Leading Pharmaceutical Distributor Selects Microsoft Windows NT Platform For Turnkey Retail Pharmacy POS, Management Systems

REDMOND, Wash., July 15, 1996 — Microsoft Corp. today announced that McKesson Corp., the largest distributor of pharmaceuticals and health-care products and services in North America, has chosen the Microsoft® Windows NT® operating system as the basis for new point-of-sale (POS) and pharmacy-management systems it will offer to its more than 16,000 retail pharmacy customers nationwide.

McKesson will use the Microsoft Windows NT operating system as the foundation for its new McKesson Point-of-Sale for Windows® and McKesson Pharmaserv® for Windows solutions, which are community pharmacy products developed by McKesson Pharmacy Systems. The move furthers Microsoft’s strategy of working with leading distributors and Microsoft Solution Providers to bring the power and simplicity of Windows NT-based software to small and medium-sized retailers.

“With Windows NT and the new products from McKesson Pharmacy Systems, customers gain real-time information on their pharmacy operations for better decision-making and management. That’s why Windows NT was our clear choice for these new products,”
said Tom George, senior vice president of business development at McKesson.
“As part of our innovative re-engineering of our relationships with community pharmacy customers – especially independent retailers – we wanted POS and management systems that deliver optimum business benefit and are easy for our customers to implement and use. The power, reliability, security and lower cost of Windows NT allow our customers to integrate their POS systems easily with back-of-the-store and dispensing operations.”

To provide a comprehensive, turnkey solution, McKesson integrates, tests, delivers and installs the complete hardware and software needed for the POS and Pharmaserv solutions. It also deploys its locally based technical sales and support organization to provide on-site training and create customized product databases for use with the systems.

McKesson POS Based on Award-Winning Wintegrity From Virtual Systems

McKesson POS for Windows is a customized version of Wintegrity
™
, a point-of-sale and inventory control application from Microsoft Solution Provider Virtual Systems Inc. The application was recently named a winner of the Microsoft Retail Application Developer Awards. The software offers fully integrated bar-code, scanning and touch-screen technology for superior ease of use, speeds the check-out process for higher customer satisfaction, and provides invaluable inventory control and advanced reporting and price maintenance capabilities.

The McKesson version also offers full integration with McKesson’s exclusive Econolink® software, which speeds ordering, cuts paperwork and reduces inventory by offering a direct, electronic connection between the retailer and McKesson. McKesson POS is available now.

“Our strategic relationship with leading distributors such as McKesson and Microsoft Solution Provider Virtual Systems Inc. is the latest demonstration of our expanding strategy to enable outstanding technology solutions for independent retailers,”
said Judy Dulcich, retail industry marketing manager at Microsoft.
“We’re committed to working with industry leaders to enable the continued development and deployment of this type of complete solution throughout the supply chain.”

Pharmaserv Combines Proven Pharmacy Management With Ease of Use of Windows

Pharmaserv for Windows is a new version of McKesson’s popular Pharmaserv pharmacy management system, already used by more than 3,000 retail pharmacies. The latest version is the first Pharmaserv product for the Windows environment bringing new ease of use to pharmacy management. It is based on Microsoft SQL Server
™
and provides intuitive graphic icons, toolbars and other screen elements to facilitate consistent and up-to-date business information, enhanced patient counseling and dispensing records, and simplified insurance tracking and billing. Pharmaserv for Windows is scheduled to be available in September 1996.

According to McKesson’s George, the two products can be used together, providing the most integrated and comprehensive pharmacy management system available. Both products are backed by McKesson’s in-depth service and support capabilities.

San Francisco-based McKesson Corp. (NYSE: MCK), with annual revenues of more than $13 billion, is a leading provider of pharmaceuticals and health-care products and services. Through McKesson Drug Company’s service to retail pharmacies, McKesson Health Systems’ service to hospitals and health-care networks, and the variety of services provided by a Canadian subsidiary, Medis Health and Pharmaceutical Services, McKesson is the largest distributor of pharmaceuticals and health-care products in North America. McKesson Pharmacy Systems, based in Livonia, Mich., is the software and systems development arm of McKesson Drug Company.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

Microsoft, Windows NT and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

Pharmserv and Econolink are registered trademarks of McKesson Pharmacy Systems.

Wintegrity is a trademark of Virtual Systems Inc.

For online product information about Microsoft solutions for retailers:

Windows Web site: http://microsoft.com/industry/ Under Industry, select “retail” and then hit go!

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