Press Release Details

Quest Diagnostics Ranked #1 in eWeek Magazine's FastTrack 100 List of Networking E-Business Innovators

05/25/2000

TETERBORO, N.J., May 25, 2000 —

the nation’s leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services, announced today that it has received the top ranking in eWEEK Magazine’s new FastTrack 100 list of networking e-business innovators. The ranking recognizes companies that deploy "big-bandwidth pipes in the WAN [wide-area network] or to the desktop," and also build in "redundancy to keep their networks up 99.999 percent of the time."

eWEEK Magazine, formerly known as PC WEEK, was relaunched this year as the preeminent information source for companies undertaking e-commerce and Internet-based business initiatives. The FastTrack 100 list was published in the May 8, 2000, edition of the magazine and is available on the Internet at: www.eweek.com.

"We are delighted that eWEEK has recognized the work we’ve done in building the internal networking capabilities needed to support our nationwide diagnostic testing business, particularly as we work to integrate the operations of SmithKline Beecham Clinical Laboratories," said Gerald Marrone, Corporate Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Quest Diagnostics. "We are making significant investments to position us as a leading provider of medical information as we develop our informatics business and improve access to laboratory data for physicians as well as patients."

Quest Diagnostics’ data network, made up of T-1, T-3 and OC-12 communications capabilities over intelligent routers and switches, links four data centers, 40 major laboratories, and 1,400 walk-in patient service centers. The network currently handles 3.4 terabytes of data per month. The company recently announced several e-commerce initiatives aimed at providing greater access for physician clients to laboratory services, including confidential test results of their patients. In addition, Quest Diagnostics and Caresoft, Inc., inaugurated a new service enabling consumers to securely access their own confidential test results via the Internet.

About eWEEK/PC WEEK
eWEEK/PC WEEK reaches 400,000 core e-business IT buyers at 223,000 Internet-connected sites. These buyers purchase Internet and intranet products and services, networking and systems products for their organizations. They have an average budget authority of $14.7 million. (Source: BPA) The newsweekly delivers essential investigative news, solutions evaluation, and e-business strategies for those charged with building.com enterprises through print, online, webcasts, online and face-to-face seminars. More information is available on the Internet at: www.eweek.com.

About Quest Diagnostics
Quest Diagnostics is the nation's leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services with annualized revenues of more than $3 billion. The testing performed on human specimens helps doctors diagnose, treat and monitor disease; enables employers to detect workplace drug abuse; and supports pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in clinical trials of new therapeutics worldwide. Quest Informatics analyzes laboratory and other medical data to help health care providers improve the care of patients. Additional company information can be found on the Internet at: www.questdiagnostics.com.