Philips HeartStart OnSite Defibrillators Selected for Workplace Early Defibrillation Programs at Leading Financial Services, Defense and Retail Companies

Business Wire, Oct 19, 2004

ANDOVER, Mass. -- Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE:PHG, AEX:PHI) today announced that numerous, well-respected U.S. corporations have chosen the Philips HeartStart OnSite Defibrillator for their workplace early defibrillation programs. With features such as CPR coaching and an intuitive user interface, the HeartStart OnSite Defibrillator is specially designed to aid lay responders in using a defibrillator successfully to help save a life. The sales included orders from Citigroup, Classic Residence by Hyatt, The Habitat Company, Alaska USA Federal Credit Union, Westfield Corporation, Inc. and General Dynamics.

"The workplace should be a safe environment for employees, customers and visitors," said JoAnne Carlin, vice president of resident care at Classic Residence by Hyatt. "Our response to emergencies is a priority at Classic Residence by Hyatt and the addition of automated external defibrillators provides the ability to definitively respond to sudden cardiac arrest. The HeartStart OnSite Defibrillator offers an easy to use interface and voice instructions that walk responders through every step, so we know our employees and residents can feel confident that if they find themselves in a crisis situation, they will be prepared to help save a life."

Defibrillators provide treatment for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), a leading cause of death in the United States, claiming 340,000 lives each year. Today, fewer than five percent of sudden cardiac arrest victims survive, largely because defibrillators do not reach them in time. For each minute that passes before defibrillation therapy reaches a victim, the chance for survival decreases by about 10 percent. After 10 minutes, few attempts at resuscitation are successful.

These companies indicated they chose the Philips HeartStart OnSite Defibrillator for its exceptional ease of use for the minimally-trained lay responder. Clear, calm voice commands guide the responder through every step of the defibrillation process, even reminding them to call for emergency help. Patented voice coaching for adult and infant/child CPR provides instructions and audio cues for each breath, as well as the appropriate number, rate and depth of chest compressions. In addition, the HeartStart OnSite Defibrillator can be used on infants and children when equipped with specially designed infant/child pads, which reduce the amount of energy delivered by the defibrillator to a more appropriate level.

The underlying defibrillation technology of the HeartStart OnSite Defibrillator is based on the same technology available in more than 170,000 Philips defibrillators found on airlines and in airports, workplaces and communities across the globe. A 2002 study conducted by Frost and Sullivan determined that Philips defibrillators are the most widely used in corporate and public access settings and that Philips is the worldwide market share leader in automated external defibrillators.

To support customers' implementation efforts, Philips also offers HeartStart Essentials, a suite of comprehensive services designed to help implement a successful defibrillation program--from planning and medical direction, to training and post-sales support. Pre-implementation consulting provides customers with site assessments to determine the right number of defibrillators, select the best locations at each site and create the program's structure, policies and procedures. In addition, Philips has partnerships with several national training organizations to provide a customized training program to meet each customer's requirements.

In addition, Philips offers workplaces the ability to efficiently manage their early defibrillation programs with online training reports, pads and battery replacement reminders as well as defibrillator location information. Philips data management solution, HeartStart Event Review, provides an easy-to-use application for electronically reporting and managing defibrillation data.

About Philips HeartStart OnSite Customers

Citigroup (NYSE: C), a preeminent global financial services company, has some 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 100 countries under major brand names that include Citibank, CitiFinancial, Primerica, Smith Barney, Banamex, and Travelers Life and Annuity.

Classic Residence by Hyatt, a national leader in senior living, develops, owns, operates and markets upscale retirement communities throughout the United States.

The Habitat Company is one of the largest private residential property managers in Chicago and the Midwest with over 30,000 units under management.

Alaska USA Federal Credit Union, a not-for-profit, member-owned, financial services cooperative, is one of the largest federal credit unions in the U.S. with more than 260,000 members worldwide.

Westfield Corporation, Inc. is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, and manages more than 60 regional and super-regional shopping centers for Westfield America, Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Westfield America Trust (ASX: WFA). Westfield Shoppingtowns comprise approximately 68 million square feet of space in fourteen U.S. states.