GE Medical starts Internet equipment service

GE Medical Systems will add another Web site to its list of online projects that inform consumers about products or are designed for e-commerce. The new program, called Direct Services, aims to reduce the costs of servicing biomedical and imaging equipment.

Direct Services will be launched this summer. It will offer healthcare providers a single site where they can search for and purchase parts online—regardless of manufacturer—and get product documentation and training. Currently, GE Medical Systems runs or is involved in several Internet sites: gemedicaldirect.com, planetrad.com, cardioIQ.com, hersource.com, and a global healthcare exchange that has not been named yet, but will be launched at the end of September.