Improves customer efficiency and service dollar value through expanded offerings Chicago, Ill., October 10, 2002 - Bell & Howell, a leading provider of mail and messaging solutions and services, announced today that it will be providing service and parts for competitors' inserting systems. Bell & Howell has expanded its service offerings to meet the expressed need of its customers to improve response time and lower costs through single-vendor support for their mail-processing inserters. "Bell & Howell is a recognized leader in providing outstanding customer service," said Pete D'Amico, Executive Director, Service Business Development, "As a result, we are committing to providing the same level of quality service on competitive products that customers routinely receive on Bell & Howell products." The request from customers for servicing competitors' equipment has surfaced more frequently. When customers are looking for efficiencies and value for their dollar, one of the first areas reviewed is service cost. This is particularly the case in multi-vendor shops, traditionally having as many service providers as OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers). These resident service locations are either committed to a "split shop" strategy or are transitioning to a single vendor and thus in need of a service-support bridge. As a result, and effective immediately, Bell & Howell's service portfolio will include some of the most requested competitive products. Documentation - Bell & Howell has created documentation for selected competitive inserters to ensure such products are fully supported. Parts - A second key initiative area was centered on the availability of competitive parts. Testing procedures have ensured that parts for competitors' equipment can be provided quickly and accurately using the same parts logistics and processes that are already in place for Bell & Howell inserters. Training - With fully functional competitive systems and trained instructors in place, Bell & Howell's Durham-based Technical Center can now train in-house on a wide variety of competitors' modules, base machine and automated inline mailing systems. Technical Support - Bell & Howell has also ramped up its technical support staff by hiring experts on competitors' equipment and training Bell & Howell Service engineers, software and PC experts. Supported Products - Bell & Howell Expanded Services supports products for the following OEMs: Ascom Asterisk Baumfolder Böwe Systec Carter Control Systems CEM CMC Duplo GBR GTI Laserlink Mathias Bäuerle (MB) Moore Business Systems Olson Mackey Pitney Bowes Profold Roll Systems Scitex Streamfeeder Standard Register Tri-Cut Videojet