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Last Modified 7/3/2000

Sydney, March 8, 2000, 11.10 a.m.

The Health Care Network (ASX code - HCN) is continuing its quest to become the dominant company on the Australian medical scene with its announcement this morning of the acquisition of PracSoft, a leading supplier of practice management software to Australian doctors. This follows closely upon the acquisition of Multiview Medical Australia and in conjunction with the purchase of Medical Director in July 1999, has delivered HCN a large slice of the burgeoning GP medical software market.

HCN has not been content to merely consolidate the marketplace. It continues to promote its on-line medical databases, which are used widely in the NSW and WA hospital systems. It is attempting to become the medical portal of choice for Australian GPs with the introduction of MDe. This program allows users to link directly to these databases from within the medical management software program, Medical Director v2.

It is also testing the potential of the ASP market through it Practice Management Division and given its current position is well placed to compete against other multinational vendor if this proves to be viable market.

Through its recently announced partnership with iSoft, it hopes to be able to complete the missing electronic communication link between hospitals and private medical services. iSoft utilises the Microsoft Windows Distributed interNet Architecture (DNA) and Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 to "deliver fully scalable applications for use across enterprises and between enterprises in mission-critical applications. Organisational boundaries are made transparent for appropriate exchange of secure patient data exchange." The Managing Director of HCN, Mr Mike Gregg, says: "This alliance extends the already significant reach of HCN and provides our organisations a unique opportunity to form the basis for an electronic health network across Australia. In the coming months we will be looking at other partners to bring value to this health information network. This initiative will support the Federal Government's plans for Health On-line."

HCN closed today, 9% higher, at $3.49.

David Guest, dguest@bigfoot.com