CAMBRIDGE, Ontario, and QUEBEC, Dec. 31 -- ATS Automation Tooling Systems Inc. and EXFO Electro-Optical Engineering Inc. have signed a strategic alliance agreement to integrate EXFO's automated manufacturing subsystems and test systems into ATS' turnkey custom and standard automation solutions to better meet the needs of optical component and systems manufacturers. Under terms of the agreement, ATS and EXFO will jointly generate business leads, establish training programs for end-users, share marketing strategies and forecasts and validate product development initiatives. The agreement is nonexclusive, but the companies said it should lead to close cooperation in various opportunities, particularly in fiber optics.