Comdisco Laboratory/Scientific Group offers Equipment Life-Cycle Management Services to reduce cost of pilot plant equipment and robotics.

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 4, 1996--To relieve the escalating costs associated with moving products from R&D to commercial processing, Comdisco's Laboratory and Scientific Group (CLSG) has introduced a range of Equipment Life-Cycle Management Services to assist pharmaceutical, chemical, cosmetic and food processing manufacturers in reducing the costs and risks associated with pilot plant equipment and robotics. These services include:

Planning - Services include flexible financial options, equipment alternatives, upgrade paths, instrument acquisition and disposition timing strategies.

Technology Audit and Assessment - Provides objective, comprehensive data on installed equipment by site and modality, comparing current utilization levels and costs to peer groups regionally and nationally. The goals are to reduce equipment acquisition and maintenance costs, improve usage and disposition across multiple locations and address book-value and other financial issues.

Upgrade Strategies - Evaluation of how planned acquisitions impact upgrade paths -- both clinically and financially -- and assessment of options from multiple manufacturers.

Financial Services - Risk-shifting financial options that lower costs and hedge against obsolescence. For example, Comdisco's Technology Risk Transfer program helps move rapidly depreciating assets off the balance sheet while providing capital for use in other strategic areas.

Equipment Remarketing - As the world's largest remarketer of high-tech equipment, Comdisco ensures maximum value for equipment no longer needed by organizations.

Reconditioned Equipment - Comdisco's state-of-the-art 28,000-square-foot facility can help significantly lower acquisition and maintenance costs while ensuring that high-quality clinical standards are maintained.

"Increased consumer price scrutiny and healthcare cost-reduction mandates are forcing companies in these industries to find solutions that reduce manufacturing costs and produce savings that, in turn, can be passed on to consumers and the healthcare industry. By employing Equipment Life-Cycle Management Services, including the acquisition of reconditioned equipment where applicable, commercial processing costs can be significantly trimmed," explained Ralph Greenberg, vice president and general manager of Comdisco Laboratory and Scientific Group. "This ability to control costs is of additional benefit to drug manufacturers whose patents have expired and are faced with increased competition from generic labels."

When acquired through CLSG, reconditioned technology such as fermenters, bio reactors, lyophilyzers, NMRs, processing vessels, cappers, fillers and labelers have undergone an extensive process of cleaning, repairing, parts replacement, features upgrading and testing to ensure that it meets manufacturers' specifications. This high-quality equipment can often be acquired for 30 to 60 percent less than the cost of new technology, significantly decreasing capital outlays.

"To continue cost savings beyond the capital investment, many companies are turning to CLSG for full equipment life-cycle management support," added Michael Fischer, business development manager for CLSG. "This end-to-end asset management support helps companies address total cost-of-ownership issues -- from planning and budgeting through acquisition, usage and remarketing -- and gives our customers the critical cost-effective flexibility they need to adjust capacity as the market demands, thereby sharpening their competitive edge."

Comdisco Laboratory and Scientific Group (CLSG), located in Canton, Massachusetts, is a division of Rosemont, Illinois-based Comdisco Inc. (NYSE:CDO), one of the world's leading providers of solutions that help organizations reduce technology cost and risk. These services include equipment leasing, reconditioning, and remarketing; asset management; business continuity services; technology integration; and network services. Comdisco reported revenue of $2.2 billion for the fiscal year ended September 30, 1995. Comdisco can be reached through the World Wide Web at http://www.comdisco.com.

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CONTACT: Comdisco Inc., Rosemont

Neal Lulofs, 847/518-5616

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