Canadian Navy Awards Facility Management Software Contract to VFA.

Business/Technology Editors

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 22, 2002

Canada's Department of National Defense - Maritime Forces

Atlantic Deploys VFA.facility to Manage Resources for

More Than 700 Facilities Along Eastern Coast

As further demonstration of its growing success in the government and defense markets, VFA, Inc. today announced that the Canada Department of National Defense Maritime Forces Atlantic (MARLANT) has selected VFA.facility, the Company's Web-based software for facility management and capital planning, to identify its building needs, deferred maintenance and related costs accurately and in a time-efficient manner. MARLANT, the largest naval presence in Canada, has implemented the software as part of its goal to excel at mission readiness by standardizing building condition information. VFA's software solution will provide MARLANT with cost estimates for building repairs and a rigorous estimating capability that eliminates bias from the analysis and assessment processes.

VFA.facility will enable MARLANT officials to make more informed funding and capital allocation decisions in support of the organization's infrastructure and facilities, which are dispersed across more than 40 sites. Previously, the information collected during facility condition assessments was maintained in a paper-based format. The defense organization needed access to current facility requirements, as well as a consistent process for determining estimates for repairs and their associated costs. With VFA.facility, MARLANT officials can manage large amounts of building condition and deferred maintenance information in a central, readily available database. VFA.facility, the core software platform of VFA's Capital Planning and Management Solutions (CPMS(TM)) services, delivers powerful analytical capabilities with fully embedded cost figures from R.S. Means. As a result, maintenance and renewal projects can be prioritized and funded based on a standardized practice using accurate, unbiased data as a foundation.

One of three main entities within the Canadian Navy, MARLANT includes the HMC Dockyard, the Halifax base CFB Stadacona, Windsor/Willow Park, several other large sites in the Halifax area and the Navy's Atlantic Fleet of ships. Key facilities under MARLANT's responsibility include the headquarters of Canadian Fleet Atlantic, the Formation Supply facility and Fleet Maintenance Facility Cape Scott, the Canadian Forces Naval Engineering School and the Canadian Forces Warfare Center.

"Defense organizations like the Maritime Forces Atlantic rely heavily on their facilities and infrastructure, and it is critical that these assets are well maintained," said Jerry Kokos, president and CEO, VFA. "By having VFA.facility in place as an enterprise-level decision-support tool, Maritime Forces Atlantic officials are in an excellent position to optimize resources and ensure that their facilities will support their critical operations."

VFA.facility is a Web-based, enterprise-level facility management information database and decision-support tool that enables users to gather and maintain detailed building data across an entire property portfolio to support a coordinated and comprehensive approach to facilities capital management. VFA's CPMS, an integration of technology and condition assessment methodology, empowers users to assess and measure building conditions; update condition information rapidly; and communicate the data to facility managers, finance officials and superiors at sites across the country - all in a timely, cost-efficient manner.

About VFA

VFA provides Web-based tools and consulting services for guiding its clients through the process of strategic infrastructure management. VFA's software application has the proven capability to integrate with preventive and routine maintenance, work order management and inventory systems (CMMS), and CAD-centric space planning and move management systems (CAFM). Presidents, CEOs, CFOs and facility managers of multi-structure and multi-site organizations need planning and decision-making capabilities for facilities resource allocation. VFA understands and addresses these needs by offering a wide range of software and services solutions, from conducting comprehensive facilities condition assessments and prioritizing associated deficiencies, to establishing funding levels and assisting in ongoing capital planning programs and reassessment initiatives. Through the VFA led Facilities/Infrastructure Certification Program (F/ICP), facilities professionals are trained and qualified on VFA's proven, standardized condition assessment methodology and to implement the acquired data in budget development and capital planning.

VFA has developed a strong customer base in education (including higher education and K-12), government, healthcare and with major corporations - all markets that have a critical need for facilities assessment and management. VFA can be contacted at 617-451-5100. The Company's headquarters are located at 266 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210-1112. Additional information about VFA can be found at www.vfa.com.