\<PAGE>

                                                                    EHXIBIT 4.4


                                                         FEDERAL IDENTIFICATION
                                                         NO. 04-2495703

                      THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
Examiner
                            WILLIAM FRANCIS GALVIN
                        Secretary of the Commonwealth
            One Ashburton Place, Boston, Massachusetts 02108-1512


                            ARTICLES OF AMENDMENT
                 (GENERAL LAWS, CHAPTER 156B, SECTION 72)
Name
Approved
    We, Mitchell G. Tyson                                         , *President/
       -----------------------------------------------------------

    and Robert L. Birnbaum                                            , *Clerk/
        --------------------------------------------------------------

    of PRI Automation, Inc
      ------------------------------------------------------------------------,
                                        (EXACT NAME OF CORPORATION)

    located at 850 Middlesex Turnpike, Billerica, MA 01821
              ----------------------------------------------------------------,
                       (STREET ADDRESS OF CORPORATION IN MASSACHUSETTS)

    certify that these Articles of Amendment affecting articles numbered:

          3
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
           (NUMBER THOSE ARTICLES 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 AND/OR 6 BEING AMENDED)

    of the Articles of Organization were duly adopted at a meeting held on
    March 10, 2000, by vote of:

    16,349,749 shares of Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share
    ----------           ---------------------------------------
                             (TYPE, CLASS & SERIES, IF ANY)

    of 22,780,837 shares outstanding,
       ----------

         shares of                              of      shares outstanding, and
    -----         ------------------------------  ------
                  (TYPE, CLASS & SERIES, IF ANY)


           shares of                                of      shares outstanding,
    -------         --------------------------------  ------
                     (TYPE, CLASS & SERIES, IF ANY)


C -
P -
M -     (1)** being at least a majority of each type, class or series
R.A. -  outstanding and entitled to vote thereon:/and of each type, class or
        series of stock whose rights are adversely affected thereby:

        *DELETE THE INAPPLICABLE WORDS.     **DELETE THE INAPPLICABLE CLAUSE.
        (1)FOR AMENDMENTS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 156B, SECTION 70.
        (2)FOR AMENDMENTS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 156B, SECTION 71.
        NOTE: IF THE SPACE PROVIDED UNDER ANY ARTICLE OR ITEM ON THIS FORM IS
        INSUFFICIENT, ADDITIONS SHALL BE SET FORTH ON ONE SIDE ONLY OF SEPARATE
        8 1/2 X 11 SHEETS OF PAPER WITH A LEFT MARGIN OF AT LEAST 1 INCH.
-----   ADDITIONS TO MORE THAN ONE ARTICLE MAY BE MADE ON A SINGLE SHEET SO
P.C.    LONG AS EACH ARTICLE REQUIRING EACH ADDITION IS CLEARLY INDICATED.

<PAGE>

To CHANGE the number of shares and the par value (if any) of any type, class
or series of stock which the corporation is authorized to issue, fill in the
following:

The total PRESENTLY authorized is:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    WITHOUT PAR VALUE STOCKS                 WITH PAR VALUE STOCKS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  TYPE      NUMBER OF SHARES         TYPE      NUMBER OF SHARES      PAR VALUE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common:                            Common:       50,000,000           $ 0.01
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Preferred:                         Preferred:       400,000           $ 0.01
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------



CHANGE the total authorized to:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    WITHOUT PAR VALUE STOCKS                 WITH PAR VALUE STOCKS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  TYPE      NUMBER OF SHARES         TYPE      NUMBER OF SHARES      PAR VALUE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common:                            Common:       75,000,000           $ 0.01
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Preferred:                         Preferred:       400,000           $ 0.01
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------


<PAGE>





The foregoing amendment(s) will become effective when these Articles of
Amendment are filed in accordance with General Laws, Chapter 156B, Section 6
unless these articles specify, in accordance with the vote adopting the
amendment, a LATER effective date not more than THIRTY DAYS after such
filing, in which event the amendment will become effective on such later date.

Later effective date:
                     ------------------------------------

SIGNED UNDER THE PENALTIES OF PERJURY, this 10th day of March, 2000
                                            ----        -----------


       /s/ Mitchell G. Tyson                                      , *President/
       -----------------------------------------------------------

       /s/ Robert L. Birnbaum                                     , *Clerk/
       -----------------------------------------------------------


*DELETE THE INAPPLICABLE WORDS