Thursday, September 30, 2004

Frost & Sullivan Recognizes VitalWorks with the 2004 Product Differentiation Innovation Award

Palo Alto, Calif. - September 30, 2004 - Frost & Sullivan's recent study, U.S. EMR Markets for Inpatient and Ambulatory Care, acknowledged VitalWorks' exceptional ability to deploy innovative technology into its well-designed product family, especially with the launch of Ingenuity EMR.

For its successful adoption of an advanced product with innovative capabilities in the EMR market, VitalWorks Inc. is presented with the 2004 Product Differentiation Innovation Award by Frost & Sullivan. This award is presented each year to the company that has best demonstrated the ability to develop and/or advance products with more innovative capabilities than competing vendors and products. The innovation has also contributed considerably to the market in terms of product performance and rate of technical change.

This recognition comes through over 280 hours of market analysis conducted by Frost & Sullivan industry analysts, who had recently completed an exhaustive study of electronic medical records (EMR) systems in the U.S. VitalWorks' latest EMR system, Ingenuity EMR, was included in this review, and received top honors. Utilizing the same Web-based technology found in the company's top-rated, highly successful radiology products, Ingenuity EMR is a comprehensive and robust electronic medical records system, targeted to large healthcare groups, organizations, and networks.

"Targeted to large physician groups and healthcare organizations, Ingenuity EMR is a unique blend of exceptional product depth, modern Web-based technology, and remarkable end-user flexibility," says Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Natesh S. Kare. "It offers the versatility of a Java-based platform, the simplicity of a browser-interface, immense data security, superior scalability, and high-speed design."

Ingenuity EMR's advanced functionality and features enable easy access from desktops, and provide excellent workflow and communications support. Additional features including a prescription writer, closed-loop order entry, and a user-friendly patient summary are among the differentiating aspects of the product that will enhance communication, administration efficiency, and patient care. These features are being developed with great consideration given to clinical workflow.

"It is designed to provide physicians with multiple modes of communication such as speech and handwriting recognition, digital voice capture, keyboard entry, and point and click facility," notes Natesh Kare.

Ingenuity EMR can improve systems' overall efficiency due to minimal workload on servers, and this, in turn, will reduce maintenance costs. Its ability to address a wide range of end-user needs is likely to convince even 'late adopters' to employ it in their everyday patient care activities.

"We are extremely pleased to have received the 2004 Frost & Sullivan Product Differentiation Innovation Award," said Stephen N. Kahane, MD, VitalWorks' president and CEO. "For the past several years, we have made a significant R&D investment in the technology platform used by our Ingenuity EMR product, and having received this honor by Frost & Sullivan is a tremendous endorsement of both our company, as well as the technological direction of our entire product line," Dr. Kahane added.

About VitalWorks

VitalWorks Inc. is a leading provider of information and image management technology and services targeted to healthcare practices and organizations throughout the United States. The company provides IT-based, specialty-specific solutions for imaging centers and hospital radiology departments, and medical practices specializing in anesthesiology, ophthalmology, emergency medicine, plastic surgery, dermatology and internal medicine. The company also offers enterprise-level systems designed for large physician groups and networks. The company's range of software solutions provide image management, workflow management, and information management related to administrative, financial, and clinical functions for physicians, radiologists and other healthcare providers. VitalWorks provides its clients with ongoing software support, implementation, training, and electronic data interchange, or EDI, services for patient billing and claims processing. Visit the company at http://www.vitalworks.com.

About Frost & Sullivan

Founded in 1961, Frost & Sullivan is recognized as a global leader in growth consulting. Frost & Sullivan Awards are presented to companies that demonstrate best practices in their industry, commending the diligence, commitment, and innovative business strategies required to advance in the global marketplace. Frost & Sullivan rigorously analyzes specific criteria to determine award recipients in a broad spectrum of market industries and landscapes. For further information, visit www.frost.com.

Contact:
Stacie Jones
210.247.2450
Stacie.jones@frost.co