Cost-Effective Solution for Physician Remote Access to Hospital Applications

SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Feb. 10, 2003 - Here at HIMSS 2003, Netilla® Networks, a leading provider of SSL (secure sockets layer) virtual private network solutions for secure Web-based access to any corporate application, demonstrated how its Netilla Security Platform enables healthcare providers to offer highly secure Web-based remote access to a broad range of hospital-based medical applications, thus saving physicians valuable time and helping to increase the timeliness and quality of patient care. Netilla Networks is a corporate Gold member of HIMSS.

The Netilla Security Platform provides highly secure remote access to legacy hospital/clinical applications including MEDITECH, Eclipsys and Logician, using the SSL (secure sockets layer) encryption provided by standard Web browsers. Security is further enhanced by the fact that the platform serves as a proxy, or buffer, between the remote user and centralized applications, preventing them from exposure to network threats. The Netilla platform marks a significant advance over existing virtual private networking (VPN) alternatives by eliminating the time and cost of installing VPN client or application software on the remote user's PC.

Because the Netilla Security Platform provides remote access to virtually any legacy application - whether Windows-, UNIX/Linux- or even mainframe-based - it is uniquely suited to the requirements of healthcare institutions, which typically rely on legacy applications for managing patient data. The Netilla Security Platform can be used as one element of a hospital's strategic plan to meet HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) privacy and security guidelines.

"We're seeing many hospitals and health centers deploying our Netilla solution as a competitive tool to attract and retain the best physicians, who are increasingly demanding easy-to-use, portable Web-based application access," said Reggie Best, president and chief executive officer at Netilla Networks. "Our clientless, browser-based approach requires far less help desk and IT staff support, resulting in up to a 40 percent reduction in cost of ownership compared to traditional VPN technology."

Deborah Heart and Lung Center, a 161-bed pulmonary health center in Browns Mills, N.J., is one example of how hospitals are implementing Netilla Networks platforms to give physicians more online tools to enhance patient care. Both on-staff and affiliated physicians use Netilla for browser-based access to the MEDITECH Health Care Information System, a Windows-based patient record application.

"What attracted us to Netilla is how non-invasive the system is for the end user: an authorized doctor can access our MEDITECH application from any Web browser, without having to configure software on their PC," said Gerard Williams, Deborah's director of information systems. "No matter where they're located, our affiliated physicians are now able to monitor patient status and get test results more quickly, with fewer errors. And that translates into better, more timely patient care."