Aptilo Enables MedStar Health, The Largest Health System In The Mid-Atlantic, To Deploy Wireless Guest Internet Access Service To Seven Hospitals
Columbia, MD and Stockholm, Sweden - MedStar Health, the largest healthcare system in Maryland and Washington, D.C., has deployed wireless Internet services to patients and visitors throughout its community-based network of hospitals together with Aptilo Networks, the global leader in integrated management solutions for control of billing, user services and access in WiMAX and Wi-Fi networks. MedStar Health is using the Aptilo Guest Internet Services for Healthcare, an integrated, secure wireless guest Internet access solution that meets the unique needs of the hospital sector.
A non-profit regional healthcare system, MedStar Health has rolled out the wireless guest Internet access to Georgetown University Hospital, National Rehabilitation Hospital and Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C. and to Franklin Square Hospital Center, Good Samaritan Hospital, Harbor Hospital and Union Memorial Hospital in Maryland.
MedStar Health is utilizing Aptilo's software-as-a-service (SaaS) option for delivery of wireless guest Internet access services, the Aptilo Guest Internet Services. With this hosted solution, Aptilo operates the wireless broadband service from one of Aptilo's Network Operation Centers.
Aptilo's solution provides patients and visitors with secure, easy-to-use high-speed wireless Internet access. Patients can remain connected to friends and family with email, surf the Internet, etc. from their hospital bed.
In addition, a separate Guest Provisioning Portal allows MedStar Health personnel to create accounts that are valid for longer periods and have a predefined start and end date. This functionality is designed specifically for long-term visitors like medical students.
"By using one common infrastructure design, hospitals can increase the value of their network by allowing employees, patients, visitors, students, tenants and business partners to share the same wireless infrastructure and to do so in a secure way," said Jason Guest, Account Manager, Aptilo Networks. "Aptilo's solution, specifically designed for the healthcare segment, ensures that patients and visitors can only access the Internet for a predefined period in a way that does not violate hospital security policies. It also relieves the local IT staff of time-consuming administrative tasks."
"This is a tremendous benefit to our patients and their families throughout the MedStar network," said Catherine Szenczy, Senior Vice President and CIO, MedStar Health. "Aptilo's solutions and services were the right choice for us, as Aptilo has the expertise and experience to manage large-scale deployments of guest Internet services to hospitals."
Robust Offering for the Healthcare Segment
Aptilo's Guest Internet Services provides a next-generation guest Internet access service that can be utilized by all MedStar hospitals with the lowest possible cost of ownership. It is based on the customer's existing wireless infrastructure -- in MedStar's case, Cisco's Wireless LAN Controller and Lightweight access points -- and the Aptilo Service Management Platform, enabling employees, patients, visitors, students, tenants and business partners to share the same infrastructure in a secure way.
Aptilo Networks acts as a Software-as-a-Service provider to centrally operate the guest Internet access. Aptilo provides server hosting, AAA (authentication, authorization, accounting) services, a Web server, portal management, service monitoring, statistics and reporting, and end-user support. Aptilo's flexible design also enables MedStar to roll out the service to multiple hospitals in a cost-efficient manner.
"This is the latest in a series of hospital deployments by Aptilo in the U.S. and Europe," noted Jason Guest. "We are proud to be working with MedStar Health in providing carrier-class wireless Internet services to their healthcare system."
SOURCE: MedStar Health