The Dutch group PHILIPS has announced the acquisition, for the sum of $1.1 billion, of the medical systems division of British MARCONI. The division called MS is specialised in imaging diagnosis and should allow PMS - PHILIPS MEDICAL SYSTEMS, the medical branch of PHILIPS, to become the world's second largest manufacturer of medical imaging equipment. MS includes two branches: MIE - MEDICAL IMAGING EQUIPMENT, which groups global activities in imaging equipment, and MARCONI HEALTHCARE PRODUCT (HCP), specialised in radiology material. PHILIPS intends to sell the HCP branch (turnover $600 million in 2000) "very quickly after the MS acquisition has been finalised" so that only MIE is kept (turnover of one billion dollars in 2000 with 4,295 employed).