Much focus is currently on remote health monitoring systems – basically providing the care giver constant access to health status data, without the need for a physical visit. Examples of conditions suitable to monitor on remote are obesity, hypertension, sleep disorders, diabetes and cardiac disorders.

The development is driven not only from an efficiency standpoint but also to enable improved possibility for preventive healthcare and to improve quality of life for the patient. Mobile technology is one integral part of these new solutions.

So far, most systems have been utilizing home land lines to transfer health status data. As in many other sectors the (medical ) equipment is getting smaller and increasingly mobile to facilitate for the patient  – not to be tied to their homes. In terms of mobile technology there are 3 main development paths on the move right now;

1. Utilizing short-range technologies like Bluetooth or Zigbee from medical device to the patient own mobile phone which transfer the health data to a central system
2. Short-range transfer to a dedicated gateway/hub with integrated mobile and/or internet communication capability for transferring to a central system  and
3. Direct integration of mobile device into the medical equipment, for example into blood pressure or glucose measurement equipment.

Of course, all solutions have pros and cons but many of the exhibiting companies at the ATA Telemedicine event pinpointed the importance of ease of use but also control of the whole data transfer to secure reliable, hazzle free operations.  Utilizing a private mobile phone (requiring configuration) as the data transfer method is not likely to be a sustainable solution in the long run, especially for critical systems and for elderly patients.  Direct integration or dedicated gateway/hub solutions is likely to be the main paths for the future remote monitoring solutions.

Having said that, the technology integration is only one piece of the puzzle. Regulatory issues, data security and privacy concerns, national differences in health systems (who is paying for what?), standardization issues are some concerns that may hinder the development. On the other hand we also see new types of service providers entering this arena offering complete end-to-end service offerings with flexible business models utilizing the possibilities of mobile communications – this will help drive this promising market!

Telenor Connexion today announced that it is working with Cisco to help deliver intelligent managed machine-to-machine (M2M) networking solutions. M2M communications travel between mobile devices and other electronic devices such as personal digital assistants, printers and hands-free vehicle systems.

ABI Research forecasts that the mobile M2M connectivity market will grow from 58 million connections globally in 2008 to approximately 225 million in 2014, a compound annual growth rate of about 25 percent.

In response to an explosion of M2M devices, Telenor Connexion has chosen Cisco mobile Internet technologies to upgrade its Internet Protocol Next-Generation Network (IP NGN) in order to increase network capacity, redundancy, flexibility, and policy control for its rapidly expanding M2M services.

Telenor Connexion offers its M2M connectivity solutions to industries as diverse as automotive, security, utilities, healthcare and fleet management. These solutions are designed to increase productivity, manage costs, expand customer services and protect the environment. M2M services provide the foundation for the emerging “Internet of things” that requires unprecedented scale, performance and security.

The Cisco IP NGN architecture helps enable mobile network operators like Telenor Connexion implement cost-effective IP NGN architectures for enhanced voice, data and M2M applications.

- It’s all about our customers.  By deploying Cisco mobile Internet technologies, we can offer reliability in our mobile data network, while being cost-efficient and increasing our ability to expand efficiently – the goal being to secure the most reliable mobile data networks for Telenor Connexion customers. The machine-to-machine market is growing rapidly. Within Europe alone there are several billion devices that could potentially be connected, and that number is expanding as new applications, like smart grids and remote healthcare, are developed and implemented, says Per Simonsen, CEO, Telenor Connexion.

- The machine-to-machine market presents mobile operators with some unique challenges because billions of devices can be connected to the mobile network, often with specific requirements such as wide coverage and geographical redundancy, support for IPv6 and more. We are excited to work with an innovative service provider like Telenor Connexion to offer solutions that will provide operating efficiencies, scalability and unique security and policy control capabilities to enable its advanced machine-to-machine applications, says David Goeckeler, senior director and general manager, services and mobility business unit, Cisco.

Although the adaptation of wireless technologies in health home monitoring solutions is still nascent, there are strong indicators of that remote data monitoring and distant disease management solutions are vital parts of tomorrow’s health care system. Examples of common conditions that increasingly will be monitored at home are irregular heartbeats or cardiac arrhythmia, high blood pressure, the glucose levels in diabetes, and high levels of lipids or fats in the blood. M2M communications solutions makes this possible.

How can Telenor Connexion help?

Home monitoring and remote disease management solutions is of course dependent upon a secure and reliable communication solution suited for the specific usage scenario whilst using specific remote terminals. Our experience from integration of connectivity into various real-time critical solutions will help you design a cost-effective, secure and reliable solution to meet the high demands from the healthcare sector. Our global reach will enable you to standardise the connectivity solution into your product no matter where the product is produced, sold or used.

Telenor Connexion, a leading global M2M connectivity provider, today announced the appointment of Lottie Saks as new Chief Financial Officer. With this appointment the company’s management team is complete.

Lottie Saks has more than 16 years of experience in Finance and Business Development. Since 1998 she has held management positions in a number of global companies, where she has gained a genuine understanding of operational improvement and complex sales process in changing markets. Most recently within the healthcare and med tech industry, primarily with Johnson & Johnson, but also in the technology/IT industry with OMX Technology.

- I am very pleased to appoint Lottie Saks to this important position. With her wealth of experience she will be instrumental in the development of Telenor Connexion, says Per Simonsen, CEO of Telenor Connexion.

Not only the management team but the whole Telenor Connexion team is now complete. A total of 60 people are thereby ready to address the growing and very promising M2M market.

- I am very excited to work with this group of highly talented people. Our ambition is to supply a wide range of international customers with global M2M connectivity solutions. The opportunity in the market is now and with this highly qualified team we are ready to take on the challenge, says Per Simonsen, CEO of Telenor Connexion.

Telenor Connexion is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden with a technical centre in Karlskrona, Sweden.

For more information, please contact:
Kristina Grandin,
PR and Communication, Telenor Connexion
kristina.grandin@telenor.com,
+46 734 25 26 21