Connecticut Department of Higher Education Enlists VFA Solution to Establish Foundation for Facilities Budget Requirements.

Business Editors/Education Writers

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 13, 2002

VFA's CPMS Solution Identifies and Prioritizes Repair and Replacement

Projects for Review by State Legislature and Board of Governors

VFA today announced the completion of its facility condition assessment of Southern Connecticut State University, 11 of Connecticut's community colleges and Charter Oak State College. VFA provided quantitative condition information and associated capital planning software to the Connecticut Department of Higher Education, supporting a powerful and defensible argument for required facilities funding to Connecticut's Board of Governors. The project involved assessments of more than four million square feet of facilities across 69 buildings, ranging in age from new to more than one hundred years old, as well as 37 parking lots and 15 pedestrian pavement sites.

VFA implemented its leading Web software, VFA.facility(TM), to gather and maintain a repository of detailed building information across the geographically dispersed campuses. As a result, VFA identified a backlog of $141 million worth of deferred maintenance, which is defined as existing building or system maintenance requirements not funded in the current annual budget cycle. Based on observation and classification of deficiencies in existing building systems such as life safety issues, roofing, mechanical equipment and interior finishes, VFA recommended corrections with associated detailed cost estimates.

The Connecticut Department of Higher Education selected VFA to perform the analysis based on the Company's leading facilities management and asset planning solutions, which integrate pure Web technology and certified assessment methodologies to capture accurate existing infrastructure condition information. VFA's Capital Planning and Management Solutions (CPMS(TM)) identify facility condition data and develop a well-planned course of action for repair and renewal projects. CPMS enabled the Connecticut Department of Higher Education to estimate the amount of funding needed to improve the life safety aspects of buildings, reduce further deterioration of building components, comply with current building and safety codes and ensure that the facilities operate as designed, both structurally and mechanically.

"We chose VFA based on its proven track record of providing technology-based facilities management and strategic capital planning solutions to numerous higher education institutions across the country," said Tom Mangiafico, associate director, finance and facilities analysis, Connecticut Department of Higher Education. "Our requirement was to not only objectively and accurately identify and prioritize our facilities requirements, but also summarize and report the information to the Board of Governors for Higher Education and Connecticut Legislature. VFA was uniquely positioned to meet both of our requirements. Access to consistent and objective building data allows us to make strong recommendations to the Board of Governors for Higher Education, reinforcing our mission to assure academic quality, fiscal efficiency, student access and responsiveness to economic needs."

As the administrative entity of the Board of Governors for Higher Education, the statewide coordinating and planning authority for Connecticut's public and independent colleges and universities, the Connecticut Department of Higher Education carries out Board policy, administers statewide student financial aid programs, oversees private occupational schools and conducts research and analysis on education issues important to legislators and the public.

"By realizing the value of accurate and impartial infrastructure data, the Connecticut Department of Higher Education is able to implement a strategic capital planning and reinvestment approach that addresses the specific characteristics and requirements of Connecticut's higher education institutions," said Jerry Kokos, president and CEO of VFA. "We are providing the Connecticut Department of Higher Education with the necessary tools to develop more effective, defensible budgets for facilities stewardship. VFA's CPMS approach is increasingly being recognized as an invaluable asset that empowers facilities staff, senior administrators, and funding authorities with the requisite defensible information to communicate findings and make optimal recommendations in support of an organization's mission."

About VFA

VFA provides Web-based tools and consulting services for guiding its clients through the process of strategic infrastructure management. 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. VFA's software application has the proven capability to integrate with other Facilities Maintenance and Operations software applications such as preventive and routine maintenance systems (CMMS), or CAD-centric space planning and move management systems (CAFM). 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 how 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 and F/ICP can be found at www.vfa.com.