News Release Applera
Corporation
50 Danbury Rd.
Norwalk, Conn.
U.S.A. 06859
Applied Biosystems
850 Lincoln Centre Drive
Contacts: Foster City, CA 94404
T (650) 570-6667
Media Investors Celera Genomics
----- --------- 45 West Gude Drive
Jay Rhodes Charles Poole Rockville, MD 20850
650.554.2581 240.453.3620 T (240) 453-3000
For Immediate Release
PE CORPORATION TO CHANGE NAME TO
APPLERA CORPORATION
PE Biosystems Group Name Also to Change to Applied Biosystems Group and
NYSE Stock Symbol to Change to ABI
NORWALK, CT - November 27, 2000 - PE Corporation announced today that the
previously-announced name change to Applera Corporation will become
effective on Thursday, November 30, 2000. This new name is a combination
of the names of the company's two operating businesses, the Applied
Biosystems Group and the Celera Genomics Group.
The PE Biosystems Group name change to the Applied Biosystems Group will
also become effective on November 30, and its stock symbol on the New York
Stock Exchange (NYSE) will change from PEB to ABI at the opening of trading
on that date. The NYSE symbol for the Celera Genomics Group will remain
CRA. Applera Corporation will change its web address from
www.pecorporation.com to www.applera.com effective November 30.
"This name symbolizes our company's evolution as a life sciences company
with a mission to improve the human condition," said Tony L. White,
chairman, president and chief executive officer of the company. "The new
name reflects the complementary role of our business groups in providing
tools and information to academic, biotechnology and pharmaceutical
researchers. I am especially pleased by the brand recognition achieved by
Applied Biosystems and Celera Genomics. Customers have identified these
names with high quality DNA and protein analysis systems and information to
drive discovery. We also intend to capitalize on the synergies of the
groups in pursuing the molecular diagnostics initiative announced November
6."
Background
In 1993, The Perkin-Elmer Corporation of Norwalk, CT, merged with Applied
Biosystems, Inc., which was founded in Foster City, CA, in 1981. In 1998,
Perkin-Elmer consolidated its premier life science technologies into the PE
Biosystems division, consisting of Applied Biosystems, PerSeptive
Biosystems, Tropix and PE Informatics. The company had acquired PerSeptive
Biosystems, a company focused on the analysis of proteins, in 1998 and
Tropix, Inc., a chemiluminescence company, in 1996. Informatics was formed
by combining two acquired entities, Molecular Informatics and Nelson
Analytical Systems, with existing units of Perkin-Elmer. In order to focus
its mission on the life sciences, the company was recapitalized under the
name PE Corporation in 1999. As part of the recapitalization, the company
established two new classes of common stock that track the Applied
Biosystems Group and the Celera Genomics Group. The company also sold its
analytical instruments division and the Perkin-Elmer name, which was most
closely associated with that business.
At the company's annual meeting on October 19, 2000, stockholders approved
the name changes from PE Corporation to Applera Corporation and from the PE
Biosystems Group to the Applied Biosystems Group.
PE Corporation comprises two operating groups. The Applied Biosystems
Group develops and markets instrument-based systems, reagents, software and
contract services to the life science industry and research community.
Customers use these tools to analyze nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), small
molecules and proteins in order to make scientific discoveries, develop new
pharmaceuticals and conduct standardized testing. Applied Biosystems is
headquartered in Foster City, CA, and reported sales of $1.4 billion during
fiscal 2000. The Celera Genomics Group, headquartered in Rockville, MD,
intends to become the definitive source of genomic and related medical
information. Information about the company, including reports and other
information filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, is available on the worldwide web. The address will change
from www.pecorporation.com to www.applera.com effective November 30.
Information is also available by telephoning 800.762.6923.
Copyright (C) 2000. PE Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
PE, Applera, Celera, and Celera Genomics are trademarks and Applied
Biosystems, PerSeptive, and Tropix are registered trademarks of PE
Corporation or its subsidiaries in the US and certain other countries.
