The biomedical maintenance business area presents significant opportunities to reduce costs through regional cooperation and exploration of alternative maintenance management strategies. Maintenance activities present a substantial cost center for most medical facilities directly through labor and maintenance contract costs and indirectly through equipment acquisition and life-cycle management. Maintenance operations are predominantly facility oriented, with regional or area maintenance activities limited to within service (i.e., Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard) lines. Maintenance services that exceed in-house capabilities routinely are outsourced through local contracting.