Synetic and Cerner Announce Strategic Alliance.

ELMWOOD PARK, N.J. and KANSAS CITY, Mo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 21, 1999--Synetic, Inc. (NASDAQ: SNTC) and Cerner Corporation (NASDAQ: CERN) today jointly announced the execution of definitive agreements relating to their previously announced collaboration.

Under these agreements, Synetic's healthcare communications subsidiary (SHC) has obtained a perpetual software license to the broad functionality embedded in Cerner's Health Network Architecture (HNA) and Cerner has received a 19.9% equity interest in SHC.

Synetic and Cerner have agreed that SHC will be their exclusive vehicle for providing a full suite of prescription, laboratory and managed care transaction and messaging services that connect physicians' offices with managed care organizations, prescription benefit managers, clinical laboratories, pharmacies and other providers. The companies have executed a Marketing Agreement that allows for the marketing and distribution of SHC to the physicians and providers associated with more than 1,000 healthcare organizations who currently utilize Cerner's clinical and management information systems. Synetic and Cerner will also promote each other's services to their respective customers. In addition, Cerner has committed to make available to Synetic engineering and systems architecture personnel and expertise to accelerate the deployment of SHC, as well as ongoing technical support and future enhancements to HNA.

SHC will be the first Internet-based company focused exclusively on clinical e-commerce. SHC provides web-based solutions for physicians that facilitate the confidential online exchange of clinical information between physicians and managed care organizations, pharmacy benefit managers, clinical laboratories and pharmacies. Synetic distinguishes itself from the software and network solutions currently offered in the marketplace by providing physicians real time access to the payer-specific information that governs the provision of healthcare services to plan members in order to significantly reduce costs and measurably improve patient care.

"We are extremely excited about working exclusively with Synetic, given their track record for innovation and excellent reputation in healthcare" said Neal Patterson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cerner. He continued, "The Synetic healthcare channel marries Cerner's knowledge of clinical process automation with Synetic's experience to create an entirely new form of communication between physicians and health plans. By providing physicians with online access to patient and plan specific information, we can make healthcare services friendlier, less costly and more responsive to physicians and patients alike."

Commenting on this strategic alliance, Martin J. Wygod, Chairman of Synetic, said, "We are excited to have Cerner as a business partner. Cerner is the market leader in clinical process automation in the hospital environment with a proven architecture that spans the continuum of care. Synetic's physician desktop applications that integrate clinical and administrative plan rules combined with the broad functionality of Cerner's market-proven technology platform enables us to offer an expanded and functionally rich suite of services to the healthcare marketplace."

In addition to announcing its technology alliance with Cerner, Synetic also announced today several major new customers for SHC's services. Synetic announced the execution of definitive agreements with The Health Information Network Connection (THINC), the pre-eminent regional healthcare network in the New York metropolitan area, and its founding members, Greater New York Hospital Association, Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Group Health Incorporated, and HIP Health Plans. Under these agreements, SHC will manage the operations of THINC, and, on behalf of the payers, exclusively deploy a comprehensive suite of clinical, financial and administrative transactions to New York area physicians.

Synetic also stated that it is currently assessing the impact of the agreements with Cerner on the carrying value of its existing software and the level of future expenses in its healthcare communications business.

Synetic, Inc. operates two principle lines of business, plastic and filtration technologies and healthcare communications.

Cerner Corporation is a leading supplier of clinical and management information systems to more than 1,000 healthcare organizations worldwide. Cerner is a trademark of Cerner Corporation. Any and all other trademarks listed herein are the property of their respective owners.