IMS HEALTH AND SAS ESTABLISH GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO DEVELOP
LEADING-EDGE MARKET INTELLIGENCE SOLUTIONS FOR PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY

First Joint Offering Enhances Sales Force Effectiveness through Precision Segmentation, Promotional Response
and Resource Optimization

PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA, AND CARY, NC, Sept. 21, 2005 – IMS Health (NYSE: RX), the world’s leading provider of information solutions for the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, and SAS, the leader in business intelligence, today announced the launch of IMS Sales Force Effectiveness Precision Suite™, a consulting offering that leverages the companies’ world-class information, technology, analytics and industry expertise. This new offering helps pharmaceutical marketing and sales executives optimize their sales resources in markets around the world, enabling them to more effectively deliver essential product information to the right prescribers.

IMS Sales Force Effectiveness Precision Suite combines three key capabilities – precision segmentation, promotional response and resource optimization – to help pharmaceutical decision-makers develop and implement sales strategies uniquely tailored to their customers, products and markets. These capabilities are enabled through advanced analytics and data integration supported by key elements of the SAS®9 Enterprise Intelligence Platform.

“Segmenting as it is most often done today is largely a myth. It isn't really targeted; it is a shotgun blast. There isn't enough uniqueness of the variables or the processes to constitute a competitive advantage,” said Dale Hagemeyer, research director for Gartner. “New data inputs and more powerful, more predictive analytics are required to take segmenting to the next level and gain a competitive advantage.”

IMS Sales Force Effectiveness Precision Suite considers each client’s unique environment and market events and integrates the full breadth of IMS information assets, methodologies and expertise with key client information. The result is a highly tailored and differentiated customer segmentation and sales strategy. Built on SAS’ industry-leading enterprise business intelligence (BI) solution, the offering enables clients to work collaboratively to review and change market assumptions and model new outcomes to meet their evolving needs.

“We selected SAS as a partner for its world-class technology platform and analytics capabilities, as well as its commitment to helping clients solve their most critical market challenges,” said David R. Carlucci, IMS president and chief executive officer. “This innovative offering for sales force effectiveness is the first step in our global alliance. IMS and SAS will develop additional new offerings that combine powerful information, analytic and consulting capabilities to help our clients improve performance across the entire pharmaceutical value chain.”

Future joint offerings from IMS and SAS will support key pharmaceutical processes such as portfolio optimization, product launch and brand management.

“This partnership between IMS and SAS will produce offerings that will take our customers beyond standard decision making,” said Jim Davis, chief marketing officer at SAS. “By leveraging SAS’ long-standing presence in pharmaceutical companies and IMS’ experience and expertise, our joint focus will provide new insights that help to optimize portfolios, ensure successful launches, manage brands and improve the effectiveness of sales teams.”

SAS Enterprise BI Server will provide the underlying technology for the joint offerings from IMS and SAS. A major component of the SAS®9 Enterprise Intelligence Platform, SAS Enterprise BI Server is a comprehensive business intelligence solution that empowers users at all levels across an organization with interfaces targeted toward their roles and skill levels.

About IMS

Operating in more than 100 countries, IMS Health is the world's leading provider of information solutions to the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. With $1.6 billion in 2004 revenue and more than 50 years of industry experience, IMS offers leading-edge business intelligence products and services that are integral to clients’ day-to-day operations, including portfolio optimization capabilities; launch and brand management solutions; sales force effectiveness innovations; managed care and over-the-counter offerings; and consulting and services solutions that improve ROI and the delivery of quality healthcare worldwide. Additional information is available at www.imshealth.com.