A world leader in networking solutions, CISCO has grown phenomenally since its inception nearly 25 years ago. Kapil Khandelwal speaks to us about their plans to expand in the Indian market by providing innovative and cost effective solutions and platforms to cater to the ever-growing need for better connectivity.
Q. What products and solutions are currently offered by Cisco for the healthcare sector?
A. Cisco is transforming healthcare through its “Human Network” by using information to drive patient-centric, safe, and efficient care. Through its “Connected Health” vision, Cisco enables collaboration across the care continuum for safe, affordable and accessible healthcare. This transformation will empower patients to control, manage and influence their own healthcare. The strategic implementation of “Connected Healthcare” can drive a significant reduction in healthcare costs while improving healthcare quality.
The key products and solutions that Cisco offers to transform healthcare though its “Connected Health” program is under the broad areas such as, Medical Grade Network, Connected Imaging, Location Aware, Mobility for Healthcare, Health Presence, Virtual Expert, Public Health Safety and Environment, Clinical Collaboration, Connected Pharma/Retail Network and Connected Smart Hospital Buildings.
Q. Ensuring seamless ‘care continuum’ for patients is emerging as a key differentiator in improving quality of healthcare. How can Cisco help achieve this objective for care providers?
Cisco’s opportunity is in the shift in the “Human Network” to a “Societal Platform” that enables all the providers as well as the consumers in different care settings and environment
A. Cisco is playing the role of a key enabler and a transformer through its Connected Healthcare solutions that enable seamless care continuum for the patients not only in the urban but also in the remote rural areas.
Cisco’s products and solutions ensure creation of a high quality collaboration environment for the caregivers, creation of a multi-channel and multi-modal healthcare information exchange and creation of a reliable, secure, available, mobile medical grade network.
Q. Kindly give a brief account of the ‘HealthPresence Pod’ that you are piloting in India. What are the findings in terms of deployment and feasibility in Indian context?
A. Cisco has already showcased its HealthPresence Pod at its Customer Briefing Center in Bangalore for its customers in the region. It has also engaged with several customers in the private, government and armed forces for this solution. The response for adoption to this platform has been quite positive. We are now exploring different solution variants to cater to different segments and needs of the market in India.
Q. Healthcare industry in India is witnessing a phenomenal growth in both qualitative and quantitative terms. How do you foresee the market opportunities across the different tiers of service providers?
A. The phenomenal growth in healthcare across different tiers of service providers would get a quantum jump if they were connected in such a way as to deliver seamless care across the care continuum. Cisco’s Connected Healthcare enables all the tiers of service providers and consumers of healthcare. Hence, Cisco’s opportunity is in the shift in the “Human Network” to a “Societal Platform” that enables all the providers as well as the consumers in different care settings and environment. We believe that Connected Healthcare would make the care delivery across the care continuum faster, better and cheaper, but would also increase the total pie of the market in terms of the access to care.
Q. What is your level of success so far in the Indian market? What are some of your most successful installations in the Asian region?
A. Cisco has been encouraged with the market opportunities in India and the developing Asian countries. Especially, given the healthcare indicators that indicate a tremendous opportunity for improvement of faster, better and cheaper delivery of “Connected Healthcare” in this region. Moreover, one must note that Cisco is one of the early movers of Web 2.0 solution enablers in healthcare.
