Bausch & Lomb's Steven D. Silverman Honored as 2006 Premier 100 IT Leader by IDG's Computerworld.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Bausch & Lomb's Steven D. Silverman, vice president of Information Technology for Global Operations and Engineering, has been named one of the business world's Premier 100 IT Leaders by IDG's Computerworld.

The award honors executives who show exemplary technology leadership in resolving pressing business problems. Silverman was selected by the editors and by an external panel of judges from nearly 500 nominees who were measured against Computerworld's IT Leadership Index, a set of characteristics that describes executives who guide the effective use of IT in their organizations.

"Steve Silverman is deserving of this prestigious honor because of his outstanding leadership of the global implementation of an enterprise resource planning system, commonly known as ERP, for Bausch & Lomb," said Evon L. Jones, Bausch & Lomb corporate vice president for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer. "This ongoing complex, business-critical ERP system will house all of Bausch & Lomb's common business processes. It requires consolidating more than 30 different systems across the globe. When completed, this ERP will support all businesses on a single technology platform, driving efficiency and operational excellence."

Bausch & Lomb's Global ERP system, when fully implemented, will integrate all facets of the business and permit the Company to manage a diverse range of global business activities including inventory control, order entry and fulfillment, customer relationship management, finance and human resources.

"This recognition is really more of a tribute to my team and what we have been able to accomplish with our complex implementation of an ERP system at Bausch & Lomb," said Silverman. "It hasn't always been easy but with a clear vision, strong determination and outstanding teamwork, we have been able to make great strides towards full implementation of an enterprise-wide IT system to ensure that our business stays very competitive."

Silverman has been with Bausch & Lomb since 1994. He is a Certified Information Systems Auditor and a Certified Public Accountant. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, in 1985.

Silverman and his fellow honorees will be honored at a black-tie ceremony at Computerworld's Premier 100 IT Leaders Conference, March 5-7, 2006, in Palm Desert, Calif.

Bausch & Lomb is the eye health company, dedicated to perfecting vision and enhancing life for consumers around the world. Its core businesses include soft and rigid gas permeable contact lenses and lens care products, and ophthalmic surgical and pharmaceutical products. The Bausch & Lomb name is one of the best known and most respected healthcare brands in the world. Founded in 1853, the Company is headquartered in Rochester, New York. Bausch & Lomb's 2004 revenues were $2.2 billion; it employs approximately 12,400 people worldwide and its products are available in more than 100 countries. More information about the Company can be found on the Bausch & Lomb Web site at www.bausch.com. Copyright Bausch & Lomb Incorporated.