Standard & Poor's Announces Change to U.S. Index

NEW YORK, Sept. 13  /PRNewswire/ -- Meridian Bioscience Inc. (NASDAQ:VIVO) will replace MRO Software Inc. (NASDAQ:MROI) in the S&P SmallCap 600 after the close of trading on Monday, September 18.  MRO Software is being acquired by S&P 100 and S&P 500 constituent International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:IBM) in a deal expected to close on or about that date, pending final approvals.

Standard & Poor's will monitor this transaction, and post any relevant updates on its website: http://www.standardandpoors.com/.

Meridian Bioscience specializes in disposable diagnostic test kits and related products used for the rapid diagnosis of infectious diseases. Headquartered in Cincinnati, OH, the company will be added to the S&P SmallCap 600 GICS (Global Industry Classification Standard) Health Care Equipment Sub- Industry index.

  Following is a summary of the change:

               S&P SMALLCAP 600 INDEX - September 18, 2006
              COMPANY       GICS ECONOMIC SECTOR        GICS SUB-INDUSTRY

  ADDED  Meridian Bioscience   Health Care            Health Care Equipment

  DELETED  MRO Software   Information Technology      Application Software



Additions to and deletions from an S&P equity index do not in any way reflect an opinion on the investment merits of the companies concerned.

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DATASOURCE: Standard & Poor's



CONTACT:  David M. Blitzer, Ph.D.

Managing Director & Chairman of the Index Committee

[phone]



Web site:  http://www.standardandpoors.com/

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