Subject: File No. SR-NASDAQ-2006-040
From: Roland Sackers
Affiliation: CFO, QIAGEN N.V.

December 11, 2006

With most of NASDAQ's services, companies are not "required" to use them. They are merely there as a service and part of the listing similar to the Market Intelligence Desk and NASDAQ-Online. NASDAQ is doing this to help companies have services and products that increase competition.