Hill-Rom Company, a Hillenbrand Industries Company Inc., Announces New E-CommerceInitiative
Agreement with Global Healthcare Exchange, LLC will Improve
Customer Service and Grow Market Reach
BATESVILLE, Ind., June 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Hill-Rom Company Inc., a Hillenbrand Industries Inc. (NYSE: HB - news)
company, announced today it will join the Global Healthcare Exchange, LLC (the Exchange) a healthcare business-to- business consortium formed to streamline the hospital-supply business and promote a global, customer-driven on-line marketplace for goods and services.
The Exchange is an independent on-line enterprise that will facilitate the exchange of information between suppliers and
customers related to buying, selling and distributing medical equipment devices and health care products and services over the Internet worldwide.
``The power and far reaching capabilities of the Internet, coupled with Hill-Rom's world-class sales and service organization, will allow us to serve new markets that were restricted by geographic constraints. More importantly, Hill-Rom's new and existing customers will have speedier, enhanced service; broader access to products; and, ease-of-use and account information based on their individual needs,'' said Bob Tennison, Hill-Rom president and CEO. ``Through the Exchange, Hill-Rom will strengthen our interaction with customers, group purchasing organizations in the United States, and overseas distributors.''
Five major U.S.-based global healthcare companies launched the Exchange in March: Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ -
news), General Electric Co.'s GE Medical Systems unit (GE), Baxter International Inc. (NYSE: BAX - news), Abbott
Laboratories (NYSE: ABT - news), and Medtronic Inc. (NYSE:MDT - news). Hill-Rom joins the launch of the preliminary phase, which will focus on the United States and is expected in the third quarter this year. The Exchange is expected to reach a global magnitude by 2001.
Tennison said joining the Exchange is just one of Hill-Rom's ongoing eBusiness initiatives. Hill-Rom will continue to apply Internet technologies to all business processes, especially in customer service and business growth areas.
``Freeing our award-winning sales and service associates from routine paperwork allows them time to do what they do best: interact and serve our customers on a one-to-one basis. They will be better suited to focus on new and existing customer relationships and providing solutions to our customers' needs,'' Tennison said.
This agreement exemplifies Hillenbrand Industries' concentric growth strategy and illustrates how it intends to add customer and shareholder value by growing new and existing markets.
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