Frost & Sullivan Presents GE Healthcare with 2004 Competitive Strategy Leadership Award.

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- Frost & Sullivan's recent research service, U.S. physician practice management systems (PPMS) Market, acknowledged GE Healthcare for its superior clinical information technology (IT) solutions in the U.S healthcare IT industry. Its primary technologies -- Centricity Physician Office Information, Centricity(R) Acute Care Information System and electronic medical record, and Practice Management applications -- have given GE an edge over other market participants, making it a pioneer in clinical IT solutions.

Within a span of two years, Centricity Physician Office information systems has made considerable inroads by creating significant brand value in the U.S. physician practice management systems industry and it is expected to continue providing this competitive advantage.

These solutions have enabled GE to gain a sizeable mind share, allowing it to not only explore the market further but also enhance its position as a vendor of integrated healthcare IT solutions. This has also enabled the company to gain imperative market share and penetration among various segments of private practices and hospital settings in the United States.

"GE's focus is on maximizing efficiency within the healthcare setting through optimal resource utilization and automation of workflow processes," says Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Natesh S. Kare. "In the physician practice market, given GE's stability, clinical range and product leadership, it is poised to catalyze the introduction of high value functionality that go beyond what is generally expected today. Raising the bar while maintaining a competitive price makes for an interesting future."

For its competitive strategy that has yielded significant gains in market share, GE Healthcare is the recipient of the 2004 Competitive Strategy Leadership Award. The award recognizes a company's ability to take advantage of recent market changes to introduce radical methods of capturing and solidifying market presence.

Alternatively, the award recipient may have executed an innovative strategy within the existing competitive landscape, empowering the company to overtake its competition. In either case, the company captures the attention of the competition, which quickly adjusts in order to protect its own market position. Frost & Sullivan analysts expect such innovations to produce lasting, precedent-setting trends in the industry.

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