AT&T takes aim at massive role in health care vertical

Whatever happens to the health care industry over the next two years, AT&T Inc. (T) is repositioning itself to pursue a much greater role in the space.
Under a new division called AT&T ForHealth, the company wants to “accelerate delivery of innovative wireless, networked, and cloud-based solutions specifically for the healthcare industry.”
Health care I.T. spending in the United States is expecting to near $34 billion this year and grown 24% over the next four years, according to IDC.
AT&T says it generated $4 billion in revenue from the health care industry alone last year. Hospitals, insurers, pharmaceutical companies, suppliers and physicians all played contributed to AT&T’s growth in the sector. AT&T is also boasting an exclusive endorsement it received last month from the American Hospital Association that covers a suite of services that enable the sharing of health information and applications.
“We believe the healthcare industry is at a ‘tipping point’ for fundamental change that will improve patients’ care and lead to better healthcare outcomes,” said John Stankey, president and CEO, AT&T Business Solutions. “Networking solutions, using cloud-based, mobility and telepresence technologies, can help the overall industry deliver better care to people while driving costs out of the system.”
Dan Walsh, an SVP at AT&T, has been appointed to lead AT&T’s ForHealth practice. “Today’s announcements signal an exciting new era where our technology and smart networks can help improve the quality of care, reduce costs, and contribute to a healthier world,” he said.
Walsh also announced a series of projects and services that AT&T is working on in the field: mHealth services, cloud-based services, pilot programs, smart slippers, employee diabetes management, healthcare community online, telehealth solutions, healthcare pagers and automated pill bottle caps.