The Hindu Business Line : Cisco, Satyam announce joint healthcare venture

Bangalore, Oct. 30 Cisco and Satyam Computer Services announced a new venture with a focus on healthcare. Cisco announced an additional investment of $100 million targeting Indian innovation.

Beginning with an emergency management – a 911 service across India, the venture will move onto healthcare applications, said Mr John Chambers, Chairman and CEO of Cisco.

“To remain competitive innovation will remain necessary. Globalisation and competitiveness is interconnected in the modern day economy,” said Mr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, former President of India, speaking at the inauguration of Cisco’s new Globalisation Centre East campus in the city on Tuesday.

The $50-million campus is spread over 1 million sq feet and will accommodate 1,200 staff from Cisco’s globalisation centre, research and development, IT and customer support teams. It will house 3,500 by October 2008.

IT framework

Satyam has already developed a health IT framework - Distress to Discharge. The company works with 1,000 hospitals and will build healthcare solutions with the capability of virtual delivery, said Mr Ramalinga Raju, Chairman and Founder of Satyam.

Applications that can be delivered as a software as a service (SaaS) model will be developed. Both the firms have invested in the venture; the details of which were not shared.

“There is a need to bring communication technologies and applications together,” he said.

Cisco’s Unified Communications System and Unified Contact Center have been integrated with Satyam’s customised software applications to make the services citizen-friendly. The integrated health network that will spawn in India might be used in the future in West Europe and the US.

“India is a platform for disruption of traditional way businesses, governments and hospitals will work,” said Mr Chambers.

He said he would be disappointed if growth in India in the next two-three years was less than 30 per cent. He expects 60-70 per cent growth in the next two to five years from emerging markets.

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