Cerner connects to its associates, clients globally through AT&T Telepresence Solution

Nov 23 2009

Connecting associates around the world and collaborating with clients is now a quicker, more interactive process for global healthcare solutions provider Cerner ( CERN). Cerner began using the AT&T Telepresence Solution, an immersive video technology that connects remote participants, earlier this year to help respond to client service requests in a timely manner and to conduct virtual business meetings with its associates, clients and business partners around the world.

"The AT&T Telepresence Solution allows Cerner to virtually connect our workforce around the world to share knowledge and tackle complex issues," said Kevin Smyth, Cerner vice president and chief information officer. "Our associates, clients and partners are building a sense of community and teamwork by virtually sitting in a room together to conduct meetings and work collaboratively on projects."

The AT&T Telepresence Solution, enabled by Cisco TelePresence(TM), allows team members from locations around the world to interact face-to-face through ultra-high definition 1080p screens. Telepresence is an immersive video technology that creates the experience of being in the same room with remote participants, whether they are down the street or halfway around the world. Participants sit across the table from "actual-size" video of their colleagues and can converse through spatial, wide-band audio. The AT&T Telepresence Solution allows teams to collaborate in real-time across AT&T's reliable network. The AT&T Telepresence Solution provides AT&T-owned Cisco TelePresence equipment, installation, full monitoring and management of the application, network provisioning (including AT&T Virtual Private Network transport), remote help desk service and on-site equipment maintenance and repair.

Cerner is using the AT&T Telepresence Solution to provide an "in-person" meeting experience to facilitate cross-continent collaboration with its leadership teams and technical support teams. The initial five-room deployment includes locations in the U.S. and the United Kingdom, with plans to expand into France, India and other countries. The AT&T Telepresence Solution is helping Cerner:

• Improve collaboration with clients and associates around the world;
• Reduce the time and expense associated with some onsite client support calls;
• Connect with member companies on the AT&T Business Exchange to share ideas.

"IT healthcare spending has become more critical than ever, and healthcare organizations ranging from single-doctor practices to entire countries continue to turn to Cerner for its innovative solutions," said Roman Pacewicz, senior vice president, Strategy and Application Services, AT&T Business Solutions. "We are pleased to welcome Cerner as an anchor tenant in the healthcare vertical on the AT&T Business Exchange and look forward to growing the ecosystem with their proven leadership and expertise."

As a subscriber to the AT&T Telepresence Solution, Cerner also is joining the AT&T Business Exchange to enable collaboration between its customers, suppliers and business partners. The AT&T Business Exchange is a "meet-me" business-to-business global collaboration capability that allows multiple companies in different locations to connect to one another. More than 30 companies are connecting with one another via hundreds of AT&T Telepresence Solution and Cisco TelePresence sites worldwide via the AT&T Business Exchange feature. Cerner can also establish secure connections with more than 645 other Cisco TelePresence meeting endpoints deployed worldwide for either intra-company or inter-company meetings. As an anchor healthcare tenant on the AT&T Business Exchange, Cerner is facilitating efforts to develop the healthcare ecosystem for AT&T Telepresence Solution customers.

SOURCE AT&T Inc.