Ohio State University Medical Center and OEConnection Support Centers Achieve HDI Support Center Certification

The Most Prestigious Designation for the IT and Customer Support Industry

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – (October 17, 2005) – HDI, the world's largest membership association for IT service and support professionals and the premier certification body for the industry, today announced that two more of the world's leading support organizations have attained HDI Support Center Certification (HDI SCC). The support centers of Ohio State University Medical Center and OEConnection have both successfully undergone audits and have achieved this prestigious designation from HDI.

Introduced five years ago in 2000, HDI SCC is the only open standards program in the industry for the certification of support center quality; it is the world's most recognized certification for IT and customer support organizations. HDI SCC is designed to improve the effectiveness of the support services industry and participating support organizations by providing globally recognized industry standards. Evaluations are based on a set of 67 standards, and conducted by independent HDI-certified auditors who have the experience and knowledge to ensure that the standards within the certification program are upheld and who receive training from HDI to guarantee that accurate and professional audits are performed. HDI Support Center Certification standards can be found at http://www.thinkhdi.com/certification/siteCertification.

"These two organizations exemplify excellence in all of the core areas of the HDI SCC program: leadership, policy and strategy, people management, resources, process and procedure, people satisfaction, customer satisfaction and performance results. We extend our congratulations to these world-class organizations on their successful completion of this rigorous process. In both cases, the award of HDI SCC status is well-deserved, and represents the culmination of a great deal of preparation and dedication," said Ron Muns, founder and CEO, HDI.

About OEConnection
OEConnection is a leader in ecommerce procurement and analysis solutions for the automotive original equipment replacement parts business. Serving nine automakers and more than 12,000 franchised dealerships and collision repairers, OEConnection provides pioneering web-based efficiency tools enabling users to better market, manage and move their original equipment parts inventory. Formed in 2000, the company is a joint venture of DaimlerChrysler, Ford Motor Company, General Motors and ProQuest.

About Ohio State University
The Ohio State University's academic medical center includes the College of Medicine and Public Health, OSU Physicians and the OSU Health System, comprising University Hospital, James Cancer Hospital, University Hospital East, OSU Harding, Ross Heart Hospital and a network of community care sites. OSU Physicians, the practice plan of the OSU Medical Center, is composed of more than 550 doctors working in partnership with the College of Medicine and Public Health to provide high-quality and coordinated health care to Medical Center patients. The Ohio State University Medical Center has consistently been named one of America's best hospitals by U.S. News & World Report magazine with 13 OSU programs listed among the country's best in the 2005 edition. Also, in the nationally acclaimed directory of "Best Doctors in America," 145 of the 182 central Ohio doctors on the list are affiliated with OSU Medical Center.

For more information about HDI's Support Center Certification program, contact Amy Dotson at [email protected] or (800) 248-5667, or visit www.thinkhdi.com/certification/siteCertification.

About HDI
HDI is the world's largest membership association for IT service and support professionals and the premier certification body for the industry. Founded in 1989, HDI's mission is to lead and promote the IT service and support industry by empowering its members through access to timely and valuable industry information, including reports and publications; encouraging member collaboration through events and online forums; and establishing internationally recognized, standards-based industry certification and training programs. In addition to membership, certification and training, HDI produces the world's largest and highest-rated event for service and support professionals, the HDI Annual Conference and Expo, and the IT Infrastructure & Management Conference. HDI is member-focused, and remains vendor-neutral in its efforts to facilitate open, independent networking and information-sharing within the association network. HDI has more than 7,500 members worldwide including many of the Fortune 500, and 60 local chapters in North America. For more information, visit http://www.thinkhdi.com.

###

Media Contact:

Jennifer McClure
New Communications Strategies
(650) 331-0083
[email protected]