Alliance of Healtheon/WebMD and Microsoft Debuts Revolutionary TechnologyPlatform for Healthcare Applications at 2000 HIMSS Annual Conference
New Platform Launched as Bedrock for Next-Generation Internet-Enabled
Healthcare Business Solutions
DALLAS, April 10 /PRNewswire/ -- The strategic alliance of Healtheon/WebMD (Nasdaq: HLTH) and Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) will premiere its groundbreaking collaboration uniting Microsoft(R) Windows(R) DNA for Healthcare technology with Healtheon/WebMD's Internet portal at the Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) 2000 Conference and Exhibition, opening today at the Dallas Convention Center. Both companies are teaming up with independent software and service vendors, and healthcare organizations to develop the first end-to-end Internet-enabled healthcare solutions built on the Windows DNA 2000 platform to connect all segments of the healthcare industry - from consumers to providers to institutions.
Healtheon/WebMD, Microsoft and a variety of software vendors will showcase a display of healthcare industry connectivity at the Business Internet for Healthcare pavilion (Booth #212), scheduled to be unveiled for the first time at the HIMSS conference. Demonstrations will feature Healtheon/WebMD's Internet portal integrated with the Microsoft Windows 2000 operating system- based platform and next-generation Internet-based healthcare solutions from Alteer Corp., IDX Corp., Millbrook Corp., Lifestream Technologies Inc., Quality Care Solutions Inc. (QCSI) and Sequoia Software Corp.
"Healtheon/WebMD's Internet portal, based on Microsoft architecture in addition to the software applications we're displaying at our shared HIMSS pavilion, provides living proof that our collaboration with Microsoft and independent software vendors can revolutionize the way healthcare is delivered and administered," said Charles Saunders, MD, chief medical officer at Healtheon/WebMD. "By working together, and continually welcoming new software and service vendors to our team, we're developing solutions that meet the healthcare industry's greatest challenges head on. This alliance is making tremendous strides, and we're proud to acknowledge that our combined efforts are already generating further waves of innovation throughout the healthcare industry."
"Our goal is to make the Internet a part of everyday healthcare operations using a combination of software, services and partners so that healthcare organizations of all sizes can move processes online," said Paul Smolke, industry manager for e-health and physician market segments at Microsoft. "Microsoft is proud to be a catalyst in bringing together independent software vendors, service vendors and industry leaders such as Healtheon/WebMD to create this next-generation model for sharing knowledge and information across every segment of the healthcare industry."
The combined exhibit from Healtheon/WebMD and Microsoft will display software applications built specifically to run on the new platform. This display will demonstrate how healthcare organizations of all sizes can take advantage of Healtheon/WebMD's Internet portal, Microsoft architecture and a variety of software vendor solutions while seamlessly integrating them into existing information systems and cutting costs through improved efficiencies.
All vendors demonstrating their Internet-enabled software applications at the combined Business Internet for Healthcare pavilion have been provided with the Microsoft Windows Smart Card Toolkit for integration into their solutions. Windows Powered Smart Cards, which are the size of a credit card, have a crypto-capable microprocessor and can perform a number of practical applications, such as corporate logons for Windows 2000; Web and phone authentication; medical data storage; and debit, credit or cash transactions. Windows Powered Smart Cards are being used in a number of pilot projects in the United States and Europe.
The combined vision of Healtheon/WebMD and Microsoft is to drive the use of the Internet as a universal communications platform to improve and integrate business processes across the healthcare industry -- resulting in lower costs, more efficiency and better patient care. Both companies plan to continue to develop this end-to-end Internet platform based on Microsoft architecture and integrate with ISVs and service vendors to demonstrate their progress at healthcare trade shows throughout this year.
Microsoft has dedicated resources through the Microsoft Consulting Service (MCS) Healthcare Practice to deliver these new solutions to the healthcare industry. The MCS Healthcare Practice will team up with Superior Consultant Holdings Corp., a provider of outsourcing, consulting and systems integration, to deliver and implement these solutions to the healthcare industry.
About Healtheon/WebMD
Healtheon/WebMD is the first end-to-end Internet healthcare company connecting physicians and consumers to the entire healthcare industry. Healtheon/WebMD is using the Internet to facilitate a new system for the delivery of healthcare, resulting in a single, secure environment for all communications and transactions that will enable a more efficient and cost- effective healthcare system. With corporate headquarters in Atlanta and technology headquarters in Silicon Valley, the company was formed in November 1999 as a result of the merger of Healtheon Corp., WebMD Inc., MEDE America and Medcast. For more information, visit webmd.com |
