Frost & Sullivan Acknowledges iSOFT's Competitive Strategy Leadership

Frost & Sullivan presents the 2008 European Laboratory Information Systems (LIS) Competitive Strategy Leadership Award to iSOFT. Despite a raft of challenges and stiff competition, iSOFT is the revenue leader in the European LIS market.

iSOFT has made considerable investment in providing its LIS software to the Remote LIS modules that manage multiple labs across hospitals within a region. iSOFT has ventured into investigating and testing this Remote LIS management solution for the past 5 years, a feat unmatched by its competitors. Currently in Germany, the lab operations of about 20 different hospitals under one management are governed by iSOFT’s LIS solution and the module is undergoing significant upgrades to enhance its efficiency.

“We are very pleased to receive this prestigious Frost & Sullivan Award. The recognition of such a respectable organisation makes us proud and is for iSOFT an important confirmation of its position as opinion and technology leader in the European laboratory market. I especially would like to thank our highly committed and qualified employees and not least our customers, who enabled this success thanks to close co-operations,” says Andrea Fiumicelli, Chief Operating Officer, iSOFT Health.

Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Shriram Shanmugham remarks, “In order to ensure the proper functionality of this LIS-SIA, iSOFT has partnered with Microsoft to enable the LIS-SIA module based on .NET technology. The LIS remote hubs will support reference data across all the connected hospitals with locally interfaced devices.”

The SIA (Service Integrated Architecture) is extremely versatile; both samples and lab results can be exchanged between all the hospitals that are integrated in the architecture. The company offers LIS solutions for SIA hubs across other regions that govern more than 2 or 3 hospitals. iSOFT refers to this as the ‘centralised lab services solution.’

“Moreover, the company is investigating other LIS technology trends that offer tremendous growth potential,” adds Shanmugham. “These include the promotion of genetic testing in hospitals, transplant laboratories, and specialised immunology labs.”

From a LIS software standpoint, iSOFT is aware of the increasing complexity of pathological tests conducted at laboratories and is working to address the issue with appropriate upgrades. Further, iSOFT is working on prototypes for interactive digital television to monitor patients and the system is interfaced with the hospital based Electronic Patient Record (EPR) to substantially reduce response times.

iSOFT hires many healthcare professionals in its upper level management. This allows the company to offer its clients effective advice on optimising laboratory work flows and improving productivity. Guaranteeing LIS Execution within a specified time is a commitment that iSOFT promises to hospitals. Although many vendors guarantee an execution time, the reality is such that the LIS installation takes longer than estimated.

“However, iSOFT, with its robust pool of consultants having laboratory backgrounds, is able to address hospital needs even if the hospital management lacks the technical ability to express their needs,” comments Shanmugham. “The LIS execution time guaranteed by iSOFT ranges between a few weeks to a maximum of 6 months.”

iSOFT also engages ‘Thought Leaders’ or industry experts who perceive where the LIS industry is headed within the next 5 years. The resultant dialogue between corporate leaders at iSOFT and the ‘thought leaders’ places the company at the forefront of the laboratory services solutions market. This ‘looking over the wall’ approach has enabled iSOFT to maintain its overall leadership of the European LIS market.

The Frost & Sullivan Award for Competitive Strategy Leadership is presented to the company whose competitive strategy has yielded significant gains in market share during the research period. Often, the recognised company has taken advantage of recent market changes that facilitate the introduction of never-before-seen methods of capturing and solidifying market presence. Alternatively, the Award recipient may have executed an innovative strategy within the existing competitive landscape, empowering the company to overtake the competition. In either case, the company captures the attention of the competition, which quickly adjusts in order to protect its own market position. Frost & Sullivan analysts expect such innovations to produce lasting, precedent-setting trends in the industry.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognise companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research in order to identify best practices in the industry.

About iSOFT

iSOFT is part of IBA Health Group Limited (ASX-IBA), the largest health information technology company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. iSOFT builds software applications for healthcare. iSOFT solutions act as a catalyst for change, supporting the free exchange of critical information across diverse care settings and participant organisations. iSOFT is the leader in the provision of advanced application solutions in modern healthcare economies around the world.

Today, over 13,000 provider organisations in 35 countries use iSOFT's solutions to manage patient information and drive improvements in their core processes. The group's business is driven by the collective talent, experience and commitment of over 3,700 healthcare IT experts around the globe. A global network of iSOFT subsidiaries, supported by an extensive partner network, provides substantial experience of national healthcare markets. As a result iSOFT offers comprehensive knowledge of local market requirements, in terms of culture, language, working practice, healthcare regulation and organisational structure.

For more information on iSOFT Health, please visit the company's website at www.isofthealth.com.

About Frost & Sullivan

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