managed by Fox Paine) which may be permitted
by Fox Paine  Capital to purchase a minority  interest in FP - WJ in  connection
with the  equity  portion  of the  financing  (with  respect  to which Fox Paine
Capital  has  provided  to the Company an equity  commitment  letter);  (ii) $41
million of debt (as well as an additional $14 million for a post-closing working
capital  facility) to be loaned to the Company by CIBC World Markets  Corp.  and
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce under a secured credit facility (with respect
to which CIBC World  Markets  Corp.,  as agent for the  lenders,  has provided a
commitment letter to the Company); (iii) approximately $5 million in the form of
equity  from  the  shares  retained  by the  Watkins  Trust  in the  corporation
surviving  the Merger,  as described in the  preceding  paragraph;  and (iv) the
Company's  cash on  hand,  including  the  proceeds  of asset  sales  previously
completed in 1999 and the proceeds from the pending sale of substantially all of
the assets of the Company's Telecommunications Group (the completion of which is
a condition  to closing the  Merger).  The debt and equity  commitments  for the
financing are subject to a number of conditions.

         On October 26, 1999, the Company issued a press release  related to the
Merger  Agreement.  The press release is attached  hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is
incorporated herein by this reference.

<PAGE>

         For  further  information  with  respect  to the  terms of the  Merger,
including the conditions to consummation,  the  representations,  warranties and
covenants  of the  parties,  and the  parties'  respective  termination  rights,
reference  is made to the  full  text of the  Merger  Agreement.  The  foregoing
summary description of the transaction is qualified in its entirety by reference
to such exhibit.


Item 7.  Financial Statements and Exhibits

(a)      Exhibits

Exhibit 2.1       Agreement  and Plan of Merger,  dated as of October 25,  1999,
                  between FP - WJ Acquisition Corp. and Watkins-Johnson Company.

Exhibit 99.1      Press  release  issued by the  Company  on  October  26,  1999
                  related to the Merger Agreement.

<PAGE>

                                    SIGNATURE

         Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934,
the  registrant  has duly  caused  this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned herewith duly authorized.



Date:  October 26, 1999                WATKINS-JOHNSON COMPANY



                                       By:      /s/ W. Keith Kennedy, Jr.
                                                --------------------------------
                                                W. Keith Kennedy, Jr., President
                                                and Chief Executive Officer

<PAGE>



                                  EXHBIT INDEX

Exhibit 2.1       Agreement  and Plan of Merger,  dated as of October 25,  1999,
                  between FP - WJ Acquisition Corp. and Watkins-Johnson Company.

Exhibit 99.1      Press  release  issued by the  Company  on  October  26,  1999
                  related to the Merger Agreement.











                          AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER


                                     BETWEEN


                           FP - WJ ACQUISITION CORP.,


                            a California corporation,





                                       AND




                            WATKINS-JOHNSON COMPANY,


                            a California corporation







                             DATED October 25, 1999



<PAGE>

                          AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER

         THIS  AGREEMENT  AND PLAN OF MERGER (this  "Agreement")  is dated as of
October 25, 1999,  between FP - WJ Acquisition  Corp., a California  corporation
("Purchaser"),  and  Watkins-Johnson  Company,  a  California  corporation  (the
"Company").

                                   BACKGROUND

         A. The Boards of Directors of the Company and  Purchaser  have approved
the merger of Purchaser  with and into the Company (the  "Merger") in accordance
with the California  Corporations Code (the "California Code"), with the Company
being the surviving  corporation in the Merger (the Company,  in its capacity as
such surviving corporation,  being referred to as the "Surviving  Corporation"),
upon the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement.

         B. In the  Merger,  all of the  issued  and  outstanding  shares of the
Common Stock,  without par value, of the Company ("Company Common Stock") (other
than  shares of Company  Common  Stock  owned,  directly or  indirectly,  by the
Company or Purchaser)  will be converted  into the right to receive  $41.125 per
share in cash (without  interest) upon the terms and subject to the  limitations
and conditions of this Agreement (the term "Company Common Stock" including, for
all  purposes of this  Agreement,  the  associated  share  purchase  rights (the
"Rights")  issued under the Rights  Agreement dated as of September 30, 1996, as
amended,  between the Company and ChaseMellon  Shareholders Services,  L.L.C. as
Rights Agreement (the "Rights  Agreement")).  As more  specifically  hereinafter
provided,  the cash  payable to holders  of Company  Common  Stock in the Merger
shall be provided  (i) from the cash of the  Company,  (ii) an  aggregate of $50
million from  Purchaser  (which amount  includes  funds  utilized by Sponsor (as
defined in Section 3.2(g)  hereof) to purchase the Purchased  Shares (as defined
in and  pursuant  to the  Recapitalization  Agreement  (as  defined in Recital E
below)  between the Company and the Watkins Trust dated  September 19, 1988, and
(iii) $41 million in debt  financing  to be arranged by or at the  direction  of
Purchaser.

         C. The Board of Directors of the Company has determined that the Merger
is fair to, and in the best  interests of, the holders of Company  Common Stock,
has approved  the Merger and has decided to recommend  the approval and adoption
of this Agreement by the shareholders of the Company.

         D.  The  parties  hereto  intend  that  the  Merger  be  treated  as  a
recapitalization for financial reporting purposes.

         E. For the purpose of accounting for the Merger as a  recapitalization,
one  or  more  beneficial  owners  of  Company  Common  Stock  (the  "Additional
Investors") have,

                                      -1-
<PAGE>

concurrently  herewith,  subscribed for and agreed to acquire shares of Series A
Preferred Stock (as defined in Section 2.4 hereof) pursuant to  recapitalization
agreements  substantially  in  the  form  attached  as  Exhibit  A  hereto  (the
"Recapitalization  Agreements"), each of which share of Series A Preferred Stock
shall, as more  specifically  hereinafter  provided,  be converted into a single
share of the common stock of the Surviving Corporation in the Merger.

         F.  Purchaser and the Company  desire to make certain  representations,
warranties,  covenants and agreements in connection  with the Merger and also to
prescribe various conditions to the Merger.

         NOW, THEREFORE,  Purchaser and the Company (the "Parties") hereby agree
as follows:

                                    ARTICLE I

                                   THE MERGER


         SECTION  1.1 The Merger.  Upon the terms and subject to the  conditions
set forth in this Agreement,  and in accordance with the California Code, at the
Effective Time (as defined in Section 1.3 below), Purchaser shall be merged with
and into the Company. At the Effective Time, the separate corporate existence of
Purchaser  shall  cease,  and  the  Company  shall  continue  as  the  Surviving
Corporation   under  the  laws  of  the  State  of  California  under  the  name
"Watkins-Johnson  Company," and the separate corporate existence of the Company,
with all of its rights,  privileges,  immunities,  powers and franchises,  shall
continue unaffected by the Merger.

         SECTION 1.2 Closing.  Unless this Agreement  shall have been terminated
pursuant  to  Section  6.1,  and  subject to the  satisfaction  or waiver of the
conditions  set forth in Article V, the  closing of the Merger  (the  "Closing")
shall  take  place  on the  later of (i)  January  5,  2000 or (ii)  immediately
following the  satisfaction  or waiver of the conditions set forth in Article V,
other than those  conditions  which by their  terms are to be  satisfied  at the
Closing,  at the offices of Irell & Manella LLP,  333 South Hope  Street,  Suite
3300,  Los Angeles,  California  90071,  unless  another date,  time or place is
agreed to in writing by the  Parties.  The date of the Closing is referred to as
the "Closing Date."

         SECTION 1.3 Effective Time of the Merger.  At the Closing,  the Parties
shall cause the Merger to be  consummated by filing a certificate of merger (the
"Certificate of Merger") with the Secretary of State of the State of California,
in such form as  required  by, and  executed  in  accordance  with the  relevant
provisions  of,  the  California  Code (the  date and time of the  filing of the
Certificate of Merger with the Secretary of State of the

                                       -2-

<PAGE>

State of  California,  or such later time as is specified in the  Certificate of
Merger, being referred to as the "Effective Time").

         SECTION 1.4 Effects of the Merger.  From and after the Effective  Time,
the Merger shall have the effects set forth in this Agreement and the California
Code.

         SECTION  1.5  Articles  of  Incorporation  and Bylaws of the  Surviving
Corporation.  At the  Effective  Time,  the  Articles  of  Incorporation  of the
Surviving  Corporation  shall be the Articles of Incorporation of the Company as
in  effect  immediately  prior to the  Effective  Time,  and the  Bylaws  of the
Surviving  Corporation shall be the Bylaws of Purchaser as in effect immediately
prior  to  the  Effective  Time,  except  that  the  Bylaws  shall  contain  the
indemnification and exculpation provisions required by Section 4.7(a).

         SECTION 1.6 Directors and Officers of the  Surviving  Corporation.  The
directors  and officers of Purchaser  immediately  prior to the  Effective  Time
shall be the initial  directors  and  officers,  respectively,  of the Surviving
Corporation,   each  to  hold  office  in   accordance   with  the  Articles  of
Incorporation and Bylaws of the Surviving  Corporation,  and with the California
Code.

                                   ARTICLE II

   CONVERSION OF COMPANY CAPITAL STOCK AND CERTAIN OTHER EFFECTS OF THE MERGER


         SECTION 2.1 Effect on Capital Stock.  At the Effective  Time, by virtue
of the Merger and without any action on the part of the holders of any shares of
Company  Common Stock or any other  shares of capital  stock of Purchaser or the
Company:

         (a) Common Stock of Purchaser.  Each share of Common Stock, without par
value, of Purchaser  issued and outstanding  immediately  prior to the Effective
Time shall be converted into and shall constitute one validly issued, fully paid
and  nonassessable  share of common stock,  without par value,  of the Surviving
Corporation,  which, other than as set forth in Section 2.1(d),  shall be all of
the issued and outstanding capital stock of the Surviving  Corporation as of the
Effective Time.

         (b) Cancellation of Certain Shares of Company Common Stock.  Each share
of  Company  Common  Stock  that is owned by the  Company  or by any  direct  or
indirect  subsidiary of the Company (as treasury shares or otherwise),  and each
share of Company  Common Stock that is owned by Purchaser or any  subsidiary  of
Purchaser, shall automatically be canceled and retired and shall cease to exist,
and no other  consideration  shall  be  delivered  or  deliverable  in  exchange
therefor.

                                      -3-
<PAGE>

         (c) Conversion of Issued and Outstanding  Company Common Stock.  Except
as otherwise  provided in this  Agreement  and subject to Section  2.1(e),  each
issued and  outstanding  share of Company  Common Stock (other than shares to be
canceled in accordance with Section 2.1(b)) shall be converted into the right to
receive cash from the Surviving  Corporation  in an amount equal to $41.125 (net
of any applicable  withholding  taxes),  payable to the holder without  interest
(the "Merger Consideration").

         (d)  Conversion  of Series A  Preferred  Stock.  Each share of Series A
Preferred Stock issued and outstanding  immediately  prior to the Effective Time
shall be converted into and shall constitute one validly issued,  fully paid and
nonassessable  share of  common  stock,  without  par  value,  of the  Surviving
Corporation.

         (e) Shares of Dissenting Holders. Notwithstanding anything else in this
Agreement  to the  contrary  but only to the extent  required by the  California
Code, shares of Company Common Stock that are issued and outstanding immediately
before the Effective  Time and that are held by holders of Company  Common Stock
who have not voted in favor of the Merger and who comply with all the provisions
of the California  Code  concerning the right of holders of Company Common Stock
to dissent  from the Merger and  require  appraisal  of their  shares of Company
Common Stock (the "Dissenting  Shareholders",  with the shares of Company Common
Stock held by such Dissenting  Shareholders being referred to as the "Dissenting
Shares")   shall  not  be  converted  into  the  right  to  receive  the  Merger
Consideration but shall represent solely the right to receive such consideration
as may be  determined  to be due such  Dissenting  Shareholder  pursuant  to the
California Code;  provided,  however,  that any Dissenting  Shares which, at any
time after the Effective Time, lose their status as Dissenting  Shares under the
California  Code,  shall forfeit the right to appraisal and all such  Dissenting
Shares shall then be deemed to have been converted into the right to receive, as
of the Effective  Time,  the Merger  Consideration  as  contemplated  by Section
2.1(c),  without  interest.  Prior to the Effective Time, the Company shall give
Purchaser  prompt notice of any written  demands for  appraisal,  withdrawals of
demands for appraisal and any other related instruments  received by the Company
and the opportunity to direct all  negotiations  and proceedings with respect to
demands for appraisal.  The Company shall not voluntarily  make any payment with
respect  to any  demands  for  appraisal  and shall not,  except  with the prior
written consent of Purchaser, settle or offer to settle any demand.

         (f)  Cancellation  and  Retirement of Company  Common Stock.  As of the
Effective  Time,  all  shares of Company  Common  Stock  issued and  outstanding
immediately  before the Effective Time shall no longer be outstanding  and shall
automatically  be canceled and retired and cease to exist,  and each holder of a
certificate  representing  any such  shares  shall cease to have any rights with
respect to such shares,  except (in each case,  other than shares referred to in
Section 2.1(b) and Dissenting

                                      -4-
<PAGE>

Shares) the right to receive the Merger  Consideration,  without interest,  upon
surrender of such certificate in accordance with Section 2.2.

         SECTION 2.2 Surrender of Certificates.

         (a) Appointment of Paying Agent. Prior to the Effective Time, Purchaser
shall, under an agreement in form and substance  reasonably  satisfactory to the
Company (the "Paying Agent Agreement"),  appoint a bank or trust company located
in the United  States  (which may not be an  affiliate of  Purchaser)  to act as
Paying Agent (the "Paying  Agent") for the payment of the Merger  Consideration.
The Surviving  Corporation (using its own funds and the proceeds from the equity
and debt  commitments  described in Section  3.2(g)) will make  available to the
Paying  Agent,  as and when needed,  an amount in cash equal to the total Merger
Consideration  for  all  shares  of  Company  Common  Stock  outstanding  at the
Effective  Time (other than shares  referred to in Section 2.1(b) and Dissenting
Shares). Such cash provided to the Paying Agent shall be held for the benefit of
the holders of shares of Company  Common Stock for exchange in  accordance  with
this Article II (the "Exchange Fund").

         (b) Exchange  Procedures.  As soon as  practicable  after the Effective
Time, each holder of an outstanding certificate or certificates that represented
issued and outstanding  shares of Company Common Stock  immediately prior to the
Effective  Time (other than shares  referred to in Section 2.1(b) and Dissenting
Shares)  shall,  upon  surrender  to the  Paying  Agent of such  certificate  or
certificates  and  acceptance  thereof by the Paying  Agent,  be entitled to the
amount of cash into  which the total  number of shares of Company  Common  Stock
previously  represented by such  surrendered  certificate or certificates  shall
have been converted  pursuant to the Merger.  The Paying Agent shall accept such
certificates  upon  surrender  of such  certificates  pursuant  to a  Letter  of
Transmittal, substitute form W-9 or similar document, and related documents, the
form of which shall be provided by Purchaser  and approved by the Company  prior
to the Effective Time (such approval not to be  unreasonably  withheld) and upon
compliance with such other  reasonable  terms and conditions as the Paying Agent
may impose in order to effect an orderly  exchange  thereof in  accordance  with
normal exchange  practices.  After the Effective Time, there shall be no further
transfers  on the records of the Company or its transfer  agent of  certificates
representing  shares of Company Common Stock (other than to give effect,  (i) in
accordance with customary  settlement  procedures as determined by the Company's
transfer agent, to sales of shares, and (ii) to exercises of Options (as defined
in Section  2.3(a),  to the extent that such sales and/or  exercises  took place
before the  Effective  Time),  and if such  certificates  are  presented  to the
Company  for  transfer,  they  shall be  canceled  against  delivery  of cash as
provided  above.  If any  cash is to be  remitted  to a  person  other  than the
registered  holder of a certificate  for Company  Common Stock  surrendered  for
exchange,  it shall be a condition  of such  exchange  that the  certificate  so
surrendered shall be properly endorsed, with signature

                                      -5-
<PAGE>

guaranteed,  or  otherwise  in  proper  form for  transfer  and that the  person
requesting  such exchange  shall pay to the Surviving  Corporation or the Paying
Agent any transfer or other taxes required by reason of the payment of cash to a
person  other than the  registered  holder of the  certificate  surrendered,  or
establish to the  satisfaction of the Surviving  Corporation or the Paying Agent
that  such  tax  has  been  paid  or is not  applicable.  Until  surrendered  as
contemplated  by this Section  2.2(b),  each  certificate  for shares of Company
Common Stock  (other than shares  referred to in Section  2.1(a) and  Dissenting
Shares) shall be deemed from the Effective  Time to represent  only the right to
receive upon such surrender the Merger  Consideration as contemplated by Section
2.1 and any dividends or other  distributions as described in Section 2.2(c). No
interest  shall  be  paid  or  shall  accrue  on  any  cash  payable  as  Merger
Consideration.

         (c) No Further  Ownership Rights in Company Common Stock. All cash paid
upon the surrender of certificates  representing  shares of Company Common Stock
in  accordance  with the terms of this  Article  II shall be deemed to have been
paid in full  satisfaction  of all  rights  pertaining  to the shares of Company
Common Stock previously represented by such certificates,  subject,  however, to
the Surviving Corporation's obligation, with respect to shares of Company Common
Stock outstanding immediately before the Effective Time, to pay any dividends or
make any other  distributions  with a record  date prior to the  Effective  Time
which may have been  declared  or made by the  Company on such shares of Company
Common Stock  consistently with the terms of this Agreement or prior to the date
of this Agreement and which remain unpaid at the Effective Time.

         (d)  Termination  of Exchange  Fund.  Any portion of the Exchange  Fund
which,  on the 270th  calendar day from and excluding the Closing Date,  remains
undistributed to the holders of the certificates  representing shares of Company
Common Stock converted into the right to receive the Merger Consideration in the
Merger shall be delivered to the  Surviving  Corporation,  upon demand,  and any
such  holders  who have not  previously  complied  with this  Section  2.2 shall
thereafter look only to the Surviving  Corporation and only as general creditors
thereof  for  payment  of  their  claim  for  cash.

         (e) No  Liability.  None  of  Purchaser,  the  Company,  the  Surviving
Corporation  or the Paying Agent shall be liable to any person in respect of any
cash from the  Exchange  Fund  delivered  to a public  official  pursuant to any
applicable  abandoned  property,  escheat or similar  law.  If any  certificates
representing shares of Company Common Stock have not been surrendered before the
latest  date on which any cash in respect of such  certificate  would  otherwise
escheat to or become the  property  of any  Governmental  Entity,  as defined in
Section 3.1(e),  any such cash shall, to the extent permitted by applicable law,
become the property of the Surviving  Corporation,  free and clear of all claims
or interest of any person previously entitled thereto.

                                      -6-
<PAGE>

         (f) Investment of Exchange Fund. The Paying Agent shall invest any cash
included in the Exchange Fund in accordance with the Paying Agent Agreement. Any
interest and other income resulting from such  investments  shall be paid to the
Surviving Corporation.

         SECTION 2.3 Treatment of Stock Options.

         (a) Payment for Options.  At the Effective Time, except as set forth on
a schedule to be provided to the  Company by  Purchaser  prior to the  Effective
Time (with the consent of each Option holder identified  thereon,  the "Rollover
Option Schedule"),  all the then outstanding stock options previously granted to
employees,  non-employee  directors and consultants  (the  "Options")  under the
Company's  stock option plans (the "Stock  Option  Plans"),  whether or not then
vested or exercisable, shall terminate and shall no longer be exercisable. Those
Options set forth on the Rollover  Option Schedule shall by virtue of the Merger
be assumed by the Surviving Corporation. Each Option so assumed by the Surviving
Corporation  will  continue  to have,  and be  subject  to,  the same  terms and
conditions of such Options  immediately  prior to the Effective Time except that
each such Option will be exercisable  (or will become  exercisable in accordance
with its terms) for the common stock of the Surviving Corporation.  With respect
to each terminated Option,  the Surviving  Corporation shall make a cash payment
to the  former  holder  thereof  at the  Effective  Time in an  amount  equal to
(subject to any applicable withholding taxes, the "Cash Payment") the product of
(x) the total number of shares of Company  Common  Stock  subject to such Option
(i.e., to the extent such Option has not theretofore been exercised), whether or
not then  vested or  exercisable,  and (y) the  excess,  if any,  of the  Merger
Consideration  over the exercise price per share of Company Common Stock subject
to such  Option  (i.e.,  to the  extent  such  Option has not  theretofore  been
exercised),  each such Cash Payment to be paid to each holder of an  outstanding
Option on the Closing Date; provided,  however,  that the Surviving  Corporation
shall have the right to condition  the making of the Cash Payment on its receipt
of a  release  or  waiver  satisfactory  to  the  Surviving  Corporation  in its
reasonable  discretion.  All Cash  Payments  shall be  funded  by the  Surviving
Corporation.

         (b)  Termination  of Stock Option Plans and Phantom Stock  Appreciation
Right Plan.  Prior to the Effective  Time, the Board of Directors of the Company
(or any duly authorized committee thereof) shall adopt appropriate  resolutions,
and take all other actions necessary, to provide for the termination,  as of the
Effective  Time,  of all of the Stock Option  Plans and the 1997  Phantom  Stock
Appreciation  Right Plan for the Wireless  Products  Group of the  Company.  The
Company represents and warrants to the Purchaser that no other Company Plans (as
defined in Section  3.1(n))  provide for the issuance,  transfer or grant of any
capital  stock of the Company or any interest in respect of any capital stock of
the Company (other than in respect of cash payments through the Merger), and the
Company shall ensure that, following the Effective Time, no holder of

                                      -7-
<PAGE>

an Option shall have any right to acquire any capital  stock of Purchaser or the
Surviving Corporation by reason of such Option.

         SECTION 2.4 Series A Preferred  Stock.  A reasonable  time prior to the
Effective  Time, the Company shall file with the Secretary of State of the State
of California a certificate of designation  (the  "Certificate of  Designation")
with  respect  to  its  Series  A  Convertible  Participating  Preferred  Stock,
substantially  in the form  attached  hereto as Exhibit  2.4(a)  (the  "Series A
Preferred  Stock").  Immediately  prior to the Effective Time, the Company shall
issue shares of Series A Preferred Stock to the Additional Investors pursuant to
and as set forth in the Recapitalization Agreements.

         SECTION 2.5 Asset Drop-Down. The Company agrees that, in the reasonable
discretion  of Purchaser in order to secure the Financing (as defined in Section
3.2(g)) or pursuant to the terms of the commitment  letter with respect thereto,
it will (if so requested by Purchaser) use  commercially  reasonable  efforts to
transfer all or  substantially  all of its Wireless  Products  Groups assets and
liabilities  (other than with respect to its rights and  obligations  under this
Agreement,  and other than assets and liabilities  requested to be excluded from
the  drop-down  by  Purchaser)  to a  wholly-owned  subsidiary  of  the  Company
immediately prior to the Effective Time,  pursuant to one or more instruments of
conveyance satisfactory to Purchaser in its reasonable discretion.

                                   ARTICLE III

                         REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES


         SECTION 3.1  Representations  and Warranties of the Company.  Except to
the extent that the Company's  Disclosure Schedule delivered to Purchaser at the
same time as the  execution of this  Agreement  and accepted by Purchaser  under
this Agreement (the "Company Disclosure  Schedules")  specifically qualifies any
of the following  representations  and  warranties (in which case, the specified
representation and warranty shall be deemed made with such  qualification),  the
Company hereby represents and warrants to Purchaser as follows:

         (a) Organization and Qualification;  Subsidiaries.  Each of the Company
and  its  subsidiaries  is (i) set  forth  on  Schedule  3.1(a)  of the  Company
Disclosure Schedules and (ii) a corporation duly organized, validly existing and
in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation and has
the requisite  corporate  power and  authority  and any  necessary  governmental
approvals to own,  lease and operate its properties and to carry on its business
as it is now being  conducted,  except  where the  failure  to be so  organized,
existing and in good standing or to have such power,  authority and governmental
approvals could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to
have a  Company  Material  Adverse  Effect  (as  defined  below in this  Section

                                      -8-
<PAGE>

3.1(a)).  The Company and each of its subsidiaries is duly qualified or licensed
as a  foreign  corporation  to do  business,  and is in good  standing,  in each
jurisdiction where the character of the properties owned,  leased or operated by
it or the  nature  of its  activities  makes  such  qualification  or  licensing
necessary,  except for such failures to be so duly  qualified or licensed and in
good standing which could not,  individually or in the aggregate,  reasonably be
expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.  The term "Company  Material
Adverse  Effect"  means  any  material  adverse  change  in or effect on (i) the
business,  results of  operations  or condition  (financial or other) of (1) the
Company (or,  following the Effective Time, the Surviving  Corporation)  and its
subsidiaries  taken  as a whole or (2) the  Company's  Wireless  Products  Group
("WPG"),  in  each  case  excluding  any  change  or  effect  that  is  directly
attributable to conditions generally affecting the United States,  California or
Maryland  economy  or  any  of  the  industries  in  which  the  Company  or its
subsidiaries  operates unless such conditions  adversely affect the Company in a
materially  disproportionate  manner,  or (ii) the  ability  of the  Company  to
consummate  the Merger on or before  the  Terminal  Date (as  defined in Section
6.1(e)).

         (b) Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws.  The Company has furnished to
Purchaser a complete and correct copy of the Articles of  Incorporation  and the
Bylaws  of the  Company  and the  equivalent  organizational  documents  of each
subsidiary  of the Company as currently  in effect.  Neither the Company nor any
subsidiary  of the  Company  is in  violation  of any of the  provisions  of its
Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws (or equivalent organizational documents).

         (c)  Capitalization.  The  authorized  capital  stock  of  the  Company
consists of  45,000,000  shares of Company  Common  Stock and 500,000  shares of
preferred stock,  $1.00 par value ("Company  Preferred  Stock").  As of the date
hereof:   (i)  6,659,799   shares  of  Company  Common  Stock  were  issued  and
outstanding,  all of which are validly issued,  fully paid and nonassessable and
not subject to preemptive rights;  (ii) 1,279,446 shares of Company Common Stock
were  issuable  pursuant  to all  outstanding  Options;  and  (iii) no more than
1,117,213 shares were available for issuance under the Stock Option Plans,  none
of which (other than shares issuable  pursuant to Options  outstanding as of the
date of this  Agreement)  are or will be subject  to  issuance  or  issued.  All
outstanding  Options were issued pursuant to the Stock Option Plans.  The number
of Options,  by exercise price,  outstanding as of the date hereof, is set forth
in Schedule  3.1(c) of the Company  Disclosure  Schedules.  No shares of Company
Preferred Stock are issued and outstanding (excepting from the foregoing,  as of
the time  immediately  prior to the Effective Time, the Series A Preferred Stock
to be issued pursuant to Section 2.4 hereof).  The authorized  capital stock and
issued and outstanding  stock of each subsidiary is set forth in Schedule 3.1(c)
of the Company Disclosure Schedules.  Except as set forth in this Section 3.1(c)
or  Schedule  3.1(c)  of the  Company  Disclosure  Schedules,  there  are no (i)
options,  warrants or other rights,  agreements,  arrangements or commitments of
any character  obligating  the Company or any subsidiary of the Company to issue
or sell any

                                      -9-
<PAGE>

shares of capital  stock of, or other  equity  interests  in, the Company or any
subsidiary  of the  Company  and no shares of  Company  Common  Stock or Company
Preferred  Stock are  reserved  for  issuance  or (ii)  outstanding  contractual
obligations of the Company or any subsidiary to repurchase,  redeem or otherwise
acquire  any  shares of Company  Common  Stock or any  capital  stock of, or any
equity interest in, any subsidiary.  Each outstanding share of capital stock of,
or other equity interest in, each subsidiary of the Company is duly  authorized,
validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

         (d)  Authority  Relative to  Agreement.  The Company has all  necessary
corporate power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement,  to perform
its  obligations  under  this  Agreement  and  to  consummate  the  Merger.  The
execution,  delivery and  performance  of this  Agreement by the Company and the
consummation by the Company of the Merger have been duly and validly  authorized
by all necessary corporate action and no other corporate proceedings on the part
of the Company are necessary to authorize  this  Agreement or to consummate  the
Merger,  other than the approval and adoption of this  Agreement  (including any
actions  described in Section  3.1(u) and Section  3.1(v)) and the Merger by the
holders of a majority of the  outstanding  shares of Company Common Stock.  This
Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company and,  assuming the
due  authorization,  execution and delivery by  Purchaser,  constitutes a legal,
valid and binding obligation of the Company  enforceable  against the Company in
accordance  with its terms,  subject to bankruptcy,  insolvency and similar laws
affecting  creditors'  rights  and  to the  discretionary  nature  of  equitable
remedies.  The Company shall have  received,  prior to the Effective  Time,  the
approval and adoption of the Telecom  Agreement and the Telecom Sale Transaction
(each such term as defined in Section  4.1  hereof) by the holders of a majority
of the outstanding  shares of Company Common Stock. The only vote of the holders
of any class or series of  outstanding  securities  of the Company  required for
approval of (A) this Agreement and the Merger and the transactions  contemplated
hereby  is the  affirmative  vote  of  the  holders  of a  majority  of (x)  the
outstanding  shares of Company Common Stock and (y) the Series A Preferred Stock
and  (B)  the  Telecom  Agreement  and  the  Telecom  Sale  Transaction  is  the
affirmative  vote of the  holders of a  majority  of the  outstanding  shares of
Company Common Stock.

         (e)  No  Conflict;   Required  Filings  and  Consents.  Other  than  in
connection  with  or in  compliance  with  the  specific  provisions  of (A) the
California  Code relating to the filing and  recordation  of the  Certificate of
Merger and other appropriate  merger documents,  if any, and the approval of the
Merger by the  Company's  shareholders,  (B) the  provisions  of the  Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended,  and the rules and  regulations  adopted under
such Act  (collectively,  the "Exchange Act"),  relating to (1) the filing with,
and clearance by the Securities and Exchange  Commission (the "SEC") of, a proxy
statement relating to the Shareholders  Meeting referred to in Section 4.2 (such
proxy statement, as amended or supplemented from time to time, being referred to
as the "Proxy  Statement,"  the  Parties  acknowledge  that they intend that the
Proxy  Statement

                                      -10-
<PAGE>

will be included in the form of a  supplement  and  amendment  to the  Company's
proxy  statement  relating to the Telecom Sale  Transaction  if the latter proxy
statement  shall  have been  previously  filed)  and (2) the filing of any other
reports and  documents  with the SEC  relating to this  Agreement  or any of the
transactions contemplated hereby, (C) the "blue sky" laws of the various states,
(D) the  Hart-Scott-Rodino  Antitrust  Improvements Act of 1976, as amended (the
"Hart-Scott  Act") relating to the filing of  notification  regarding the Merger
with the Antitrust  Division of the  Department of Justice and the Federal Trade
Commission (collectively, the "Antitrust Authorities") and the expiration of the
applicable  waiting  period under the Hart-Scott  Act, and (E) applicable  local
permit laws,  rules and regulations  pertaining to the operation of the business
of the  Company  and  its  subsidiaries,  the  execution  and  delivery  of this
Agreement by the Company,  the  performance  of the  obligations  of the Company
hereunder and the consummation of the Merger by the Company do not and will not:
(1) violate any provision of the Articles of  Incorporation or By-Laws (or other
organizational documents) of the Company or any of its subsidiaries; (2) violate
any statute, ordinance, writ, judgment,  injunction,  rule, regulation, order or
decree  of any  court or of any  governmental  or  regulatory  body,  agency  or
authority,   federal,   state,  local  or  foreign  (a  "Governmental  Entity"),
applicable  to the Company or any of its  subsidiaries  or by which any of their
respective  properties  or assets may be bound;  (3) require any filing with, or
permit, consent or approval of, or the giving of any notice to, any Governmental
Entity;  or (4) result in a violation or breach of,  conflict  with,  constitute
(with or without due notice or lapse of time or both) a default under, result in
the creation of any lien, security interest, charge or encumbrance on any of the
properties or assets of the Company or any of its  subsidiaries  under,  or give
rise to any right of payment,  termination or  modification of any of the terms,
conditions or  provisions  of any note,  bond,  mortgage,  indenture,  contract,
lease, license, permit,  franchise or other instrument or obligation,  including
without  limitation  the  Company  Plans,  to which  the  Company  or any of its
subsidiaries  is a party,  or by which  any of the  properties  or assets of the
Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or affected,  except (x) in the case
of  clauses  (2) and (3)  above,  where the  failure  to obtain or make any such
filing,  permit,  consent, or approval or the failure to give such notice or (y)
in the case of clause (4) above, where such violation, breach or conflict, could
not, individually or in the aggregate,  reasonably be expected to have a Company
Material Adverse Effect.

         (f)  Compliance  with Laws.  The  Company and its  subsidiaries  are in
compliance   with  all  applicable   laws,   regulations,   orders,   judgments,
injunctions,  writs and decrees except where the failure to so comply could not,
individually  or in the  aggregate,  reasonably  be  expected  to have a Company
Material  Adverse Effect.  Schedule 3.1(f) of the Company  Disclosure  Schedules
sets forth all orders, judgments,  injunctions,  writs and decrees applicable to
the  Company  and/or  any  of  its  subsidiaries.  There  is no  claim,  action,
proceeding  or  investigation  pending  or,  to the  knowledge  of the  Company,
threatened against the Company or any subsidiary of the Company by, on behalf of
or before any court, arbitrator or Governmental Entity which, individually or in
the

                                      -11-
<PAGE>

aggregate,  could  reasonably  be  expected to have a Company  Material  Adverse
Effect. No investigation by any Governmental  Entity with respect to the Company
or any of its  subsidiaries  is pending  or, to the  knowledge  of the  Company,
threatened,  other than, in each case, those (i) set forth on Schedule 3.1(g) of
the Company Disclosure Schedules and (ii) the outcome of which,  individually or
in the aggregate,  could not  reasonably be expected to have a Company  Material
Adverse Effect.

         (g) Company SEC Filings and Financial Statements.

                  (i) Since  December 31, 1995, the Company has filed all forms,
reports and  documents  with the SEC  required to be filed by it pursuant to the
federal  securities laws and the SEC rules and regulations  thereunder,  in each
case as in  effect  at the time of such  filings,  and  each  form,  report  and
document filed with the SEC by the Company since December 31, 1995 (the "Company
SEC  Filings")  has  complied  in all  material  respects  with  all  applicable
requirements  of the federal  securities  laws and the SEC rules and regulations
adopted under those laws as of the date of such filing.  As of their  respective
dates, each of the Company SEC Filings did not contain any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated  therein or
necessary to make the statements  therein,  in light of the circumstances  under
which they were made, not misleading.

                  (ii) Each of the consolidated financial statements included in
the Company SEC Filings was prepared in accordance with United States  generally
accepted  accounting  principles as in effect from time to time ("GAAP") applied
on a consistent  basis  (except as may be  indicated  therein or in the notes or
schedules   thereto),   and  fairly  presented  in  all  material  respects  the
consolidated financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries
as of the date of such  consolidated  financial  statements  and the  results of
their  operations and their cash flows for the periods then ended  (subject,  in
the case of any  unaudited  financial  statements,  to  normal  year  end  audit
adjustments).

                  (iii) The Company  will  deliver to  Purchaser as soon as they
become  available true and complete copies of any report or statement  mailed by
the Company to its  shareholders  generally or filed by the Company with the SEC
subsequent to the date of this Agreement and prior to the Effective  Time. As of
their  respective  dates,  each of such reports and  statements  (excluding  any
information   therein   provided  in  writing  by  or  on  behalf  of  Purchaser
specifically  for  inclusion   therein,   as  to  which  the  Company  makes  no
representation) will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit
to state a material fact required to be stated  therein or necessary to make the
statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not
misleading  and  will  comply  in all  material  respects  with  all  applicable
requirements  of the federal  securities  laws and the SEC rules and regulations
thereunder as in effect on the date of such filing.  The consolidated  financial
statements of the Company to be included in each of such reports

                                      -12-
<PAGE>

and  statements  (excluding  any  information  therein  provided  in  writing by
Purchaser  specifically for inclusion therein,  as to which the Company makes no
representation) will be prepared in accordance with GAAP applied on a consistent
basis (except as may be indicated therein or in the notes or schedules thereto),
and will fairly  present in all  material  respects the  consolidated  financial
position of the Company and its  consolidated  subsidiaries as of the respective
dates  of such  consolidated  financial  statements  and the  results  of  their
operations and their cash flows for the respective  periods then ended (subject,
in the case of any unaudited  financial  statements,  to normal  year-end  audit
adjustments).

         (h) Information Supplied. None of the information included in the Proxy
Statement  (other  than  information  supplied  in  writing  by or on  behalf of
Purchaser  specifically  for inclusion in the Proxy  Statement,  as to which the
Company makes no representation) will contain, at the date it is first mailed to
the  Company's  shareholders  or at the time of the  Shareholders  Meeting,  any
statement which, in the light of the circumstances under which such statement is
made, is false or misleading with respect to any material fact, or omit to state
any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not false or
misleading  or necessary to correct any  statement in any earlier  communication
with respect to the  solicitation of any proxy for the  Shareholders  Meeting or
any amendment or supplement thereto.  The Proxy Statement will comply as to form
in all material  respects with the  requirements of the Exchange Act except that
the Company makes no representation with respect to any statements made based on
information  supplied in writing by or on behalf of Purchaser  specifically  for
inclusion in the Proxy Statement.

         (i) Absence of Certain  Changes or Events.  Except as  disclosed in any
Company SEC Filing made prior to the date hereof,  since December 31, 1998 there
has not been (i) any change,  event or  development  in or affecting the Company
that,  individually  or in the  aggregate,  constituted  or could  reasonably be
expected  to have a Company  Material  Adverse  Effect,  (ii) any  change by the
Company in its accounting methods,  principles or practices,  except as required
by  changes  in GAAP,  (iii) any  declaration,  setting  aside or payment of any
dividends  or  distributions  in respect  of any series of capital  stock of the
Company,  (iv)  any  increase  in or  establishment  of  any  bonus,  insurance,
severance,  deferred compensation,  pension,  retirement,  profit sharing, stock
option  (including,  without  limitation,  the granting of stock options,  stock
appreciation  rights,  performance  awards,  or restricted stock awards),  stock
purchase or other  employee  benefit plan or agreement  or  arrangement,  or any
other increase in the  compensation  payable or to become payable to any present
or former  directors,  officers  at or above the rank of Vice  President  of the
Company or any of its subsidiaries,  or (v) any event,  circumstance,  action or
omission to act that would have  constituted a breach of Section 4.1 hereof were
the same to have been applicable to the Company and its  subsidiaries as of such
date.

                                      -13-
<PAGE>

         (j)  Absence  of  Litigation.  There  are no  suits,  claims,  actions,
proceedings  or  investigations  pending or, to the  knowledge  of the  Company,
threatened against the Company or any of its subsidiaries,  or any properties of
the Company or any of its  subsidiaries,  before any court,  arbitrator or other
Governmental Entity, that, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be
expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.  Neither the Company nor any
of its  subsidiaries,  nor any of their  respective  properties  or  assets,  is
subject to any order, writ, judgment, injunction, decree, determination or award
having, or which could reasonably be expected,  individually or in the aggregate
to have, a Company Material Adverse Effect.

         (k) Liabilities. Other than regular quarterly cash dividends on Company
Common  Stock not in excess of $0.12  per share per  quarter  and  except as set
forth in the Company SEC Filings  made prior to the date hereof or  disclosed on
Schedule  3.1(k)  of  the  Company  Disclosure  Schedules,  there  is no  claim,
liability  or  obligation   (including   without   limitation   obligations   to
shareholders  with  respect to dividends  or  distributions  of any sort) of any
nature, whether absolute,  accrued,  known or unknown,  contingent or otherwise,
affecting the Company,  WPG or any of their subsidiaries which (i) is or results
from  indebtedness for borrowed money, (ii) would be required to be disclosed in
the Company's consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP
or (iii) could, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have
a Company Material Adverse Effect.

         (l) Labor Matters.

                  (i)  The  Company,  its  subsidiaries  and  all of its  former
subsidiaries  (while the same were  subsidiaries  of the  Company,  the  "Former
Subsidiaries")   have  complied  in  all  respects  with  all  laws,  rules  and
regulations  pertaining to employment practices  including,  without limitation,
the Worker  Adjustment  Retraining  Notification  Act,  the wage hour laws,  the
Americans with  Disabilities  Act, and the  discrimination  laws, and no fact or
event exists that could give rise to liability under such acts,  laws,  rules or
regulations,  except for such  occurrences,  non-compliances  and liabilities as
could not,  individually  or in the aggregate,  reasonably be expected to have a
Company Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries
is a party to any collective  bargaining  agreement and there is no unfair labor
practice or labor arbitration  proceeding pending with respect to the Company or
any of its  subsidiaries  or, to the knowledge of the Company,  threatened,  and
there are no facts or  circumstances  known to the Company that could reasonably
be expected to give rise to such a complaint  or claim.  Neither the Company nor
any of its  subsidiaries  has,  since  December 31, 1995,  (i) had any employees
strikes, work stoppages,  slowdowns or lockouts,  (ii) received any requests for
certifications  of  bargaining  units  or  any  other  requests  for  collective
bargaining,  or (iii) become  aware or had  knowledge of any efforts to organize
employees of the

                                      -14-
<PAGE>

Company or any of its  subsidiaries  or any  employees  performing  work for the
Company  but  provided  by  an  outside  employment  agency  into  a  collective
bargaining unit.

                  (ii) Except as  described  in  Schedule  3.1(1) of the Company
Disclosure  Schedules,  the completion of the transactions  contemplated by this
Agreement  will not result in any payment or increased  payment or other benefit
becoming  due  from  the  Company  or any of its  subsidiaries  to any  officer,
director,  or  employee  of,  or  consultant  to,  the  Company  or  any  of its
subsidiaries or any Former Subsidiary, and to the knowledge of the Company as of
the date  hereof  (but not  later),  no  employee  of the  Company or any of its
subsidiaries has made any threat, or otherwise  revealed an intent, to terminate
said employee's  relationship with Company or any of its  subsidiaries,  for any
reason,  including the  consummation  of the  transactions  contemplated by this
Agreement.  Neither the Company  nor any of its  subsidiaries  is a party to any
agreement for the provision of labor pursuant to employee "loan-outs" or with an
agency providing temporary labor services except as set forth in Schedule 3.1(1)
of the Company Disclosure Schedules.  To the knowledge of the Company, except as
set forth in Schedule  3.1(1) of the Company  Disclosure  Schedules,  during the
preceding  three  years,  there have been no claims by employees of such outside
agencies, if any, assigned to work for Company or any of its subsidiaries or any
Former  Subsidiary,  no claims by any  governmental  agency  with regard to such
employees  and no attempts by any labor  organization  to organize the employees
assigned  by any  outside  agency to work for, at or on behalf of the Company or
any of its subsidiaries or any Former Subsidiary.

                  (iii) Within the three-year  period preceding the date hereof,
there  have been no federal or state  claims  based on the sex,  sexual or other
harassment,  age, disability, race or other discrimination or common law claims,
including claims of wrongful termination,  by any employees of Company or any of
its subsidiaries or any Former Subsidiary or by any of the employees  performing
work for the Company or any of its  subsidiaries  or any Former  Subsidiary  but
provided  by  an  outside   employment   agency,  and  there  are  no  facts  or
circumstances  known to the Company  that could  reasonably  be expected to give
rise to such  complaint or claim.  The Company and its  subsidiaries  and Former
Subsidiaries  have complied with all laws related to the employment of employees
except for such occurrences where non-compliance and resulting liabilities could
not, individually or in the aggregate,  reasonably be expected to have a Company
Material  Adverse Effect.  Except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(1) of the Company
Disclosure  Schedules,  neither the Company nor any of its  subsidiaries nor any
Former  Subsidiary  has received  any notice of any claim  during the  preceding
three  years that it has not  complied  in any  material  respect  with any laws
relating to the  employment  of  employees,  including  without  limitation  any
provisions thereof relating to wages, hours, collective bargaining,  the payment
of Social Security and similar taxes, equal employment  opportunity,  employment
discrimination,  the WARN Act,  employee  safety,

                                      -15-
<PAGE>

or that it is liable for any  arrearages  of wages or any taxes or penalties for
failure to comply with any of the foregoing.

                  (iv) Neither the Company nor any of its  subsidiaries  has any
written  policies  and/or  employee  handbooks or manuals except as set forth in
Schedule 3.1(1) of the Company Disclosure Schedules.

         (m) Environmental Matters.

                  (i) For purposes of this Agreement,  the following terms shall
have  the  following  meanings:  (A)  "Hazardous  Substances"  means  (1)  those
substances  defined in or regulated  under the  following  federal  statutes and
their  state  counterparts,  as each may be amended  from time to time,  and all
regulations  thereunder:  the Hazardous Materials  Transportation Act, 49 U.S.C.
5110 et seq.,  the Resource  Conservation  and Recovery  Act, 42 U.S.C.  6901 et
seq., the Comprehensive Environmental Response,  Compensation and Liability Act,
42 U.S.C.  9601 et seq.,  the Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C.  1251 et seq., the Safe
Drinking  Water Act, 42 U.S.C.  300f et seq.,  the Atomic  Energy Act, 42 U.S.C.
2014 et seq., the Federal Insecticide,  Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, 7 U.S.C.
136 et seq., the Toxic Substances  Control Act, 15 U.S.C.  2601 et seq., and the
Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq., and their state counterparts, as each may
be  amended  from time to time,  and all  regulations  adopted  under all of the
foregoing  federal  and  state  laws;  (2)  petroleum  and  petroleum  products,
byproducts and breakdown products including crude oil and any fractions thereof;
(3)  methane,  natural  gas,  synthetic  gas,  and  any  mixtures  thereof;  (4)
polychlorinated  biphenyls;  (5) any other  chemicals,  materials or  substances
defined or regulated as toxic or hazardous or as a pollutant or  contaminant  or
as a waste under any  applicable  Environmental  Law; and (6) any substance with
respect  to  which a  federal,  state  or local  agency  requires  environmental
investigation,  monitoring,  reporting or remediation;  provided,  however, that
Hazardous  Substances shall not include office and janitorial supplies used in a
manner and in amounts consistent with current normal business practices; and (B)
"Environmental  Laws" means any federal,  state,  foreign, or local law, rule or
regulation,  now in effect and as amended,  and any  judicial or  administrative
interpretation thereof, including any judicial or administrative order, consent,
decree or  judgment,  relating to pollution or  protection  of the  environment,
health,  safety  or  natural  resources,  including  without  limitation,  those
relating to (1)  releases or  threatened  releases of  Hazardous  Substances  or
materials  containing  Hazardous  Substances or (2) the  presence,  manufacture,
handling, transport, use, treatment, storage or disposal of Hazardous Substances
or materials containing Hazardous Substances.

                  (ii) (A) The Company and each of its  subsidiaries  is and has
been in material  compliance  with all  applicable  Environmental  Laws; (B) the
Company  and each of its  subsidiaries  has  obtained  all  permits,  approvals,
identification  numbers,  licenses or

                                      -16-
<PAGE>

other  authorizations  required  under any  applicable  Environmental  Laws (the
"Environmental  Permits") and is and has been in material  compliance with their
requirements; (C) the Surviving Corporation will continue to have the benefit of
the  Environmental  Permits  pursuant  to the Merger  without the consent of any
Governmental  Entity; (D) there are no underground or aboveground  storage tanks
or any surface  impoundments,  septic tanks,  injection  wells,  pits,  sumps or
lagoons or other  devices or  conduits  to the  environment  in which  Hazardous
Substances  are being or have been  treated,  stored or disposed of on or at any
property currently owned,  leased, used or occupied by the Company or any of its
subsidiaries;  (E) there is no asbestos or  asbestos-containing  material on any
owned or  leased  real  property  in  violation  of  Environmental  Laws or in a
condition in which good management practices would require its abatement; (F) no
Hazardous  Substances are present or have been released,  discharged or disposed
of, at or on any real property  currently or formerly owned,  occupied,  used or
leased by the Company or any of its  subsidiaries or Former  Subsidiaries  (but,
with respect to Former  Subsidiaries,  only on or before the date of divestiture
by the Company of each such Former Subsidiary) or their respective predecessors,
and none of such property is contaminated  with any Hazardous  Substances,  in a
manner  or  amount  that,  if  made  known  to  any  Governmental   Entity  with
jurisdiction  thereover  or any  interested  third  party,  reasonably  could be
expected to give rise to material  liability for investigation or clean-up under
or pursuant  to any  Environmental  Law;  (G) neither the Company nor any of its
subsidiaries or Former  Subsidiaries (but, with respect to Former  Subsidiaries,
only with respect to liability  arising from activities or conditions  occurring
on or  before  the  date of  divestiture  by the  Company  of each  such  Former
Subsidiary)  is  undertaking  or has  completed  any  investigation  or clean-up
relating to the  presence,  release,  discharge or disposal of or  contamination
with Hazardous Substances at any site, location or operation;  and (H) there are
no past, pending or threatened actions, suits, demands, demand letters,  claims,
liens, notices of non-compliance or violation, notices of liability or potential
liability,  investigations,  proceedings,  consent orders or consent  agreements
relating to  Environmental  Laws,  any  Environmental  Permits or any  Hazardous
Substances  (each, an  "Environmental  Claim") against the Company or any of its
subsidiaries or Former Subsidiaries or with respect to any currently or formerly
owned, occupied,  leased or used real properties or assets of the Company or any
of its  subsidiaries  or  Former  Subsidiaries  (but,  with  respect  to  Former
Subsidiaries,  only  with  respect  to  liability  arising  from  activities  or
conditions occurring on or before the date of divestiture by the Company of each
such  Former  Subsidiary)  and  there  are  no  facts,  events,   conditions  or
circumstances  that  could  reasonably  be  expected  to form  the  basis of any
material  Environmental Claim against the Company,  including without limitation
with respect to personal  injury or "toxic tort" suits or any off-site  disposal
location presently or formerly used by the Company or any of its subsidiaries or
Former Subsidiaries.

                  (iii) The Company and its subsidiaries  have made available to
Purchaser  copies of all  environmental  reports,  studies  or  analyses  in its
possession or under its

                                      -17-
<PAGE>

control  relating  to  owned,  leased,  occupied  or used real  property  or the
operations of the Company or the subsidiaries or Former Subsidiaries.

                  (iv) Schedule 3.1(m) of the Company Disclosure  Schedules sets
forth (A) a list of all real property currently or formerly owned,  leased, used
or  occupied  by  the  Company,  any of the  subsidiaries  or any of the  Former
Subsidiaries,  with the  exception of such real  property  comprising  less than
3,000  square  feet  used  for  commercial  sales  purposes  and  not  used  for
manufacturing,  assembly, research and development,  warehousing, maintenance or
any other  non-sales use; (B) a description of the status of any  "Superfund" or
other  litigation  under  any  Environmental  Laws to  which  the  Company,  any
subsidiary or any Former  Subsidiary  is or has been a party;  and (C) a list of
all off-site  disposal  locations used by the Company or any of its subsidiaries
or  Former  Subsidiaries  and a  description  of the  nature  and  amount of any
Hazardous Substances transported to such locations by such entities.

                  (v) Schedule 3.1(m) of the Company  Disclosure  Schedules sets
forth  complete,  true  and  correct  copies  of all  environmental  remediation
insurance  purchased and similar and other arrangements  entered into with third
parties  relating to the  remediation  of releases of Hazardous  Substances  and
other issues that have arisen or may arise under applicable  Environmental Laws.
All such insurance and other  arrangements  are in full force and effect and are
binding and enforceable  obligations of the counterparties  thereto, and neither
the Company nor its  subsidiaries or Former  Subsidiaries  has breached or is in
breach or default in any material respect thereunder. None of such third parties
has  denied  any claim  made by or  coverage  afforded  the  Company  under such
insurance or  arrangements  or has indicated that it will deny any such claim or
coverage.  The insurance and remediation  contracts  listed in Section 3.1(m) of
the Company Disclosure Schedules are adequate to provide for the satisfaction of
all known  environmental  liabilities  with respect to the Palo Alto and Scott's
Valley facilities,  excluding  applicable  deductible or self-insured  retention
amounts stated therein.

         (n) Employee Benefits.

                  (i) Schedule 3.1(n) of the Company Disclosure  Schedules lists
(A) all employee  benefit plans,  programs and  arrangements  maintained for the
benefit of any current or former employee, officer or director of the Company or
any of its  subsidiaries,  including,  but not limited to, all "employee benefit
plans"  (as such term is  defined in  Section  3(3) of the  Employee  Retirement
Income  Security Act of 1974,  as amended  ("ERISA")),  but  excluding the Stock
Option Plans (the "Company  Plans") and (B) all written  agreements  relating to
employment or severance with any of the directors,  officers or employees of the
Company  or  any of  its  subsidiaries  (the  "Company  Employment  Contracts").
Schedule 3.1(n) of the Company Disclosure  Schedules sets forth the name of each
current officer or employee of the Company or any subsidiary with an annual

                                      -18-
<PAGE>

base salary (including the most recent year-end bonus) greater than $125,000 and
the annual base salary and most recent  year-end  bonus  applicable to each such
officer or employee.  The Company has made available to Purchaser a copy of each
Company Plan,  each material  document  prepared in connection with each Company
Plan  (including,  without  limitation,  all Forms  5500 and all  schedules  and
exhibits thereto, Plan and trust documents and insurance policies,  summary plan
descriptions,  and all correspondence  with the Internal Revenue Service and the
Department of Labor) and each Company Employment  Contract.  Neither the Company
nor any member of the same controlled  group of businesses as the Company within
the meaning of Section  4001(a)(14) of ERISA (an "ERISA  Affiliate")  has within
the seven year period ending on the Effective  Time  sponsored or been obligated
to contribute to any  "multi-employer  plan" within the meaning of Section 3(37)
of ERISA  or any plan  subject  to Title IV of ERISA or  Section  412 of the Tax
Code.  Except  as set  forth in  Schedule  3.1(n)  and  except  as  required  by
applicable  law,  none of the  Company  Plans or  Company  Employment  Contracts
promises or  provides  medical or life  insurance  benefits to any person or the
beneficiaries  of any  person  for any period  beyond  the  termination  of such
person's   employment  with  the  Company  and  any  of  its  subsidiaries  (the
"Post-Employment  Obligations").  Assuming  that all  personnel  employed in the
Company's  WPG division  remain so employed but that all other  employees of the
Company and its subsidiaries cease to be employed, Section 3.1(n) of the Company
Disclosure   Schedules  contains   information   accurately  setting  forth  the
annualized cost, in any particular  year, to the Company of all  Post-Employment
Obligations  (whether or not identified in Schedule 3.1(n),  but excluding COBRA
medical  insurance  coverage to the extent paid for by the beneficiaries of such
insurance).  Each Company Plan intended to be qualified  under Section 401(a) of
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Tax Code"), is so qualified.
Each Company Plan has been operated in all material  respects in accordance with
its terms and the  requirements  of ERISA and all other  applicable  laws.  Each
Company Plan which is required to comply with the  provisions of Sections  4980B
and 4980C of the Tax  Code,  or with the  requirements  referred  to in  Section
4980D(a) of the Tax Code, has complied in all material respects. The Company has
not incurred any direct or indirect material liability under,  arising out of or
by operation of Title IV of ERISA or any other  provision of ERISA in connection
with  the  termination  of,  or  withdrawal  from,  any  Company  Plan or  other
retirement  plan or  arrangement by the Company or any ERISA  Affiliate,  and no
fact exists or event has occurred that could reasonably be expected to give rise
to any such liability.  With respect to any insurance policy which provides,  or
has provided,  funding for benefits under any Company Plan, there is and will be
no liability of the Company or any  subsidiary in the nature of a retroactive or
retrospective rate adjustment, loss sharing arrangement, or actual or contingent
liability as of the  Effective  Time,  nor would there be any such  liability or
termination  fee if such  insurance  policy were  terminated as of the Effective
Time.

                                      -19-
<PAGE>

                  (ii) Other than routine  claims for benefits under the Company
Plans, (A) there are no proceedings,  claims,  lawsuits,  disputes,  actions, or
controversies  for which a complaint or other  pleading has been served upon, or
for which a written  demand has been  received  by, the  Company  Plans,  or the
fiduciaries,  administrators,  or trustees  of any of the  Company  Plans or the
Company or any of its  subsidiaries or any of their  respective ERISA Affiliates
as the  employer or sponsor  under any Company  Plan,  with any of the  Internal
Revenue  Service,   the  Department  of  Labor,  the  Pension  Benefit  Guaranty
Corporation,  any  participant  or  beneficiary of any Company Plan or any other
person  whomsoever,  (B) no  written  notice or written  communication  has been
received by the Company Plans, or the fiduciaries,  administrators,  or trustees
of any of the Company Plans or the Company or any of its  subsidiaries or any of
their  respective  ERISA Affiliates as the employer or sponsor under any Company
Plan, from the Internal Revenue  Service,  the Department of Labor, or any other
governmental  entity  regarding any pending or threatened audit or investigation
of any Company  Plan,  and (C) there are no pending or, to the  knowledge of the
Company,   threatened  other  material  investigations,   proceedings,   claims,
lawsuits,  disputes,  actions,  audits or  controversies  involving  the Company
Plans,  or the  fiduciaries,  administrators,  or trustees of any of the Company
Plans or the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective ERISA
Affiliates as the employer or sponsor  under any Company  Plan,  with any of the
Internal Revenue Service,  the Department of Labor, the Pension Benefit Guaranty
Corporation,  any  participant  or  beneficiary of any Company Plan or any other
person whomsoever.  The Company has no knowledge of any reasonable basis for any
such claim, lawsuit, dispute, action or controversy.

                  (iii)  The  Company  and  its  subsidiaries  will  be  able to
terminate each of the Company Plans at the Effective Time without  violating the
provisions of ERISA or of such Company  Plans and without  incurring any charge,
fee, or expense  (other  than  administrative  costs  which are not  material in
amount) by reason of such  termination.  Except as set forth in Section  2.3(a),
the  termination of the Stock Option Plans by the Company prior to the Effective
Time and the cancellation of all outstanding  Options pursuant to this Agreement
shall not result in any liability whatsoever.

         (o) Tax Matters.

                  (i) For purposes of this  Agreement:  (A) "Income Taxes" means
any federal,  state,  local,  or foreign  income or  franchise  Tax and, in each
instance, any interest,  penalties or additions to Tax attributable to such Tax;
(B) "Tax" and,  collectively,  "Taxes," means:  (1) any and all federal,  state,
local and foreign taxes,  assessments and other  governmental  charges,  duties,
impositions  and  liabilities,  including  taxes based upon or measured by gross
receipts,  capital, net worth, income, profits,  sales, use and occupation,  and
value added, ad valorem, transfer, franchise,  withholding,  payroll, recapture,
employment, excise and property taxes, together with all interest, penalties and

                                      -20-
<PAGE>

additions  imposed  with  respect to such  amounts;  (2) any  liability  for the
payment of any amounts of the type  described in clause (1) as a result of being
a member of an  affiliated,  consolidated,  combined  or  unitary  group for any
period;  and (3) any  liability  for the  payment  of any  amounts  of the  type
described in clause (1) or (2) as a result of any express or implied  obligation
to  indemnify  any  other  person or as a result  of any  obligations  under any
agreements  or  arrangements  with any other person with respect to such amounts
and including any liability for Taxes of a predecessor  entity; and (C) "Return"
means all federal, state, local and foreign tax returns, estimates,  information
statements and reports  relating to any and all Taxes concerning or attributable
to the Company.

                  (ii)  Except as set forth in  Schedule  3.1(o) of the  Company
Disclosure  Schedules,  each of the Company and its  subsidiaries has (A) timely
filed in accordance with all applicable  laws, all Returns  required to be filed
by them  (taking  into  account  extensions)  and such  Returns are complete and
correct  in all  material  respects,  (B)  paid all  Taxes  shown as due on such
Returns,  and (C) paid all Taxes  other  than  those not yet due and other  than
those  being  contested  in good faith and for which  appropriate  reserves  (in
accordance with GAAP) have been made on the Company's  latest balance sheet, all
of which  contested  Taxes are  disclosed  in  Schedule  3.1(o)  of the  Company
Disclosure  Schedules,  for which a notice  of,  or  assessment  or demand  for,
payment has been received or which are otherwise due and payable.  Except as set
forth in Schedule 3.1(o) of the Company Disclosure Schedules, complete copies of
(A) consolidated federal Income Tax Returns for the Company and its subsidiaries
and (B) state and local  Income  Tax and other  Returns of the  Company  and its
subsidiaries  for each of the years ended December 31, 1996,  1997 and 1998 have
heretofore been delivered or made available to Purchaser.

                  (iii)  Except as set forth in  Schedule  3.1(o) of the Company
Disclosure Schedules: (A) there is no action, suit, proceeding,  audit, claim or
assessment pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, proposed with respect to
any liability for Tax that relates to the Company or any of its subsidiaries for
which a material amount of Tax is at issue, (B) all material amounts required to
be  collected  or  withheld by the  Company  and each of its  subsidiaries  with
respect to Taxes have been duly  collected or withheld and any such amounts that
are required to be remitted to any taxing authority have been duly remitted, (C)
no extension  of time within  which to file any material  Return that relates to
the Company or any of its  subsidiaries  has been requested which Return has not
since  been  filed,  (D) there are no waivers or  extensions  of any  applicable
statute of limitations for the assessment or collection of Taxes with respect to
any material Return that relates to the Company or any of its subsidiaries which
remain in effect,  (E) there are no tax rulings,  requests for filings,  closing
agreements or changes of accounting method relating to the Company or any of its
subsidiaries  which could  materially  affect their  liability for Taxes for any
period after the Effective Time and (F) no power of attorney has been

                                      -21-
<PAGE>

granted by the  Company or any of its  subsidiaries  with  respect to any matter
relating to Taxes of the  Company and its  subsidiaries  which is  currently  in
force.  Except  as set  forth  in  Schedule  3.1(o)  of the  Company  Disclosure
Schedules,  immediately prior to the Effective Time, (A) neither the Company nor
any  subsidiary  has filed a consent under Section 341(f) of the Tax Code or any
comparable  provision of state revenue statutes,  (B) no property of the Company
or its  subsidiaries is "tax-exempt use property"  within the meaning of Section
168(h) of the Tax Code; (C) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a
party to any lease  made  pursuant  to  Section  168(f) of the Tax Code,  (D) no
portion of the cost of any asset of the Company or any of its  subsidiaries  has
been financed  directly or indirectly from the proceeds of any tax-exempt  state
or local government  obligation described in Tax Code Section 103, (E) beginning
in 1995 the Company and its subsidiaries  have documented their transfer pricing
methodology annually and have supplied copies of such studies to Purchaser,  and
(F) any amount or other  entitlement that could be received  (whether in cash or
property or the vesting of property) as a result of or in  connection  (in whole
or in part) with the Merger by any employee,  officer or director of the Company
or any of its subsidiaries  who is a "disqualified  individual" (as that term is
defined in proposed  Treasury  Regulation  Section  1.280G-1)  under any Company
Plans or other compensation  arrangement  entered into or in effect prior to the
Closing would not be  characterized  as an "excess  parachute  payment" (as such
terms are defined in Section 280G(b)(1) of the Tax Code).

                  (iv) Neither the Company nor any  subsidiary of the Company is
a party to any joint venture, partnership or other arrangement or contract which
is treated as a partnership for federal tax purposes.

                  (v)  There  are  no  Tax   sharing   agreements   or   similar
arrangements   with  respect  to  or  involving   the  Company  or  any  of  its
subsidiaries.

                  (vi) Neither the Company nor any subsidiary of the Company was
included  or  includable  in any  consolidated  or unitary Tax Return or report,
other than Tax Returns or reports in which the Company was the common  parent of
the consolidated or unitary group.

         (p) Tangible Property.

                  (i) The Company and its subsidiaries  have good and marketable
title to all their tangible properties and assets, which tangible properties and
assets are  sufficient  to enable  each of the  Company  and WPG to conduct  its
business as the same is currently conducted.  All of the tangible properties and
assets of the Company and its subsidiaries have been maintained and repaired for
their continued operation and are in good operating  condition,  reasonable wear
and tear excepted, and usable in the ordinary course of business.

                                      -22-
<PAGE>

(ii)  All  of  the  tangible  properties  and  assets  of the  Company  and  its
subsidiaries are free and clear of all liens, except (A) liens for taxes not yet
due and payable,  (B) liens of landlords,  vendors,  warehousemen and mechanics,
and (C) such imperfections of title, easements and encumbrances,  if any, as are
not material in character,  amount or expense, or do not materially detract from
the value or interfere with the present use of the property  subject  thereto or
affected  thereby.  To the knowledge of the Company,  all properties used in the
Company's  business  (whether owned or leased) are in compliance in all material
respects with all applicable laws, statutes,  rules and regulations  (including,
without limitation,  building, zoning and environmental laws) and all covenants,
conditions,  restrictions  or  easements  affecting  the  property or its use or
occupancy,  and, to the  knowledge  of the  Company,  no notices of any material
violations thereof have been received.

                  (iii) Each of the leases (the  "Company  Leases")  under which
any of the  material  properties  of the Company or any of its  subsidiaries  is
leased is  unmodified,  valid and subsisting and in full force and effect in the
form made available to Purchaser prior to the date hereof, and, to the knowledge
of the  Company,  there are no other  agreements,  written or oral,  between the
Company or any of its subsidiaries and any third parties claiming an interest in
the  interest  of  the  Company  or any of its  subsidiaries  in,  or  otherwise
affecting  the use and  occupancy  of, the  property  leased  under each Company
Lease.  Neither the Company nor any of its  subsidiaries is in default under the
Company Leases in any material respect and no material  defaults (whether or not
subsequently  cured) by the Company or any of its subsidiaries have been alleged
thereunder.  To the  knowledge  of the  Company,  no lessor  named in any of the
Company Leases is in default thereunder in any material respect, and no material
defaults  (whether or not  subsequently  cured) by such lessor have been alleged
thereunder.

         (q) Certain Contracts and Agreements.

                  (i)  Schedule  3.1(q)(i) of the Company  Disclosure  Schedules
lists each contract  which is required by its terms or is currently  expected to
result in the payment or receipt by the Company or any  subsidiary  of more than
$200,000 and which is not  terminable by the Company or any of its  subsidiaries
without  the  payment  of any  penalty  or fine on not more than  three  months'
notice, other than the Company Plans (a "Material  Contract").  To the knowledge
of the  Company,  each  Material  Contract  is in full  force and  effect and is
enforceable  against the parties  thereto (other than the Company) in accordance
with its terms and no condition  or state of facts  exists that,  with notice or
the passage of time, or both, would constitute a material default by the Company
or any third party under such Material Contracts.  The Company or the applicable
subsidiary  of the Company has duly  complied in all material  respects with the
provisions of each Material Contract to which it is a party.

                                      -23-
<PAGE>

                  (ii) Schedule  3.1(q)(ii) of the Company Disclosure  Schedules
lists: (1) all material agreements relating to joint ventures,  partnerships and
equity or debt investments involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries; (2)
all  noncompete  agreements  with the  Company or the  subsidiaries  (whether as
beneficiary or obligor); (3) all agreements,  notes, bonds,  indentures or other
instruments  governing  indebtedness for borrowed money of the Company or any of
its subsidiaries, and any guarantee thereof or the pledge of any assets or other
security therefor;  (4) each agreement  affording  registration rights as to any
securities  of the Company  under the  Securities  Act of 1933,  as amended (the
"Securities Act"), (5) each Company Lease providing for annual lease payments by
the Company or any of its  subsidiaries in an amount in excess of $200,000;  (6)
each  agreement to which the Company or a subsidiary is a party  restricting  or
otherwise affecting voting or other rights with respect to any securities of the
Company or subsidiaries, including voting trusts, voting agreements, irrevocable
proxies, preemptive rights, shareholders' agreements,  redemption agreements and
buy sell agreements;  (7) each material  agreement between the Company or any of
its  subsidiaries  and  any  hospital,   hospital  management  company,   health
maintenance organization or other managed care payor; (8) each agreement between
or among  the  Company  or any  subsidiary;  (9) each  management  contract  and
contract with independent  contractors or consultants (or similar  arrangements)
including   exclusive  rights  or  requiring  payments  in  excess  of  $200,000
individually or $500,000 in the aggregate to which the Company or any subsidiary
is a party,  which are not cancelable without penalty or further payment upon 30
days' or less notice;  and (10) each other material  agreement of the Company or
any of the  subsidiaries  not made in the ordinary course of business that is to
be performed on or after the date of this  Agreement,  except for any  agreement
which is required by any other provision of this Section 3.1 to be included on a
Company Disclosure Schedule delivered under that provision.  To the knowledge of
the Company,  each such agreement,  note, bond,  indenture,  other instrument or
contract (including those required by any other provision of this Section 3.1 to
be included on a Company Disclosure Schedule delivered under that provision, the
"Scheduled  Agreements") is in full force and effect and is enforceable  against
the parties thereto (other than the Company) in accordance with its terms and no
condition or state of facts exists that,  with notice of the passage of time, or
both,  would  constitute a default in any material respect by the Company or any
third  party  under  any  of  such  Scheduled  Agreements.  The  Company  or the
applicable  subsidiary of the Company has duly complied in all material respects
with the provisions of each of the Scheduled Agreements to which it is a party.

         (r)  Insurance.  The  Company and  subsidiaries  have in full force and
effect the policies of fire,  liability,  title,  errors and omissions and other
forms  of  insurance  listed  on  Schedule  3.1(r)  of  the  Company  Disclosure
Schedules.  None of the Company or any of its  subsidiaries  is in default under
any such policies  which default could  reasonably be expected to have a Company
Material  Adverse Effect and there is no material  inaccuracy in any application
for such policies.  Each of the Company's and its  subsidiaries'

                                      -24-
<PAGE>

activities  and  operations  have been conducted in a manner so as to conform in
all material respects to the applicable provisions of such policies. None of the
Company and  subsidiaries  has received a notice of  cancellation or non-renewal
with respect to any such policy.  Schedule  3.1(r) of the  Company's  Disclosure
Schedules  lists all  pending  claims  under any of such  policies  in excess of
$10,000  and  timely  notice  has been  given of all such  claims.  None of such
insurers has rejected or, to the  knowledge of the Company,  plans to reject any
of such claims.

         (s)  Transactions  with  Affiliates.  Except as disclosed in any of the
Company SEC  Filings  made prior to the date  hereof and  excluding  the Company
Employment  Contracts,  there  are no  contracts,  agreements,  arrangements  or
understandings of any kind involving any monetary payment or other obligation or
commitment  (excluding  non-monetary  obligations or commitments of a de minimis
nature) between any affiliate (as defined in Section 7.3(a), it being understood
that for the  purposes of this Section  3.1(s) such  definition  shall  include,
without  limitation,  the officers and  directors of the Company and WPG) of the
Company,  on the one hand, and the Company or any subsidiary of the Company,  on
the other hand.

         (t)  Opinion of  Financial  Advisor.  CIBC  World  Markets  Corp.,  the
Company's financial advisor,  has delivered an opinion to the board of directors
of the Company to the effect that,  as of the date of such  opinion,  the Merger
Consideration is fair, from a financial point of view, to the holders of Company
Common Stock (other than the holder of Rollover Shares), a copy of which opinion
will be delivered to Purchaser.

         (u) Rights  Agreement.  The Company has taken all action  necessary  to
prevent the Rights  Agreement from becoming  applicable,  or the Rights becoming
exercisable, as a result of the execution of this Agreement by the Parties or of
the consummation of the Merger.

         (v)  Takeover  Laws.  The Company  has taken all action  required to be
taken by it in order to exempt this Agreement,  the Merger and the  transactions
contemplated  hereby from any applicable  "moratorium",  "control share",  "fair
price" or other antitakeover laws and regulations of any state.

         (w) Intellectual Property.

                  (i) The Company  (which term, for all purposes of this Section
3.1(w),  includes the subsidiaries of the Company) is entitled to use all of the
following  which are used with or  necessary  for the conduct of the business of
the Company (including,  without limitation, WPG) as currently conducted, namely
(1) trademarks,  service marks,  trade names,  internet  domain names,  designs,
slogans,  and general  intangibles  of like nature,  together  with all goodwill
related to the  foregoing  (collectively,  the

                                      -25-
<PAGE>

"Trademarks"),  (2) patents and patent applications,  (3) copyrights  (including
any  registrations,  renewals and  applications  for any of the foregoing),  (4)
software,  (5)  technology,   and  (6)  trade  secrets  and  other  confidential
information,  know-how, proprietary processes, formulae, algorithms, models, and
methodologies  (collectively,  the "Trade Secrets," and, together with the items
referred to in clauses (1) through (4) above, the "Intellectual Property").  The
Intellectual  Property  together with the rights granted in the User  Agreements
and the License  Agreements (each as defined in clause (ii) below) is sufficient
to enable each of the  Company  and WPG to conduct  its  business as the same is
currently conducted.

                  (ii) Schedule 3.1(w) of the Company Disclosure  Schedules sets
forth,  for the  Intellectual  Property  owned by the  Company,  a complete  and
accurate list of all U.S. and foreign (1) patents and patent  applications,  (2)
registrations  of  Trademarks  (including  internet  domain  registrations)  and
applications;  and (3) copyright  registrations and applications  (collectively,
the  "Registered  Intellectual  Property").   Schedule  3.1(w)  of  the  Company
Disclosure  Schedules  sets forth a complete  and  accurate  list of all license
agreements  (except  for end user  license  and  support/maintenance  agreements
entered  into in the  ordinary  course  of  business  (the  "User  Agreements"))
granting any right to use or practice  any  Intellectual  Property,  whether the
Company is the  licensee or  licensor  thereunder,  and any written  settlements
relating  to any  Intellectual  Property  to  which  the  Company  is a party or
otherwise bound (collectively,  the "License  Agreements"),  indicating for each
the title, the parties, and the date executed.

                  (iii) Except for the User  Agreements and License  Agreements,
to the Company's  knowledge,  the Company has the right to use the  Intellectual
Property free and clear of all liens and without any  obligation or liability to
any third persons.

                  (iv)  The  Registered   Intellectual  Property  is  valid  and
subsisting,  and has not  been  canceled,  expired,  or  abandoned.  There is no
pending, or to the Company's knowledge,  threatened opposition,  interference or
cancellation  proceeding  before  any  court or  registration  authority  in any
jurisdiction against the Registered Intellectual Property.

                  (v) To the Company's  knowledge,  the conduct of the Company's
business as currently conducted, including the use of the Intellectual Property,
does not infringe upon any  intellectual  property rights owned or controlled by
any  third  party.  There are no claims  or suits  pending  or to the  Company's
knowledge,  threatened,  and the Company has not  received any notice of a third
party  claim or suit (A)  alleging  that its  activities  or the  conduct of its
businesses infringes upon, violates,  or constitutes the unauthorized use of the
intellectual  property  rights  of  any  third  party,  or (B)  challenging  the
ownership, use, validity or enforceability of any Intellectual Property.

                                      -26-
<PAGE>

                  (vi) There are no settlements,  forbearances to sue, consents,
judgments,  orders,  writs or  injunctions to which the Company is a party which
(A) restrict the Company's rights to use any Intellectual Property, (B) restrict
the Company's  businesses in order to  accommodate a third party's  intellectual
property rights,  or (C) permit third parties to use any  Intellectual  Property
used by the Company.  The Company has not licensed or sublicensed  its rights in
any material  Intellectual  Property other than pursuant to the User  Agreements
and/or the License  Agreements,  and no  royalties,  honoraria or other fees are
payable by the Company for its use of or right to use any Intellectual Property,
except  pursuant to the License  Agreements.  To the  Company's  knowledge,  the
License  Agreements are valid and binding  obligations  of all parties  thereto,
enforceable in accordance  with their terms,  subject to bankruptcy,  insolvency
and similar laws affecting  creditors' rights and to the discretionary nature of
equitable remedies,  and, to the Company's  knowledge,  there exists no event or
condition which will result in a violation or breach of, or constitute  (with or
without due notice or lapse of time or both) a default by any party  under,  any
such License Agreement which violation, breach or default could, individually or
in the  aggregate,  reasonably  be expected to have a Company  Material  Adverse
Effect.

                  (vii) The Company takes all reasonable and customary  measures
to protect the confidentiality of the Trade Secrets. To the Company's knowledge,
no party to any non-disclosure  agreement with the Company relating to any Trade
Secrets is in breach or default thereof.

                  (viii) To the  knowledge  of the  Company,  no third  party is
misappropriating,  infringing,  diluting, or violating any Intellectual Property
used by the  Company,  and no such  claims have been  brought  against any third
party by the  Company.  No person  has a right to  receive a royalty  or similar
payment in respect of the Registered  Intellectual Property or in respect of any
Intellectual  Property of the Company pursuant to any User  Agreements,  License
Agreements or any other contractual  arrangement  entered into by the Company or
any of its subsidiaries.  No former or present employees,  officers or directors
of the Company hold any right,  title or interest,  directly or  indirectly,  in
whole or in part, in or to any Intellectual Property.

                  (ix) The consummation of the Merger will not (A) result in the
loss or impairment of the Company's right to use any Intellectual  Property,  or
(B) require the consent of any Governmental  Entity or third party in respect of
any such Intellectual Property.

                  (x) To the  extent  used in  accordance  with  their  intended
purpose as set forth in any manuals or  materials  (as amended or  supplemented)
delivered in connection  therewith,  all of the products, as upgraded to be Year
2000 Compliant (as defined below in this clause (x)), of the Company  (including
products  currently  under  development)

                                      -27-
<PAGE>

will,  after the Closing,  accurately  record,  store,  process,  calculate  and
present  calendar dates falling on and after (and if  applicable,  spans of time
including)  January 1,  2000,  and will  accurately  calculate  any  information
dependent  on or  relating to such dates in the same  manner,  and with the same
functionality,  data integrity and performance,  as such products record, store,
process, calculate and present calendar dates on or before December 31, 1999, or
calculate any information  dependent on or relating to such dated (collectively,
"Year 2000 Compliant").  All of the products of the Company,  after the Closing,
except as could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to
have a Company  Material  Adverse Effect,  (A) will lose no  functionality  with
respect to the  introduction  of records  containing  dates  falling on or after
January 1, 2000 and (B) will be operable  without error with other products used
and  distributed by the Company that may deliver  records to the products of the
Company or receive  records from the products of the Company,  or interact  with
the products,  including but not limited to back up and archived data,  provided
that such other  products  are also Year 2000  Compliant.  Set forth on Schedule
3.1(x) of the Company  Disclosure  Schedules is a true and correct  statement of
the extent to which the internal computer and technology products and systems of
the  Company  are Year  2000  Compliant.  The  Company  has  taken  all  actions
represented  in such statement to have been taken by it. To the knowledge of the
Company,  the  software and  computer  systems of and  products  supplied to the
Company by all third  persons,  and the  software  and  computer  systems of the
Company's  customers,  in each  case  with  respect  to whom the  Company  has a
material business relationship, are Year 2000 Compliant.

         (x)  Information  in  Financing  Documents.  None  of  the  information
supplied or to be supplied by the Company in writing  specifically for inclusion
or  incorporation  by reference  in any  syndication  and other  materials to be
delivered to potential  financing  sources in connection  with the Financing (as
defined in Section  3.2(g))  will,  at the date  delivered,  contain  any untrue
statement  of  material  fact or omit to state a material  fact  required  to be
stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of
the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading.

         (y)  Company  Cash.  As  of  the  date  hereof,  the  Company  and  its
subsidiaries   have  at  least   $159,800,000  in  cash  and  short-term  liquid
investments.

         (z) Closing of Asset Dispositions.  The Company has closed (i) the sale
of the Company's San Jose property in accordance  with the terms and  conditions
of the  Purchase  and Sale  Agreement  between the Company and Lincoln  Property
Company  Commercial,  Inc.  dated  August  21,  1999,  and  (ii) the sale of the
Company's interest in its Palo Alto property  (Buildings 3, 4 and 5) to Stanford
University  in  accordance  with the terms and  conditions  of the Agreement for
Assignment  of  Leasehold  Interest,  Sublease of  Property,  Leaseback  of Real
Property  and Joint  Escrow  Instructions  between  the

                                      -28-
<PAGE>

Company and the Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University dated
as of September 30, 1999.

         SECTION 3.2  Representations  and  Warranties of  Purchaser.  Purchaser
hereby represents and warrants to the Company as follows:

         (a) Corporate Organization.  Purchaser is a corporation duty organized,
validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of California,
and Purchaser has the requisite  corporate power and authority and any necessary
governmental  approvals to own,  operate or lease its properties and to carry on
its  business as it is now being  conducted,  except  where the failure to be so
organized,  existing and in good  standing or to have such power,  authority and
governmental  approvals could not, individually or in the aggregate,  reasonably
be expected to have a Purchaser  Material Adverse Effect (as defined below).  As
of the date  hereof,  Purchaser  has not engaged in any  business  other than in
connection  with the execution,  delivery and  performance of this Agreement and
the  consummation of the Merger.  The term "Purchaser  Material  Adverse Effect"
means any material  adverse change in or effect on (i) the business,  results of
operations or condition  (financial or other) of Purchaser and its  subsidiaries
taken as a whole or (ii) the ability of Purchaser to consummate the Merger on or
before  the  Terminal  Date (a  Purchaser  Material  Adverse  Effect of the kind
included in this clause (ii) being referred to as a "Purchaser  Material Adverse
Consummation Effect").

         (b)  Charters  and Bylaws.  Purchaser  has  furnished  to the Company a
complete  and  correct  copy of the  Articles  of  Incorporation  and  Bylaws of
Purchaser as  currently  in effect.  Purchaser is not in violation of any of the
provisions of its respective Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws.

         (c)  Authority  Relative  to  Agreement.  Purchaser  has all  necessary
corporate  power and  authority  to enter into this  Agreement,  to perform  its
obligations  under this Agreement and to consummate  the Merger.  The execution,
delivery and performance of this Agreement by Purchaser and the  consummation by
Purchaser of the Merger have been duly and validly  authorized  by all necessary
corporate action on the part of Purchaser, and no other corporate proceedings on
the part of Purchaser are necessary to authorize this Agreement or to consummate
the Merger.  This  Agreement  has been duly  executed and delivered by Purchaser
and,  assuming  due  authorization,  execution  and  delivery  by  the  Company,
constitutes  a legal,  valid and binding  obligation  of  Purchaser  enforceable
against them in accordance with its terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency and
similar laws  affecting  creditors'  rights and to the  discretionary  nature of
equitable remedies.

                                      -29-
<PAGE>

         (d) No Conflict, Required Filings and Consents.

                  (i) The execution,  delivery and performance of this Agreement
by Purchaser and the consummation of the Merger by them do not and will not: (A)
conflict with or violate the Articles of  Incorporation  or Bylaws of Purchaser;
(B) assuming that all consents,  approvals and  authorizations  contemplated  by
Section  3.2(d)(ii)  have been obtained,  all filings  described in such Section
have been made and all  notification  periods  referred to in such  Section have
expired, conflict with or violate any law, rule, regulation,  order, judgment or
decree  applicable  to Purchaser or by which it or its  properties  are bound or
affected;  or (C) result in any breach or violation  of or  constitute a default
(or an event which with notice or lapse of time or both could  become a default)
or result in the loss of a material  benefit under, or give rise to any right of
termination,  amendment,  acceleration  or  cancellation  of,  or  result in the
creation of any lien,  security  interest,  change or  encumbrance on any of the
properties  or assets of  Purchaser  pursuant  to,  any  note,  bond,  mortgage,
indenture,  contract,  lease, license,  permit, franchise or other instrument or
obligation  to which  Purchaser  is a party or by which  Purchaser or any of the
properties or assets of Purchaser is bound or affected,  except,  in the case of
clauses (B) and (C), for any such conflicts,  violations,  breaches, defaults or
other occurrences which could not, individually or in the aggregate,  reasonably
be expected to result in a Purchaser Material Adverse Effect.

                  (ii) The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement
by Purchaser and the consummation of the Merger by Purchaser do not and will not
require any consent,  approval,  authorization  or permit of,  action by, filing
with or notification to, any Governmental Entity, except for: (A) the filing and
recordation  of the  Certificate  of Merger as required by  California  law; (B)
applicable filings under the Hart-Scott Act and the termination or expiration of
the  waiting  period  under that Act;  and (C) such other  consents,  approvals,
authorizations,  actions, filings and notifications as shall have been specified
by Purchaser to the Company in writing prior to the date of this Agreement.

         (e) Information  Supplied.  None of the  information  supplied or to be
supplied by or on behalf of Purchaser in writing  specifically  for inclusion in
the Proxy  Statement  will  contain,  at the date the Proxy  Statement  is first
mailed to the Company's shareholders or at the time of the Shareholders Meeting,
any  statement  which,  in the  light  of the  circumstances  under  which  such
statement is made, is false or misleading  with respect to any material fact, or
omit to state  any  material  fact  necessary  in  order to make the  statements
therein not false or  misleading  or necessary  to correct any  statement in any
earlier  communication  with  respect to the  solicitation  of any proxy for the
Shareholders Meeting or any amendment or supplement thereto.

         (f)  Absence  of  Litigation.  There  are no  suits,  claims,  actions,
proceedings  or  investigations  pending  or,  to the  knowledge  of  Purchaser,
threatened against Purchaser, or

                                      -30-
<PAGE>

any properties of Purchaser, before any court, arbitrator or Governmental Entity
that,  individually or in the aggregate,  could reasonably be expected to have a
Purchaser  Material Adverse Effect.  Neither Purchaser nor any of its properties
or assets is or are subject to any order, writ,  judgment,  injunction,  decree,
determination or award having,  or which could reasonably be expected to have, a
Purchaser Material Adverse Consummation Effect.

         (g) Financing.

                  (i) At the Effective Time and subject to  satisfaction  of the
conditions  set forth in  Article  V,  Purchaser  will have cash  funds from the
issuance  of equity  (pursuant  to the  equity  commitment  letter  provided  to
Purchaser by Fox Paine Capital Fund,  L.P. (the  "Sponsor")  attached  hereto as
Exhibit  3.2(g)) of not less than $50 million (such amount  including the amount
to be utilized by Sponsor to purchase the Purchased Shares).  Purchaser has been
informed by Sponsor that Sponsor has the  necessary  power and authority to call
the funds necessary to make the aforementioned  equity  commitment,  without the
need for any consent or  approval of any other  person or entity and without the
requirement  that  any  other  condition  be  satisfied   (excluding   customary
conditions that have been previously disclosed to the Company).

                  (ii)  Purchaser  has  received  a  commitment  letter  from  a
financial institution, a true and correct copy of which has been provided to the
Company, pursuant to which such financial institution has committed,  subject to
the terms and conditions  thereof, to arrange or fund on behalf of Purchaser $55
million of debt financing (the  "Financing")  to be utilized in connection  with
the Merger and the other  transactions  contemplated  by this  Agreement  and to
provide working capital to the Surviving Corporation.

                  (iii)  Purchaser  represents  that the terms and conditions of
the commitment letters are acceptable in form and substance to Purchaser.

         (h) No  Foreign  Ownership.  Purchaser  is  not,  and is not  owned  or
controlled by, a foreign  interest or foreign person under the Exon-Florio  Act,
as  implemented  in 31 C.F.R.  Part 800, the  International  Trafficking in Arms
Regulations,  22 C.F.R. Parts 120130 or the National Industrial Security Program
Operating Manual, DOD 5220-22.M (January 1985).

                                      -31-
<PAGE>

                                   ARTICLE IV

             CONDUCT OF BUSINESS PENDING THE MERGER; OTHER COVENANTS


         SECTION 4.1  Conduct of  Business  of the  Company  Pending the Merger.
Except as otherwise  required by the terms of this Agreement or unless Purchaser
shall  otherwise  agree in writing:  (i) the  businesses  of the Company and its
subsidiaries  shall be conducted  only in, and the Company and its  subsidiaries
shall not take any action  except in, the  ordinary  course of business and in a
manner  consistent with past practice and in compliance with applicable laws (it
being  understood  that the ordinary  course of business of the Company does not
include the disposition (by any means) of material  assets  (individually  or in
the aggregate),  subsidiaries,  divisions or other identifiable groups within or
subsets of the Company); (ii) each of the Company and its subsidiaries shall use
its reasonable  commercial efforts to preserve intact the business  organization
of the Company  and its  subsidiaries,  to keep  available  the  services of the
present officers,  employees and consultants of the Company and its subsidiaries
and to preserve the present  relationships  of the Company and its  subsidiaries
with their  customers,  suppliers and other persons with whom the Company or any
of its  subsidiaries  has significant  business  relations;  and (iii) by way of
amplification  and not limitation of the foregoing,  neither the Company nor any
of its subsidiaries shall directly or indirectly do, or propose or commit to do,
any of the following:

         (a) Either: (i) declare, set aside or pay any dividends on, or make any
other  distributions in respect of, any of its capital stock, other than regular
quarterly  cash  dividends on Company  Common  Stock  declared and paid on dates
consistent  with past  practice  in an amount not to exceed  $0.12 per share per
quarter; or (ii) split,  combine or reclassify any of its capital stock or issue
or authorize  the issuance of any other  securities in respect of, in lieu of or
in substitution  for, shares of its capital stock; or (iii) purchase,  redeem or
otherwise acquire or agree to acquire any shares of capital stock of the Company
or any of its  subsidiaries or any other  securities  convertible into shares of
capital  stock or any rights,  warrants or options to acquire any such shares or
convertible securities;

         (b) Authorize for issuance,  issue, deliver, sell or agree or commit to
issue,  sell or deliver  (whether  through the  issuance or granting of options,
warrants, commitments,  subscriptions,  rights to purchase or otherwise), pledge
or otherwise  encumber any shares of its capital  stock or the capital  stock of
any  of  its  subsidiaries,  any  other  voting  securities  or  any  securities
convertible  into,  or any  rights,  warrants  or options to  acquire,  any such
shares,  voting securities or convertible  securities or any other securities or
equity equivalents  (including  without  limitation stock appreciation  rights),
other than (i) sales of capital  stock of any  subsidiary  of the Company to the
Company or another

                                      -32-
<PAGE>

subsidiary of the Company,  (ii) the issuance of shares of Company  Common Stock
upon exercise of Options that were issued and  outstanding  prior to the date of
this Agreement or in compliance with other obligations that were in existence on
the date of this  Agreement and disclosed in any Company  Disclosure  Schedules,
and (iii) the  issuance  of shares of Series A  Preferred  Stock as set forth in
Section 2.4 of this Agreement;

         (c) Except to the extent  required  under the Stock Option  Plans,  the
Company Plans or the Company Employment Contracts: (i) increase the compensation
or fringe  benefits of any of its directors,  officers or employees,  except for
increases  in  compensation  of  non-managerial  personnel of the Company or its
subsidiaries  in the  ordinary  course  of  business  in  accordance  with  past
practice;  or (ii) grant any severance or termination  pay, or (iii)  establish,
adopt,  enter  into or amend  or  terminate  any  Company  Plan or  other  plan,
agreement,  trust, fund, policy or arrangement for the benefit of any directors,
officers or employees except as required by law or as provided in Section 2.3 of
this Agreement;  provided,  however, that this Section 4.1(c) shall not prohibit
the  Company  or any of its  subsidiaries,  to the extent  consistent  with past
practice,  from hiring non-managerial or non-officer personnel from time to time
in the  ordinary  course of its  business  and  providing  such  personnel  with
benefits deemed appropriate by the Company;

         (d) Amend its  Articles of  Incorporation,  Bylaws or other  comparable
charter or  organizational  documents  or alter,  through  merger,  liquidation,
reorganization, restructuring or in any other fashion, its corporate structure;

         (e) Acquire or agree to acquire (i) by merging or  consolidating  with,
or by  purchasing  a  substantial  portion  of the stock or assets of, or by any
other  manner,  any business or any  corporation,  partnership,  joint  venture,
association  or other business  organization  or division  thereof,  or (ii) any
assets (not otherwise subject to paragraph (h) below) other than in the ordinary
course of business  consistent with past practice or in an aggregate  amount not
to exceed $500,000,  or in accordance with the cash management  practices of the
Company set forth on Schedule 4.1(e) of the Company Disclosure Schedules;

         (f) Sell, lease, license,  mortgage or otherwise encumber or subject to
any lien or  otherwise  transfer or dispose of any of its  properties  or assets
other than inventory or obsolete equipment in the ordinary course of business in
commercial  transactions consistent with past practice and in amounts that could
not, individually or in the aggregate,  reasonably be expected to have a Company
Material Adverse Effect;

         (g) Either:  (A) incur any indebtedness for borrowed money or guarantee
any such indebtedness of another person (other than guarantees by the Company in
favor of any of its wholly owned  subsidiaries or by any of its  subsidiaries in
favor of the

                                      -33-
<PAGE>

Company) or enter into any other financing  obligation that would be required to
be presented as  indebtedness  on a balance sheet  prepared in  accordance  with
GAAP,  or  enter  into  any  "off  balance  sheet"   financing   arrangement  or
transaction;  or (B) make any loans,  advances or capital  contributions  to, or
investments in (excluding  investments  made in accordance  with cash management
practices set forth on Schedule 4.1(e) of the Company Disclosure Schedules), any
other person,  other than (1) to any direct or indirect wholly owned  subsidiary
of the  Company,  or (2) to an  employee  described  in  Schedule  4.1(g) of the
Company  Disclosure  Schedules and (3) to other employees of the Company and its
subsidiaries, provided that the loans contemplated by this clause (g)(B)(3) will
not exceed $100,000 in the aggregate;

         (h) Except for current capital  expenditure plans set forth on Schedule
4.1(h) of the Company Disclosure  Schedules,  expend, or commit to expend, funds
for capital expenditures;

         (i) Adopt a plan of  complete  or partial  liquidation  or  resolutions
providing for or authorizing such a liquidation;

         (j)  Recognize any labor union  (unless  legally  required to do so) or
enter into any collective bargaining agreement;

         (k)  Except  as may be  required  as a result of a change in GAAP or as
recommended by the Company's independent accountants and consented to in writing
by  Purchaser  prior  to such  change,  change  any of the  accounting  methods,
practices or principles used by the Company or any of its subsidiaries;

         (l) Enter into any new line of business or open any new facilities;

         (m) Amend or otherwise  modify,  or waive any rights or  obligations of
any other party to the Telecom  Agreement (as hereinafter  defined),  other than
such amendments, modifications or waivers as (v) are immaterial, individually or
in the  aggregate,  (x) in no manner affect the proceeds  payable to the Company
pursuant to the Telecom  Agreement or the financial  value to the Company of the
Telecom Sale Transaction,  (y) to which the Company has previously  disclosed to
Purchaser in writing and (z) is otherwise  permissible  pursuant to this Section
4.1 (without giving effect to the parenthetical statement set forth in subclause
(i) within the body of the introductory paragraph of this Section 4.1); or

         (n)  Authorize any of, or commit or agree to take any of, the foregoing
actions or any action which would make any of the  representations or warranties
of the Company  contained in this  Agreement  untrue as of the date when made if
such action had then been taken.

                                      -34-
<PAGE>

         Nothing in this  Section  4.1,  in  Section  4.6 or  elsewhere  in this
Agreement (other than Section 4.12),  shall limit the Company's right or ability
to complete the sale (the "Telecom Sale  Transaction") of the Company's  telecom
business strictly in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Amended and
Restated  Purchase  Agreement  between the  Company,  Tracor,  Inc.  and Marconi
Aerospace  Electronic  Systems Inc. (as  assignee of Tracor,  Inc.'s  rights and
obligations  thereunder) dated as of August 18, 1999 (the "Telecom  Agreement"),
as such  Telecom  Agreement  may be  further  amended,  modified  or  waived  as
permitted in Section 4.1(m) above.

         SECTION 4.2  Shareholders  Meeting.  The Company  shall take all action
necessary,  in  accordance  with  and  subject  to the  California  Code and its
Articles of Incorporation  and Bylaws,  to convene a meeting of its shareholders
(the "Shareholders Meeting") as soon as reasonably practicable after the date of
this  Agreement  to consider  and vote upon the  adoption  and  approval of this
Agreement and the Merger. Subject to the next sentence, the Company, through its
Board  of  Directors,  shall  recommend  to  its  shareholders  approval  of the
foregoing  matters  and such  recommendation  shall  be  included  in the  Proxy
Statement.  The  Board  of  Directors  of the  Company  may  fail to  make  such
recommendation,  or withdraw, modify or change such recommendation,  if and only
if (i) an Acquisition  Proposal (as defined below) which  constitutes a Superior
Proposal (as defined  below) is made to the Company and is not  withdrawn,  (ii)
neither the Company nor any of its  representatives  shall have  violated any of
the  restrictions  set forth in Section 4.6, (iii) the Board of Directors of the
Company  concludes in good faith,  after  consultation with its outside counsel,
that, in light of such Acquisition Proposal,  the failure to make or withdrawal,
modification or change of such recommendation is required in order for the Board
of  Directors  of the Company to comply with its  fiduciary  obligations  to the
Company's shareholders under California law, and (iv) such failure,  withdrawal,
modification  or change  occurs or is made  prior to the  Shareholders  Meeting.
Nothing in this  Section 4.2 shall limit the  Company's  obligation  to hold and
convene  the  Shareholders  Meeting.  For the  purposes of this  Section  4.2, a
"Superior  Proposal" means a bona fide Acquisition  Proposal which a majority of
the disinterested members of the Board of Directors of the Company determines in
their  reasonable  good faith  judgment to be more  favorable  to the  Company's
shareholders  than the Merger (after  receiving the written  opinion,  with only
customary  qualifications,  of the Company's  independent financial advisor that
the  financial  value  of the  consideration  provided  for in such  Acquisition
Proposal exceeds the financial value of the Merger  Consideration) and for which
financing, to the extent required, is then committed by a third party.

         SECTION 4.3 Preparation of the Proxy  Statement.  As soon as reasonably
practicable following the date of this Agreement,  the Company shall prepare the
Proxy Statement and,  following  approval by Purchaser (which approval shall not
be  unreasonably  withheld),  shall file the Proxy  Statement  with the SEC. The
Company shall use its reasonable  commercial efforts to have the Proxy Statement
cleared by the SEC as

                                      -35-
<PAGE>

promptly as practicable after such filing,  subject to the Company's rights with
respect to an Alternative  Transaction (as defined below). The Company shall use
its reasonable  commercial  efforts to cause the Proxy Statement to be mailed to
the Company's  shareholders as promptly as practicable after the Proxy Statement
is cleared  by the SEC.  The  Company  and  Purchaser  shall  each  correct  any
information  provided  by it for use in the Proxy  Statement  which  shall  have
become false or misleading. In the event that the SEC comments upon or otherwise
reviews the Proxy Statement, the Company shall promptly inform Purchaser of such
comments  and/or  review,  shall  consult  with  Purchaser  in  connection  with
responding to any such comments  (including  without  limitation the revision of
the Proxy  Statement).  The Company  shall not file the Proxy  Statement  or any
amendment thereto or revision thereof without Purchaser's prior approval,  which
approval will not be unreasonably withheld.

         SECTION 4.4 Hart-Scott Act Filings. Promptly following the date of this
Agreement,  the Company and Purchaser  shall prepare and file with the Antitrust
Authorities  all documents and forms required under the Hart-Scott  Act. Each of
the Company and Purchaser shall use its reasonable  commercial efforts to obtain
the timely  termination  or expiration of the waiting  period  applicable to the
Merger under the Hart-Scott Act.

         SECTION 4.5 Access to Information; Confidentiality.

         (a) Access to Information.

                  (i) The Company:  (A) shall, and shall cause its subsidiaries,
auditors and other agents to, afford the officers, auditors and other agents and
representatives  of  Purchaser  and  persons or  entities  (and  representatives
thereof)  committed or  proposing  to provide  Purchaser or the Company with the
Financing  reasonable  access at all reasonable  times (during  normal  business
hours so as not to unduly or  unreasonably  interfere  with the  business of the
Company and its  subsidiaries) to its employees (it being understood that access
to the Company's  employees,  other than its senior officers,  shall be with the
prior  consultation  of a senior  officer of the Company),  agents,  properties,
customers,  contractors,  suppliers and others, offices and other facilities and
(subject to restrictions  imposed by applicable law or by contract) to all books
and  records,  and shall  furnish  Purchaser  and such  other  persons  with all
financial,  operating and other data and  information as Purchaser,  through its
officers, may from time to time reasonably request; and (B) shall make available
its senior  officers,  upon  reasonable  prior notice and during normal business
hours, to confer on a regular basis with the  appropriate  officers of Purchaser
regarding  the  ongoing  operations  of the Company  and its  subsidiaries,  the
implementation  of the Merger and other matters  reasonably  related hereto.  No
investigation  pursuant to this Section 4.5(a) shall affect any  representations
or  warranties

                                      -36-
<PAGE>

of the Parties made in this  Agreement or the  conditions to the  obligations of
the Parties under this Agreement.

                  (ii)  Prior  to  the  Effective  Time,  the  Company  and  its
accountants,  agents and other representatives shall cooperate with Purchaser by
providing information about the Company which is necessary for Purchaser and its
accountants,  agents, counsel and other representatives to participate in and to
assist the  Company in  preparing  the  Financing  documents  and  securing  the
Financing  and in response to other  reasonable  requests  with  respect to such
Financing documents. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
to the extent  reasonably  appropriate  to assist the success of the  Financing,
Purchaser may disclose,  or cause its  representatives to disclose,  and, at the
request of Purchaser,  the Company  shall  disclose (in each case, to the extent
requested by Purchaser,  subject to the Company receiving reasonable  assurances
as to the  maintenance  of the  confidentiality  of  confidential  information),
information  concerning the Company and its  subsidiaries  and their  respective
businesses,  assets and  properties  and any  transaction  involving the Company
occurring  outside  the  ordinary  course of  business  or with  respect  to any
material  portion of the Company's  (including  its  subsidiaries')  businesses,
assets or properties prior to the Effective Time.

         (b)  Confidentiality.  Purchaser  shall hold  information  it  receives
pursuant to Section  4.5(a)(i)  which is nonpublic in confidence and, other than
as provided in Section  4.5(a)(ii),  will not disclose such  information  to any
third party, and will instruct its  Representatives  (as such term is defined in
the  Confidentiality  Agreement)  not to disclose such  information to any third
party,  without the written consent of the Company.  Such  information  shall be
subject to the  Confidentiality  Agreement dated May 7, 1999 between the Company
and Fox Paine & Company, LLC (the "Confidentiality Agreement").

         SECTION  4.6  No  Solicitation.   The  Company,  its  subsidiaries  and
affiliates and their respective officers, directors, employees,  representatives
and agents shall immediately cease any existing discussions or negotiations,  if
any, with any parties  conducted  heretofore with respect to any acquisitions or
exchange of all or any material portion of the assets of, or any equity interest
in, the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any business  combination with the
Company or any of its  subsidiaries  other than the  Telecom  Sale  Transaction.
Subject to the last paragraph of Section 4.1, the Company shall not, directly or
indirectly, through any officer, director, agent or otherwise, solicit, initiate
or encourage the submission of any proposal or offer from any person relating to
any acquisition or purchase of all or any material  portion of the assets of, or
any equity  interest in, the Company (or any subsidiary or division  thereof) or
any merger, consolidation, share exchange, business combination or other similar
transaction with the Company (or any subsidiary or division thereof) or solicit,
participate in or initiate any negotiations or discussions regarding, or furnish
to any other person any information  with

                                      -37-
<PAGE>

respect to, or otherwise cooperate in any way with, or assist or participate in,
facilitate or encourage, any effort or attempt by any other person to do or seek
to do any of the foregoing,  and all efforts being  conducted by or on behalf of
the Company on the date of this  Agreement to solicit  purchasers of the Company
as an entirety or for its component businesses shall be discontinued  forthwith;
provided,  however,  that nothing in this Section 4.6 shall prohibit the Company
from  furnishing  information  to, or entering into  discussions or negotiations
with, any person in connection  with an  unsolicited  written bona fide proposal
made to the  Company  by or on  behalf  of such  person  after  the date of this
Agreement  and  prior  to  the  adjournment  of  the  Shareholders  Meeting  (an
"Acquisition Proposal") to acquire all of the equity or all or substantially all
of the assets of the Company and its subsidiaries (viewed as a whole),  pursuant
to a merger,  consolidation,  share exchange,  business  combination,  tender or
exchange  offer,   recapitalization,   asset  acquisition  or  other  comparable
transaction (an "Alternative  Transaction") if, and only to the extent that, (a)
the Board of  Directors  of the Company  determines  in good faith,  having been
advised  by  counsel,  that its  failure  to  authorize  any such  action on the
Company's part would constitute a breach of the Board's  fiduciary duties to the
Company's   shareholders   under  California  law,  (b)  upon  receipt  of  such
Acquisition  Proposal,  the Company gives  Purchaser prior written notice (which
shall  include a summary  of the  material  terms of such  person's  Acquisition
Proposal and the identity of such person) of the Company's  intention to furnish
such  information  or begin  such  discussions,  (c)  prior to  furnishing  such
information or beginning such  discussions  with such person,  the Company shall
have determined,  in good faith, after consultation with the Company's financial
advisor,  that the  financial  value of the  consideration  provided for in such
Acquisition  Proposal  exceeds the financial value of the Merger  Consideration,
and (d) prior to furnishing such information or beginning such discussions,  the
financing  for  such  Acquisition  Proposal,  to the  extent  required,  is then
committed by a third party (which  commitment  may, in part, be made in reliance
upon the firm written commitments of third-party lenders). The Company shall not
release any third party from or waive any provision of, any  confidentiality  or
standstill agreement to which the Company is a party.  Notwithstanding  anything
to the  contrary  in this  Section  4.6,  the  Company  shall  not  provide  any
non-public  information  concerning  the Company to a third party unless (i) the
Company provides such non-public  information  under a non-disclosure  agreement
with terms  regarding the  protection of  confidential  information  at least as
restrictive  as such  terms in the  Confidentiality  Agreement,  and  (ii)  such
non-public information has been previously delivered to Purchaser.

         SECTION 4.7 Directors' and Officers' Indemnification and Insurance.

         (a) No Change in Organizational Documents.  Notwithstanding anything to
the contrary in Section 1.5, the Articles of Incorporation and the Bylaws of the
Surviving  Corporation shall contain provisions no less beneficial to directors,
officers, employees or agents of the Company with respect to indemnification and
exculpation  from  liability  as

                                      -38-
<PAGE>

those set forth in the  Company's  Articles of  Incorporation  and Bylaws on the
date of this  Agreement,  which  provisions  shall not be  amended,  repealed or
otherwise  modified  for a period of six years  from the  Effective  Time in any
manner that would adversely  affect the rights  thereunder of individuals who on
or prior to the Effective Time were directors,  officers, employees or agents of
the Company, unless such modification is required by law.

         (b)  Directors'  and Officers'  Insurance.  The  Surviving  Corporation
shall,  for a period of six years  commencing on the Closing  Date,  maintain in
effect the  Company's  current  directors'  and  officers'  liability  insurance
policies (which may be customary "tail" policies) covering those persons who are
currently  covered on the date of this  Agreement  by such  policies  (copies of
which  policies  have  been  delivered  to  Purchaser)  and  by  Indemnification
Agreements  with the  Company  as set forth on  Schedule  4.7(b) of the  Company
Disclosure Schedules (the "Indemnified Parties");  provided, however, that in no
event shall  Purchaser be required to expend in any one year an amount in excess
of 150% of the annual premiums currently paid by the Company for such insurance;
and, provided,  further,  that if the annual premiums of such insurance coverage
exceed such amount,  the  Surviving  Corporation  shall be obligated to obtain a
policy  with the  greatest  coverage  available  for a cost not  exceeding  such
amount;  provided,  further, that the Surviving Corporation may substitute,  for
the  policies  in  existence  at the  Effective  Time,  policies  (which  may be
customary "tail  policies") with at least the coverage  required by this Section
4.7(b) provided such substitute  policies contain terms and conditions which are
no less  advantageous and that such  substitution does not result in any gaps or
lapses in coverage  with  respect to matters  occurring  prior to the  Effective
Time.

         (c)  Indemnification  Obligations.  As of and  following  the Effective
Time, the Surviving  Corporation shall indemnify all Indemnified  Parties to the
fullest  extent  permitted  by  applicable  law  with  respect  to all  acts and
omissions  arising out of such  individuals'  services as  officers,  directors,
employees or agents of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or as trustees or
fiduciaries  of any plan for the benefit of  employees  of the Company or any of
its  subsidiaries,  occurring  prior to the Effective  Time  including,  without
limitation,  the transactions  contemplated by this Agreement.  Without limiting
the  foregoing,  if any such  Indemnified  Party is or becomes  involved  in any
capacity in any action,  proceeding  or  investigation  in  connection  with any
matter,  including  without  limitation,  the transactions  contemplated by this
Agreement,  occurring prior to, and including, the Effective Time, the Surviving
Corporation,  from the Effective  Time,  will pay as incurred  such  Indemnified
Party's  reasonable  legal  and  other  expenses  (including  the  cost  of  any
investigation and preparation)  incurred in connection therewith upon receipt by
the Surviving Corporation of a customary undertaking in a form to be provided by
the  Surviving  Corporation,  with such  Indemnified  Party  being  entitled  to
representation  by counsel not representing any other  Indemnified  Party to the
extent that a conflict of interest  precludes  the effective  representation  of
more  than  one  Indemnified

                                      -39-
<PAGE>

Party with  respect to the  applicable  action,  proceeding  and  investigation.
Subject to Section 4.7(d),  the Surviving  Corporation  shall pay all reasonable
expenses,  including  attorneys'  fees,  that may be incurred by any Indemnified
Party in enforcing this Section 4.7 or any action involving an Indemnified Party
resulting from the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. If the indemnity
provided  for  in  this  Section  4.7  is  not  available  with  respect  to any
Indemnified  Party,  then the Surviving  Corporation and the  Indemnified  Party
shall  contribute to the amount payable in such  proportion as is appropriate to
reflect relative faults and benefits.

         (d)  Procedures  Concerning  Indemnification.   Any  Indemnified  Party
wishing  to  claim  indemnification  under  Sections  4.7(a),  (b) or (c),  upon
learning of any such claim,  action,  suit,  proceeding or investigation,  shall
promptly  notify the Surviving  Corporation  thereof,  provided,  however,  that
failure to give, or delay in giving, such notice shall not impair the applicable
Indemnified  Party's rights under this Section 4.7 except to the extent (if any)
to which the Surviving  Corporation is materially  prejudiced by such failure or
delay. In the event of any such claim, action, suit, proceeding or investigation
(whether  arising  before  or  after  the  Effective  Time):  (i) the  Surviving
Corporation shall have the right, from the Effective Time, to assume the defense
thereof (with  counsel  engaged by the  Surviving  Corporation  to be reasonably
acceptable to the relevant  Indemnified  Party), the relevant  Indemnified Party
shall  cooperate  in the  defense of such matter and the  Surviving  Corporation
shall not be liable to such Indemnified  Parties for any legal expenses of other
counsel or any other expenses  subsequently incurred by such Indemnified Parties
in connection with the defense thereof, and (ii) the Surviving Corporation shall
not be liable for any  settlement  effected  without  its or  Purchaser's  prior
written consent.  The Surviving  Corporation shall not have any obligation under
Section  4.8(c)  to any  Indemnified  Party  when  and if a court  of  competent
jurisdiction  shall  ultimately  determine,  and such  determination  shall have
become final, that the  indemnification  of such Indemnified Party in the manner
contemplated hereby is prohibited by applicable law.

         SECTION 4.8 Further Action;  Reasonable  Commercial  Efforts.  Upon the
terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement,  each Party shall use its
reasonable  commercial  efforts to take, or cause to be taken,  all  appropriate
action, and to do or cause to be done, all things necessary, proper or advisable
under  applicable  laws and  regulations  to consummate  and make  effective the
Merger,  including but not limited to (i)  cooperating  in the  preparation  and
filing of the Proxy Statement, and any amendments to any thereof, and (ii) using
its reasonable  commercial  efforts to make all required  regulatory filings and
applications  and  to  obtain  all  licenses,   permits,  consents,   approvals,
authorizations,  qualifications  and orders of  Governmental  Entities and third
parties to contracts with the Company and its  subsidiaries as are necessary for
the consummation of the Merger,  and to fulfill the conditions to the Merger. To
the extent practicable in the circumstances and subject to applicable laws, each
Party shall provide the others with the

                                      -40-
<PAGE>

opportunity  to review any  information  relating to such  Party,  or any of its
subsidiaries,  which  appears in any  filing  made  with,  or written  materials
submitted to, any Governmental Entity in connection with obtaining the necessary
regulatory or non- governmental approvals for the consummation of the Merger. In
case at any time after the  Effective  Time any further  action is  necessary or
desirable to carry out the purposes of this  Agreement,  the proper officers and
directors of each Party shall use their  reasonable  commercial  efforts to take
all such necessary action.

         SECTION 4.9  Notification  of Certain  Matters.  The Company shall give
prompt  notice to  Purchaser,  and  Purchaser  shall give  prompt  notice to the
Company,  of (i) the occurrence or non-occurrence of any event the occurrence or
non-occurrence of which would be likely to cause any  representation or warranty
contained in this Agreement to be untrue or inaccurate in any material  respect,
and (ii) any failure of the Company or Purchaser,  as the case may be, to comply
with or satisfy  in any  material  respect  any  condition  or  agreement  to be
complied with or satisfied by it hereunder; provided, however, that the delivery
of any notice  pursuant to this Section 4.9 shall not limit or otherwise  affect
the remedies available hereunder to the Party receiving such notice.

         SECTION 4.10 Public  Announcements.  Each Party shall  consult with the
other before issuing any press release or otherwise making any public statements
with  respect to this  Agreement  and shall not issue any such press  release or
make  any  such  public  statement  prior to such  consultation,  except  (where
circumstances make such prior consultation  impracticable) as may be required by
law or any listing agreement with its securities exchange or quotation system.

         SECTION  4.11  Certain   Obligations   to   Employees.   The  Surviving
Corporation  shall honor all employee benefit  obligations to current and former
employees  that have been incurred prior to the Effective Time under the Company
Plans and the Company  Employment  Contracts;  provided,  however,  that nothing
shall prevent the Surviving  Corporation from taking, or refraining from taking,
any action with respect to any of the Company  Plans and the Company  Employment
Contracts to the extent not precluded by the terms thereof.

                                    ARTICLE V

                              CONDITIONS OF MERGER

         SECTION  5.1  Conditions  to  Obligation  of Each  Party to Effect  the
Merger.  The respective  obligations of each Party to effect the Merger shall be
subject to the  satisfaction  or (to the extent  permitted  by  applicable  law)
waiver, at or prior to the Closing, of the following conditions:

                                      -41-
<PAGE>

         (a) This  Agreement and the Merger shall have been approved and adopted
by the affirmative  vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding  shares
of Company Common Stock entitled to vote thereon.

         (b) No temporary restraining order, preliminary or permanent injunction
or other  order  issued by any court of  competent  jurisdiction  or other legal
restraint or prohibition making the consummation of the Merger unlawful shall be
in effect,  nor shall any proceeding by any  Governmental  Entity seeking any of
the foregoing be pending.

         (c)  There  shall  not be any  action  taken,  or  any  statute,  rule,
regulation  or order  enacted,  entered,  enforced or deemed  applicable  to the
Merger,  which makes the consummation of the Merger illegal,  or, as a result of
the  consummation of the Merger,  will give rise to a Company  Material  Adverse
Effect with respect to the Surviving Corporation.

         (d) Each of the Company and  Purchaser  shall have  received an opinion
(in each case  addressed to the Board of Directors of the same)  concerning  the
solvency of Purchaser, the Company and their respective affiliates giving effect
to the Merger and the  related  transactions,  prepared by an  independent  firm
expert in providing such opinions which is reasonably  acceptable to each of the
Company  and  Purchaser.  The  solvency  opinion  shall be in such  form that is
reasonably acceptable to each of the Company and Purchaser.

         SECTION 5.2 Conditions to Obligations of Purchaser.  The obligations of
Purchaser to effect the Merger are subject to the  satisfaction of the following
conditions unless waived by Purchaser:

         (a) The representations and warranties of the Company set forth in this
Agreement  (i) shall be true and correct in all  respects as of the date of this
Agreement and (ii) except for those  representations and warranties made only as
of a specified date,  shall be true and correct on and as of the Closing Date as
though  made  on and as of the  Closing  Date,  except,  in the  case of each of
clauses  (i) and (ii),  for  inaccuracies  that do not,  individually  or in the
aggregate,  constitute a Company Material Adverse Effect, provided, however, for
purposes of this Section 5.2(a), (A) the immediately  preceding Company Material
Adverse Effect qualifier shall be inapplicable  with respect to  representations
and warranties of the Company  contained in Section  3.1(c) and Section  3.1(y),
and (B) any Company Material Adverse Effect or knowledge  qualifiers in the body
of and  applicable to any particular  representation  or warranty of the Company
shall be  disregarded.  Purchaser  shall have received a  certificate  signed on
behalf of the Company by its Chief Executive  Officer and by its Chief Financial
Officer to such effect.

         (b) The Company  shall have  performed all  obligations  required to be
performed  by it under this  Agreement at or prior to the Closing Date with such
exceptions as, either

                                      -42-
<PAGE>

individually or in the aggregate, have not constituted,  and do not constitute a
Company Material Adverse Effect, and Purchaser shall have received a certificate
signed on behalf of the Company by its Chief Executive  Officer and by its Chief
Financial Officer to such effect.

         (c) The number of issued and outstanding shares of Company Common Stock
with respect to which the holders have  properly  taken those  actions which the
California  Code  requires be taken prior to the  Effective  Time to permit such
holders  to become  Dissenting  Shareholders  shall  not  exceed 5% of the total
number of issued and outstanding shares of Company Common Stock.

         (d) Other than the filing  contemplated  by Section 1.3, all  consents,
approvals,  authorizations  or  permits  of,  actions  by,  or  filings  with or
notifications to, and all terminations or expirations of waiting periods imposed
by, any  Governmental  Entity which are  necessary for the  consummation  of the
Merger (including, without limitation, under the Hart-Scott Act and the Exchange
Act),  other than those (not  including  those under the  Hart-Scott  Act, which
shall be required  without  reference to this clause) the absence of which could
not, individually or in the aggregate,  reasonably be expected to have a Company
Material Adverse Effect, shall have been obtained or made or shall have occurred
without the  requirement  of any  payment or any  material  condition  (all such
consents,  approvals,  authorizations,  permits,  actions and  filings,  and the
termination or expiration of all such waiting periods,  being referred to as the
"Requisite Governmental  Approvals");  all conditions,  if any, to the Requisite
Governmental Approvals shall have been satisfied; and all Requisite Governmental
Approvals shall be in full force and effect.

         (e) All consents, approvals,  authorizations or permits of, actions by,
notifications  to, or waiting  periods  imposed by, any  contract,  agreement or
arrangement  between  either the Company or Purchaser,  on the one hand, and any
other  person  (except a  Governmental  Entity),  on the other  hand,  which are
necessary for the  consummation  of the Merger,  other than those the absence of
which could not,  individually  or in the  aggregate,  reasonably be expected to
have a Company  Material  Adverse  Effect,  shall have been  obtained or made or
shall have occurred  without cost or condition  (all such  consents,  approvals,
authorizations,  permits,  actions and  notifications  and the expiration of all
such  waiting  periods,  being  referred to as the  "Requisite  Non-Governmental
Approvals"); all conditions, if any, to the Requisite Non-Governmental Approvals
shall have been satisfied; and all of the Requisite  Non-Governmental  Approvals
shall be in full force and effect.

         (f) The  Company  shall have  closed the Telecom  Sale  Transaction  in
accordance  with the terms and conditions of the Telecom  Agreement as in effect
on the date hereof (other than with such amendments, modifications or waivers as
are permitted the Company under Section 4.1(m)).

                                      -43-
<PAGE>

         (g) Purchaser shall have received the Financing on terms and conditions
that,  in  Purchaser's  reasonable  judgment,  are not  less  favorable,  in the
aggregate,  to Purchaser than those set forth in the commitment letter described
in Section 3.2(g)(ii) hereof.

         (h) After the execution  date of this  Agreement,  there shall not have
occurred or been  enacted or  promulgated  a change in GAAP (as in effect on the
date of such letter) or a decision, statement, policy statement,  pronouncement,
speech,  statute,  ordinance,  writ,  judgment,   injunction,  rule,  regulation
(formal,  informal or otherwise),  order or decree of any Governmental Entity or
authoritative  accounting  standards board or body (including without limitation
the SEC and/or the Financial  Accounting  Standards Board) (any of the foregoing
matters  being  referred  to as a  "Subsequent  Ruling"),  if the effect of such
Subsequent  Ruling is to  prevent  the  Merger  from  being  accounted  for as a
recapitalization  (as a result of the  structure  and/or  capitalization  of the
Surviving  Corporation  as  contemplated  by this  Agreement) in the  reasonable
judgment  of  Purchaser  following   consultation  with  Purchaser's  accounting
advisors.

         SECTION 5.3 Conditions to Obligations of the Company. The obligation of
the Company to effect the Merger is subject to the satisfaction of the following
unless waived by the Company:

         (a) The  representations  and warranties of Purchaser set forth in this
Agreement  (i) shall be true and correct in all  respects as of the date of this
Agreement and (ii) except for those  representations and warranties made only as
of a specified date,  shall be true and correct on and as of the Closing Date as
though made on and as of the Closing Date except, in the case of each of clauses
(i) and (ii), for inaccuracies that do not,  individually,  or in the aggregate,
constitute a Purchaser Material Adverse Effect, provided,  however, for purposes
of this Section 5.3(a), (A) the immediately preceding Purchaser Material Adverse
Effect  qualifier  shall be  inapplicable  with respect to  representations  and
warranties  of the Purchaser  contained in Section  3.2(c) and (B) any Purchaser
Material Adverse Effect or knowledge qualifiers in the body of and applicable to
any particular representation or warranty of Purchaser shall be disregarded. The
Company shall have  received a certificate  signed on behalf of Purchaser by the
Chief  Executive  Officer of  Purchaser  and by the Chief  Financial  Officer of
Purchaser to such effect.

         (b)  Purchaser  shall have  performed  all  obligations  required to be
performed  by them under this  Agreement at or prior to the Closing  Date,  with
such  exceptions  as,  either  individually  or  in  the  aggregate,   have  not
constituted,  and do not constitute a Purchaser Material Adverse Effect, and the
Company shall have  received a certificate  signed on behalf of Purchaser by its
Chief Executive Officer and by its Chief Financial Officer to such effect.

                                      -44-
<PAGE>

                                   ARTICLE VI

                        TERMINATION, AMENDMENT AND WAIVER


         SECTION 6.1  Termination.  This  Agreement  may be  terminated  and the
Merger  contemplated  hereby may be abandoned at any time prior to the Effective
Time,  either  before  or after  approval  thereof  by the  shareholders  of the
Company:

         (a) by mutual written consent of Purchaser and the Company; or

         (b) by  Purchaser,  upon any  breach of any  representation,  warranty,
covenant or agreement of the Company set forth in this  Agreement  that,  either
individually  or in  the  aggregate,  would  prevent  the  satisfaction  of  the
conditions  set forth in Section 5.2(a) or (b), if either (i) such breach cannot
be cured prior to the Terminal  Date,  or (ii) has not been cured within 30 days
after the date on which  written  notice of such breach is given by Purchaser to
the Company, specifying in reasonable detail the nature of such breach;

         (c) by the  Company,  upon  breach of any  representation,  warranty or
agreement f Purchaser set forth in this Agreement that, either  individually or
in the aggregate,  would prevent the  satisfaction of the condition set forth in
Section  5.3(a) or (b), if either (i) such  breach  cannot be cured prior to the
Terminal Date, or (ii) has not been cured within 30 days after the date on which
written notice of such breach is given by the Company to Purchaser specifying in
reasonable detail the nature of such breach;

         (d) by either Purchaser or the Company, if any permanent  injunction or
action by any  Governmental  Entity  preventing the  consummation  of the Merger
shall have become final and nonappealable; provided, however, that such right of
termination  shall not be available to any Party if such Party shall have failed
to make  reasonable  efforts  to  prevent  or  contest  the  imposition  of such
injunction or action and such failure materially contributed to such imposition;

         (e) by either  Purchaser  or the  Company,  if  (other  than due to the
willful  failure of the Party seeking to terminate this Agreement to perform its
obligations  hereunder  which are  required to be  performed  at or prior to the
Effective  Time)  the  Merger  shall not have  been  consummated  on or prior to
January 31, 2000,  unless extended in writing by Purchaser and the Company (such
date, or any date to which it is so extended, being referred to as the "Terminal
Date");

         (f) by Purchaser or the Company, if the vote of the shareholders of the
Company on a motion to adopt and approve this  Agreement and the Merger has been
taken at the  Shareholders  Meeting or any  adjournment  thereof and the vote in
favor of such  adoption and approval was not  sufficient,  under the  California
Code and the Articles

                                      -45-
<PAGE>

of  Incorporation  of the  Company,  to cause  such  motion  to pass;  provided,
however,  that the right to terminate this  Agreement  under this Section 6.1(f)
shall  not be  available  to  Company  if (A)  the  failure  to  obtain  Company
shareholder  approval  shall have been caused by the action or failure to act of
the Company and such  action or the failure to act  constitutes  a breach by the
Company  of this  Agreement  or (B)  Purchaser  is  entitled  to  terminate  the
Agreement under Section 6.1(g);

         (g) by  Purchaser,  if (i) a majority of the Board of  Directors of the
Company shall have withdrawn, modified or changed its approval or recommendation
of this Agreement or the Merger in any manner which is adverse to Purchaser,  or
shall have adopted a resolution to do the  foregoing,  whether or not the reason
for such  action by the Board of  Directors  of the  Company  would  entitle the
Company to terminate this Agreement under Section 6.2(h), or (ii) a tender offer
or  exchange  offer for 25% or more of the  outstanding  shares  of the  Company
Common Stock is commenced (other than by Purchaser or any of its subsidiaries or
affiliates),  and the Board of Directors of the Company fails to recommend  that
such  shareholders  reject such tender offer or exchange  offer in the Company's
Solicitation/Recommendation  Statement  on  Schedule  14D-9  filed  in  response
thereto;

         (h)  by  the  Company  prior  to  the  closing  of  the  polls  at  the
Shareholders  Meeting, if the Board of Directors of the Company shall decide not
to make or shall withdraw,  modify or change its affirmative  recommendation  of
this Agreement or the Merger, in each instance to the extent permitted  pursuant
to Section 4.2 hereof;

         (i) by the  Company,  if Sponsor  notifies  the Company in writing that
Sponsor has determined that it will not, or if it otherwise  becomes  manifestly
obvious  that Sponsor has become  unable to, fund  Purchaser as set forth in and
pursuant to the equity commitment letter attached hereto as Exhibit 3.2(g).

         SECTION 6.2 Fees and Expenses.

         (a) The Company shall pay Purchaser a  termination  fee of  $13,250,000
plus all costs  and  expenses  incurred  by  Purchaser  in  connection  with the
investigation,  negotiation, financing and performance of this Agreement and the
Merger  (collectively,  to  avoid  duplication,  net of  any  payments  made  to
Purchaser pursuant to Section 6.2(b), the "Termination Fee"), as a result of the
termination of this Agreement (i) by Purchaser pursuant to Section 6.1(g) or the
Company pursuant to Section 6.1(h), (ii) by Purchaser or the Company pursuant to
Section 6.1(f), or (iii) by Purchaser  pursuant to Section 6.1(b) (provided,  in
the cases of clauses  (ii) and (iii),  within  twelve (12) months of the date of
such  termination  of this Agreement the Company either enters into a definitive
agreement  for  or  otherwise  consummates  an  Alternative  Transaction).   The
Termination  Fee shall be payable,  in the case of clause (i) above, on the next
business day following the

                                      -46-
<PAGE>

termination  of this  Agreement,  or, in the case of clause (ii) or clause (iii)
above,  on the next  business day  following  the  execution  of the  definitive
agreement  for  or  the  consummation  of the  Alternative  Transaction.  In the
circumstances  in which it is payable,  the payment of the Termination Fee shall
be Purchaser's  sole remedy and entitlement  hereunder for any breach or default
by the Company hereunder.

         (b) In the  event  of a  termination  of this  Agreement  by  Purchaser
pursuant to Section 6.1(b) or the Company pursuant to Section 6.1(c),  all costs
and  expenses  of the  non-breaching  Party  incurred  in  connection  with this
Agreement and the Merger shall be paid by the breaching Party.

         (c) Except as set forth in Sections  6.2(a) and  6.2(b),  all costs and
expenses incurred in connection with this Agreement and the Merger shall be paid
by the Party  incurring  such costs and  expenses,  whether or not the Merger is
consummated.

         SECTION 6.3 Effect of  Termination.  In the event of the termination of
this Agreement  pursuant to Section 6.1, this Agreement shall  forthwith  become
void and there shall be no  liability  on the part of any Party  except that the
provisions of Section 4.5(b),  Section 6.2 and all of Article VII except Section
7.1 shall survive such termination  indefinitely (or to such earlier date as may
be  specified  by the terms of such  provision);  and  provided,  however,  that
nothing  herein  shall  relieve  any Party from  liability  for any  willful and
material  breach  hereof,  provided  further,  that any action that the Board of
Directors of the Company takes under Section 4.2, Section 4.6 or Section 6.1(h),
having  been  advised by counsel,  on the basis of its good faith  determination
that its failure to take such action  could be deemed to  constitute a breach of
its fiduciary  duties to the Company's  shareholders  under California law shall
not constitute a willful and material breach of this Agreement by the Company.

         SECTION 6.4 Amendment.  This Agreement may be amended by the Parties by
action taken by the respective  Boards of Directors of Purchaser and the Company
at any time prior to the Effective Time; provided, however, that, after approval
of  this  Agreement  and the  Merger  by the  shareholders  of the  Company,  no
amendment  may be made which would require the approval of the  shareholders  of
the  Company  without  being  subject  to  further  shareholder  approval.  This
Agreement may not be amended  except by an  instrument in writing  signed by the
Parties.

         SECTION 6.5 Waiver.  At any time prior to the Effective Time, any Party
may (a) extend the time for the  performance of any of the  obligations or other
acts of the other Party, (b) waive any inaccuracies in the  representations  and
warranties contained herein or in any document delivered pursuant hereto and (c)
waive compliance with any of the agreements or conditions  contained herein. Any
such extension or waiver shall be valid if set forth in an instrument in writing
signed by the Party or Parties to be bound thereby.

                                      -47-
<PAGE>

                                   ARTICLE VII

                               GENERAL PROVISIONS


         SECTION 7.1 Non Survival of Representations,  Warranties and Agreements
After the Effective  Time. The  representations,  warranties,  and agreements in
this  Agreement  shall  terminate at the Effective  Time,  except that those set
forth in Section 4.7 and Section  4.11 and this  Article VII shall  survive such
termination  indefinitely  (or to such earlier date as shall be specified by the
terms of such provisions).

         SECTION 7.2 Notices. All notices,  requests,  claims, demands and other
communications  hereunder  shall be in writing  and shall be given (and shall be
deemed  to have  been  duly  given  upon  receipt  or,  in the case of notice by
registered or certified mail,  three business days after deposit with the United
States  Postal  Service) by delivery in person,  by cable,  facsimile,  telecopy
transmission  or telegram or by registered or certified  mail (postage  prepaid,
return receipt requested) to the respective Party at the following addresses (or
at such other address for a Party as shall be specified by like notice):

                  if to Purchaser:

                           FP-WJ Acquisition Corp.
                           c/o Fox Paine & Company, LLC
                           950 Tower Lane, Suite 1950
                           Foster City, California 94404
                           Attention: W. Dexter Paine III
                           Facsimile: (650) 525-1396

                  with a copy to:

                           Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
                           51 West 52nd Street
                           New York, New York 10019
                           Attention: Mitchell S. Presser
                           Facsimile: (212) 403-2000

                  with a copy to:

                           Irell & Manella LLP
                           333 South Hope Street, Suite 3300
                           Los Angeles, California 90071
                           Attention: Anthony T. Iler
                           Facsimile: (213) 229-0515

                                      -48-
<PAGE>

                  if to the Company:

                           Watkins-Johnson Company
                           3333 Hillview Avenue
                           Palo Alto, California 94304-1223
                           Attention: Chief Executive Officer
                           Facsimile: (650) 813-2502

                           with a copy to:

                           Heller Ehrman White & McAuliffe
                           333 Bush Street
                           San Francisco, California 94104
                           Attention: Daniel E. Titelbaum, Esq.
                           Facsimile: (415) 772-6268

         SECTION 7.3 Certain  Definitions.  For purposes of this Agreement,  the
following terms have the meanings indicated:

         (a) "affiliate" of a person means a person that directly or indirectly,
through one or more  intermediaries,  controls,  is  controlled  by, or is under
common control with, the first mentioned person;

         (b) "business day" means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other
day on which commercial banks in Palo Alto, California are required or permitted
to be closed;

         (c) "control"  (including the terms  "controlled  by" and "under common
control  with") means the  possession,  directly or  indirectly or as trustee or
executor,  of the  power to  direct or cause  the  direction  of the  management
policies of a person,  whether  through the  ownership  of stock,  as trustee or
executor, by contract or credit arrangement or otherwise;

         (d)  "knowledge"  means  the  actual  subjective   knowledge,   without
independent inquiry or verification,  of (i) in the case of the Company,  any of
(x) the Company's  executive  officers  named in the Company's  proxy  statement
relating to its 1999  Annual  Meeting of  Shareholders  (which is one of the SEC
Filings) and (y) any of Malcolm Caraballo, John Galli, Skip Hoover, Tom Kreitzer
and  Rainer  Growitz;  and (ii) in the case of  Purchaser,  any  Executive  Vice
President or more senior officer of Purchaser.

         (e)   "person"   means   an   individual,   corporation,   partnership,
association,  trust,  unincorporated  organization,  other  entity  or group (as
defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act); and

                                      -49-
<PAGE>

         (f) "subsidiary" or  "subsidiaries"  of any Party or other person means
any corporation,  partnership,  joint venture or other legal entity of which the
Company, the Surviving Corporation,  Purchaser or such other person, as the case
may be (either  alone or through or together with any other  subsidiary),  owns,
directly or indirectly,  50% or more of the stock or other equity  interests the
holder of which is  generally  entitled to vote for the election of the board of
directors or other governing body of such corporation or other legal entity.

         SECTION  7.4  Severability.  If any  term or  other  provision  of this
Agreement is invalid, illegal or incapable of being enforced by any rule of law,
or public policy,  all other  conditions and provisions of this Agreement  shall
nevertheless  remain in full force and effect so long as the  economic  or legal
substance of the transactions  contemplated hereby is not affected in any manner
adverse to any Party. Upon such  determination  that any term or other provision
is invalid,  illegal or incapable of being  enforced,  the Parties  hereto shall
negotiate  in good faith to modify this  Agreement  so as to effect the original
intent of the Parties as closely as possible in an acceptable  manner to the end
that the  transactions  contemplated  hereby are fulfilled to the fullest extent
possible.

         SECTION 7.5 Entire Agreement;  Assignment.  This Agreement  constitutes
the entire agreement among the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof
and supersedes all prior  agreements  and  undertakings,  both written and oral,
among the Parties,  or any of them,  with respect to the subject  matter hereof,
except  the  Confidentiality  Agreement,  which  shall  continue  in  effect  in
accordance with its terms.  This Agreement shall not be assigned by operation of
law or  otherwise,  except  that  Purchaser  may  assign  all  or  any of  their
respective  rights and obligations  hereunder to any other direct  subsidiary or
subsidiaries  of Purchaser  but no such  assignment  shall relieve the assigning
Party of its obligations hereunder.

         SECTION 7.6 Parties in Interest.  This Agreement  shall be binding upon
and inure  solely to the  benefit  of each  Party.  Nothing  in this  Agreement,
express or implied,  is intended  to or shall  confer upon any other  person any
rights, benefits or remedies of any nature whatsoever under or by reason of this
Agreement;  provided,  however,  that each Indemnified Party is intended to be a
third party  beneficiary  of, and have the individual  right to seek  compliance
with, Section 4.7.

         SECTION 7.7 Applicable Law; Jurisdiction.  This Agreement and the legal
relations  among the  Parties  hereto  shall be  governed  by and  construed  in
accordance  with the laws of the  State of  California,  without  regard  to the
conflict-of- laws rules thereof.  ALL ACTIONS AND PROCEEDINGS  ARISING OUT OF OR
RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE HEARD AND DETERMINED IN ANY FEDERAL OR STATE
COURT WHICH SITS IN EITHER THE CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO OR SAN

                                      -50-
<PAGE>

JOSE, CALIFORNIA AND HAS JURISDICTION OVER THE PARTIES AND THE SUBJECT MATTER.

         SECTION  7.8  Headings.  The  descriptive  headings  contained  in this
Agreement are included for convenience of reference only and shall not affect in
any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.

         SECTION 7.9 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more
counterparts,  and by the different  Parties in separate  counterparts,  each of
which when  executed  shall be deemed to be an  original  but all of which taken
together shall constitute one and the same agreement.

                     [REST OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]

                                      -51-
<PAGE>

         IN  WITNESS  WHEREOF,  Purchaser  and  the  Company  have  caused  this
Agreement to be executed by their respective officers thereunto duly authorized,
all as of the date written above.

                                       FP - WJ ACQUISITION CORP.

                                       By:   /s/ W. Dexter Paine, III
                                             -----------------------------------
                                             Name:  W. Dexter Paine, III

                                             Title:  Chief Executive Officer



                                       WATKINS-JOHNSON COMPANY

                                       By:   /s/ W. Keith Kennedy, Jr.
                                             -----------------------------------
                                             Name:  W. Keith Kennedy, Jr.

                                             Title:  Chief Executive Officer


                                      -52-



<TABLE>

For Further Information:
<CAPTION>
<S>                          <C>                     <C>                                          <C>
   Watkins-Johnson
   Media:                    Judy Brennan            (Sard Verbinnen & Co)                        212-687-8080
                             Andrew Cole

   Investor Contact:         Frank Emery             (Watkins-Johnson)                            650-813-2752

   Fox Paine
   Media:                    Andrew Brimmer          (Abernathy MacGregor Frank)                  212-371-5999
                             Loren Iati
</TABLE>

For Release at 7:30 a.m. EASTERN TIME October 26, 1999


       FOX PAINE TO ACQUIRE WATKINS-JOHNSON FOR $41.125 PER SHARE IN CASH
                          IN A RECAPITALIZATION MERGER

PALO ALTO and FOSTER CITY, CALIF.,  October 26, 1999 -- Watkins-Johnson  Company
(NYSE:WJ),   a  high   technology   company   specializing   in  components  and
subassemblies  for  communications,  announced  today that it has entered into a
definitive merger agreement with FP-WJ  Acquisition  Corp., a new company formed
by certain  investment  funds  managed by Fox Paine & Company,  LLC (Fox Paine),
under which WJ would be acquired in a recapitalization merger transaction.

Under  the  terms  of  the  merger   agreement,   the   outstanding   shares  of
Watkins-Johnson  would be converted into the right to receive  $41.125 per share
in cash. This represents a premium of 30% over  Watkins-Johnson's  closing price
of $31.625 on October 25. The  transaction  is expected to be completed in early
2000.

The  Fox  Paine   transaction   --  together  with  the  pending  sale  of  WJ's
Telecommunications  Group to a subsidiary  of Marconi North America and the July
sale of WJ's  Semiconductor  Equipment  Group to Silicon  Valley Group,  Inc. --
would complete the previously announced strategy of the Watkins-Johnson Board to
maximize shareowner value through the sale of the company.

"WJ's  Board  of  Directors  is  very  pleased  to  be  able  to  announce  this
transaction," said W. Keith Kennedy,  Jr., president and chief executive officer
of   Watkins-Johnson.   "The  transaction   provides  WJ's  shareowners  with  a
significant cash premium.  We believe the price fairly reflects the value of the
other transactions we have approved in connection with our sale process,  and it
will deliver that value directly to our shareowners."

                                     -more-

<PAGE>

Watkins-Johnson Company, page 2

After the recapitalization, Watkins-Johnson's primary operations will consist of
its Wireless  Products  Group (WPG),  a key global  supplier of  radio-frequency
components and subsystems for wireless and wire line  communications  equipment,
with fiscal  year 1998  revenues  of $63.6  million.  WPG is focused on wireless
communications, high-speed fiber (SONET) and broad band cable applications.

"This  transaction  continues  our  focus  of  investing  in the  communications
industry," said Dexter Paine, president of Fox Paine.  "Watkins-Johnson's WPG is
widely recognized for its development and production of innovative, high-quality
components  and  subassemblies  for wireless  communications,  high-speed  fiber
infrastructure  and broad band cable  applications.  We look  forward to working
with Malcolm Caraballo and his team to continue building this business."

WPG's president, Malcolm Caraballo, 43, will become the president and CEO of the
company and WPG's existing  management team is expected to remain in place. WJ's
chairman and co-founder,  Dr. Dean A. Watkins,  will retain an equity investment
as part of the financing for the transaction.  This investment has been designed
to satisfy Fox Paine's requirement that the merger qualify for  recapitalization
accounting.

The proposed transaction is subject to certain conditions, including approval by
a majority of the  shareholders of  Watkins-Johnson,  the closing of the pending
sale of WJ's  Telecommunications  Group,  regulatory  approvals,  the receipt of
funding under financing commitments and other customary closing conditions.

CIBC World  Markets Corp.  acted as financial  advisor and Heller Ehrman White &
McAuliffe  served as  outside  legal  counsel  to  Watkins-Johnson.  A  separate
advisory  team from CIBC World  Markets is working with Fox Paine to provide the
financing for the  transaction.  Dr.  Watkins  recused  himself from the Board's
deliberations  and vote.  The  other  Board  members  approved  the  transaction
unanimously.

Fox Paine manages  investment  funds in excess of $500 million  providing equity
capital  to  growth-oriented,   management-led  buyouts  and  company  expansion
programs,   and  has  sponsored  pending  and  completed  acquisitions  totaling
approximately  $2  billion  over the  last  twelve  months.  Fox  Paine  engages
exclusively in friendly  transactions  developed in cooperation with a company's
management,   shareholders  and  board  of  directors.   The  Fox  Paine  funds'
participants   include  the  long-term  equity  arms  of  leading  domestic  and
international  public and  corporate  pension  funds,  endowments  and financial
institutions.

On March 1, 1999, WJ announced  that its Board of Directors  concluded  that the
best  course of action for  shareowners  was to pursue the sale of the  company.
Prior to today's announcement,  WJ has announced the following steps in the sale
process:

     o    On March 31, WJ announced that it had sold the Semiconductor Equipment
          Group's  high-density  plasma chemical vapor  deposition  intellectual
          property assets and associated hardware to Applied Materials.

     o    On July 7, WJ announced the sale of the remainder of the Semiconductor
          Equipment Group to Silicon Valley Group, Inc.

                                    - more -


<PAGE>

Watkins-Johnson Company, page 3

     o    On  August  18,  WJ   announced  a   definitive   agreement   to  sell
          substantially all the assets of its Telecommunications Group to a unit
          of Marconi North America, a subsidiary of The General Electric Company
          plc of the United Kingdom.

     o    On September  16, WJ  announced  the sale of its unused real estate in
          San Jose.

     o    On October  1, WJ  announced  the sale of a portion  of its  leasehold
          interest in Palo Alto.

Watkins-Johnson Company designs and manufactures  components,  subassemblies and
equipment for fixed and mobile networks worldwide.  For more information,  visit
http://www.wj.com.

This news release, other than the historical financial information,  consists of
forward-looking  statements that involve risks and uncertainties in consummating
the sale of the WJ Telecommunications  Group and the completion of the merger of
the company with FP-WJ Acquisition Group, and the other risks detailed from time
to time in the company's SEC reports,  including the report on Form 10-K for the
year ended Dec. 31, 1998. Actual results may vary materially.

                                      # # #



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