PPD Inc. was named one of the top innovative users of business technology in the country this week.

The Wilmington-based contract research organization ranked no. 160 on the annual InformationWeek 500 list for its Integrated and Transparent Trials initiative, a platform that provides biopharmaceutical companies a data warehouse. The technology enables companies to access trial data faster creating a cost savings.

“We are focused on enabling our employees to be more effective and efficient, empowering our clients with quicker and easier access to more integrated and trusted data, and creating a superior research connection and experience for our investigative sites,” said Mike Wilkinson, executive vice president and chief information officer of PPD, the company’s highest ranking IT executive in a release.

This is the first time PPD made the InformationWeek 500 list, said Sue Ann Pentecost, PPD spokeswoman. The award was presented during the InformationWeek 500 conference in Dana Point, Calif., on Tuesday.

PPD’s revenue for fiscal year 2009 was $1.42 billion.

The top three companies on this year’s list are banking and financial services company, The Vanguard Group Inc. ($2.3 billion) followed by InterContinental Hotels Group ($1.68 billion) and Colgate-Palmolive Co. ($15.327 billion).

Contract research organization Quintiles based in Durham with an office in Wilmington ranked no. 189.