News

Bell Microproducts to Distribute Passive Color Displays From Kyocera Industrial Ceramics Corporation

Value-Added Distributor Rounds Out LCD Offering By Adding Technology Leader

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Oct. 23, 2001 -- Bell Microproducts, Inc. (Nasdaq: BELM - news), a leading value-added provider of storage products and solutions today announced the signing of a North American distribution agreement with the LCD division of Kyocera Industrial Ceramics Corporation. The agreement provides for the distribution of Kyocera's product offering which includes transmissive, transflective, and reflective color products in 10.4” and smaller sizes, and VGA, SVGA, and QVGA dot formats.

Kyocera pioneered passive color in the late 80's, and today is the acknowledged passive color display technology leader. Kyocera's transflective technology provides unsurpassed image performance regardless of ambient light level.

Bell Microproducts has one of the most technologically advanced and comprehensive flat panel display program available to OEMs and offers key components to manufacture finished FPD solutions, such as controllers, inverters, cables, touch screens and mounting solutions. The Bell Microproducts program also includes custom/semi-custom chassis sources and other components found in the design of LCD solutions backed up with strong engineering support. More information on the program can be found on the web at http://www.bellmicro.com/flatpanel/default.asp .

“Kyocera supplements our existing LCD line card with high quality color STN products,” states Brian Clark, Executive Vice President of Industrial Sales. “Their 3.8’’and 5.7’’ displays are particularly well suited for handheld devices.”

“Bell Microproducts’ focus on small mobile and handheld applications blends perfectly with Kyocera’s LCD technology and emphasis on supplying to applications in industrial and vertical markets,” states Joe Maurer, Director of LCD Distribution for Kyocera.

“We are very fortunate to be able to join forces with Bell Microproducts LCD integration group, and look forward to many years of success.”

About Kyocera Industrial Ceramics Corporation
Kyocera Industrial Ceramics Corporation is headquartered in Vancouver, WA. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kyocera International, Inc. of San Diego, the North American holding company for Kyocera Corporation (NYSE: KYO - news).

Kyoto, Japan-based Kyocera Corporation, the group's global parent, employs approximately 40,000 people in 25 nations and recorded consolidated sales of $10.2 billion during the year ended March 31, 2001.

About Bell Microproducts
Bell Microproducts is an international, value-added provider of a wide range of high-technology products, solutions, and services to the industrial and commercial markets. The company's offering includes semiconductors, computer platforms, peripherals, and storage products of various types including desktop, high-end computer and storage subsystems, fibre channel connectivity products, RAID, NAS and SAN storage systems, back-up products, storage management software, and extensive support, integration and installation services. Bell Microproducts is an industry-recognized specialist in storage products and is one of the world's largest storage-centric value-added distributors.

The company's products are available at any level of integration, from components to subsystem assemblies and fully-integrated, tested and certified system solutions. The company adds value with a broad range of services including testing, software loading, kitting, mass storage system integration, and computer system integration. Trained and certified technical personnel complete each of these processes at Bell Microproducts' ISO 9002 facilities. Bell Microproducts markets and distributes more than 125 brand name product lines, as well as its own BellStor and Rorke Data storage and Trademark® computer brands, to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), contract electronic manufacturing services (EMS) customers, value-added resellers (VARs) and system integrators in the Americas and Europe. More information can be found in the company's SEC filings, or by visiting the Bell Microproducts Web site at www.bellmicro.com.

Safe Harbor Statement
This release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements, which reflect the Company's current views of future events and financial performance, involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results or facts to differ materially from such statements for a variety of reasons including, but not limited to: the ability to successfully integrate the operations of recent acquisitions, industry conditions, changes in product supply, pricing, and customer demand, competition, other vagaries in the computer and electronic components markets, changes in relationships with key suppliers, foreign currency fluctuations and the other risks described from time to time in the Company's reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission (including the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K). Investors should take such risks into account when making investment decisions. Shareholders and other readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. The company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements.