Google to Acquire Fitbit

Google has agreed to acquire Fitbit.  Fitbit health and wellness data will not be used for Google ads, according to a press release. Fitbit’s fitness trackers monitor users’ daily steps, calories burned, and distance traveled. They also measure floors climbed, sleep duration, and quality, and heart rate. Google is an ideal partner to advance our mission. With Google’s resources and global platform, Fitbit will be able to accelerate innovation in the wearables category, scale faster, and make health even more accessible to everyone. I could not be more excited for what lies ahead,” James Park, co-founder and CEO of Fitbit said the release. “Google is an ideal partner to advance our mission. With Google’s resources and global platform, Fitbit will be able to accelerate innovation in the wearables category, scale faster, and make health even more accessible to everyone. I could not be more excited for what lies ahead.

Spotlight

Other News
Healthcare Analytics

Weave Introduces AI-Driven Voicemail Transcriptions for Healthcare Providers

Business Wire | October 31, 2023

Weave a leading all-in-one experience platform for small and medium-sized healthcare practices, today announces the addition of AI-driven voicemail transcriptions to its platform. Now available to Weave’s 27,000+ customers, Voicemail Transcription automatically transcribes voicemails from patients allowing for efficient, visible, and private reading experiences. With this update, users will now see the voicemail transcription when they click on the Voicemail tab within their Desktop Application or within the mobile app, improving overall user experience by making it faster to consume messages without having to listen to the audio, which can often be difficult in busy settings. said Branden Neish, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Weave. AI has exploded in popularity over the past year, and we’re taking steps to ensure Weave is delivering state of the art offerings that empower our customers to enhance patient experiences and deliver top of the line care. AI will only continue to grow in popularity and daily use, which will have a transformative impact on the future of the healthcare industry. Weave customers that have already implemented AI into their practices claim they save an average of an hour a day with the technology. [Source:Business Wire] In a new customer and consumer report conducted by Weave, the company found that patients are accepting of AI in healthcare settings and they see it leading to enhanced care and patient experiences. In fact, the majority of consumers (65%) are open to providers using AI tools in their practices. The report also found that consumers and providers are aligned with how they think AI will impact the healthcare industry, with two in three consumers (67%) and 3 in 4 (75%) healthcare providers believing that AI is likely to become a prevalent tool in healthcare. "Artificial Intelligence is the catalyst for a new era in healthcare,” says Dr. Matt Nejad, DDS of Beverly Hills, CA. “Weave's AI-enabled voicemail transcripts are a leap in this direction, providing automation and actionable insights that empower providers to focus on what truly matters: patient care." This announcement follows months of AI-driven activity from Weave to enhance features that allow healthcare providers to deliver quality care and improve patient experiences, including Email Assistant and Response Assistant. About Weave Weave is a leading all-in-one customer experience platform for small- and medium-sized healthcare businesses. From the first phone call to the final invoice and every touchpoint in between, Weave connects the entire customer journey. Weave’s software solutions transform how local businesses attract, communicate with and engage customers to grow their business. In the past year, Weave has been named a G2 leader in Patient Engagement, Optometry, Dental Practice Management and Patient Relationship Management software.

Read More

Health Technology

Absolute Software New Application Health Monitoring Extends Cyber Resilience to Leading Endpoint Security and Productivity Applications

Business Wire | November 02, 2023

Absolute Software™, the leading provider of self-healing, intelligent security solutions, today announced the launch of Absolute Application Health. This new feature empowers digital enterprises to strengthen cyber resilience and boost end user productivity with the industry’s most resilient application health monitoring capabilities. With this latest innovation to the company’s Secure Endpoint product line, customers can monitor the health of more than 2,000 commonly used Windows and Mac applications – including security controls, business, and productivity tools – to ensure they are installed, running, and properly configured on all devices. “Organizations deploy millions of endpoint devices to support growing remote workforces around the world, and they invest billions of dollars into security controls needed to protect their networks against advanced threats and costly compliance violations,” said Sarah Pavlak, Industry Principal, Frost & Sullivan. “Despite all these efforts and money spent, organizations continue to experience increasing attacks and complexity challenges that severely disrupt business operations. This is leading to a continual need for innovations that can mitigate software failures and close security gaps.” Absolute’s 2023 Resilience Index reveals that on average, enterprise endpoint devices have 67 applications deployed, with 10 percent of these having more than 100 applications installed. In analyzing 10 of the most widely deployed security tools, the report also shows seven of those 10 apps were installed and healthy on less than 80 percent of deployed devices, on average. In some cases, apps were only functioning correctly 47 percent of the time. said John Herrema, Chief Product Officer, Absolute Software. Today’s digital enterprises are investing billions of dollars in mission-critical security and business tools, and we believe those applications should deliver their intended value. The complexity and fragility of endpoint applications, however, means that all too often they are failing. And if the tool you use to monitor your other applications is subject to those same failures, then you’re really in trouble, because it’s impossible to fix what you can’t reliably see or diagnose. This latest innovation builds on Absolute’s unique Persistence technology to provide the industry’s most resilient visibility and monitoring capabilities. This allows our customers to achieve maximum security, productivity, and return on their software investments. [Source:Business Wire] With Absolute Application Health, IT and security practitioners gain the deep visibility needed to ensure applications are installed, running, up-to-date, and properly configured across their entire device fleet. They also have access to detailed, interactive reports and widgets that enable them to swiftly diagnose why an application is failing and then take remedial action. Embedded in the firmware of more than 600 million devices, Absolute’s patented Persistence® technology provides a secure, always-on connection between the Absolute Platform and the endpoint. The new Application Health feature leverages this digital tether to ensure health monitoring and reporting remains uninterrupted. Absolute Application Health is available now to Absolute Secure Endpoint customers subscribed to eligible Absolute Resilience licenses. For more information, including how to access and activate this new feature, visit our latest blog. About Absolute Software Absolute Software makes security work. We empower mission-critical performance with advanced cyber resilience. Embedded in more than 600 million devices, our cyber resilience platform delivers endpoint-to-network access security coverage, ensures automated security compliance, and enables operational continuity. Nearly 21,000 global customers trust Absolute to protect enterprise assets, fortify security and business applications, and provide a frictionless, always-on user experience.

Read More

Health Technology, Digital Healthcare

Aspect Imaging to bring Improvements in NICUs for Vizient

Aspect Imaging | September 25, 2023

Aspect Imaging, a global leader in MRI systems for neonatal patients, has been awarded an Innovative Technology contract by Vizient, the nation's largest provider -driven healthcare performance improvement company. This contract recognizes the unique qualities of Aspect Imaging's Embrace Point of Care Neonatal MRI System and its potential to bring improvements to the healthcare industry. The Embrace Point of Care Neonatal MRI System is designed specifically for the imaging needs of prematureand newborn infants, making it a critical tool in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). The Embrace is the world's first FDA-cleared and CE-approved MRI system for neonatal patients. It is designed to be placed directly within NICUs, overcoming the size and risk limitations associated with adult MRI scanners. The system includes features such as a temperature-controlled patient bed and a Whisper Quiet sound profile to meet the specific care needs of neonatal patients. This technology enables safer and more accessible MRI imaging for fragile neonatal patients and provides critical information to the clinical care team. Chief Commercial Officer at Aspect Imaging, Wendy Slatery, stated, It is an honor to have the Embrace recognized by the clinical experts at Vizient, as an Innovative Technology, and an exciting opportunity to bring valuable solutions to Vizient customers. We are looking forward to working with Vizient members seeking to expand and elevate neurocritical care of the smallest patients while reducing patient risks and staff time associated with transporting newborns to a traditional MRI. The Embrace MRI gives the neonatal medical team access to information from the life’s first hours and throughout the patient’s time in the NICU, on which critical care decisions will be based. [Source: Business Wire] Vizient's provider customer-led councils recommended the Embrace system for an Innovative Technology contract after evaluating its potential to enhance clinical care, patient safety, and healthcare worker safety, or improve business operations in healthcare organizations. The recognition and award of this contract highlight the potential of the Embrace Point of Care Neonatal MRI System to improve neurocritical care for the smallest patients while reducing risks associated with transporting newborns to traditional MRI facilities. About Aspect Imaging Aspect Imaging, a pioneering force in the field, stands as the global frontrunner in crafting and advancing compact MR imaging systems tailored for both research and clinical use. Their groundbreaking technology centers on compact, high-performance permanent magnets, introducing transformative MRI solutions to tackle unmet requirements in research and medical contexts. These innovations ensure the delivery of the finest quality images, whether at the benchtop or in point-of-care scenarios.

Read More

Health Technology, Healthcare Analytics

Weave Partners with Affirm to Expand Payment Options for Patients

businesswire | September 27, 2023

Weave a leading all-in-one experience platform for small and medium-sized healthcare businesses, announced a new partnership with Affirm the payment network that empowers consumers and helps merchants drive growth. Now available to thousands of Weave’s customers, this collaboration provides flexible payment options for eligible patients, making it easier for them to access and afford the care they need. By partnering with Affirm, Weave customers can offer their patients pay-over-time financing with as low as 0% APR. Affirm is directly integrated with Weave payments, so patients can apply to pay with Affirm in a matter of seconds, and spread out their payments over time, easing the burden of upfront costs and providing an additional payment option for dental, optometry, veterinary, or medical practices. This partnership will not only benefit patients but also allow healthcare practices to receive payments quicker than before. “Collecting payments is one of the most important parts of the patient's journey. A smooth and efficient payment process can help to create a positive patient experience, build trust, and encourage repeat business, which is why we are excited to partner with Affirm,” said Branden Neish, Chief Product & Technology Officer of Weave. “By providing more flexible and affordable payment options, we are empowering patients to take control of their healthcare and ensuring that cost doesn’t prevent them from receiving the care they need.” By expanding the payment options available to patients, Weave and Affirm aim to remove barriers to care and ensure everyone has access to the healthcare services they need. The partnership reflects the shared commitment of both companies to make patients’ payment experience more seamless and revolutionize the way healthcare practices handle payments. “By partnering with Weave, thousands of healthcare practices can now seamlessly add Affirm’s transparent and flexible payment options at checkout,” said Wayne Pommen, Chief Revenue Officer of Affirm. Patients are eager to pay over time without junk fees, late fees, or compounding interest, and now these businesses can address that demand. [Source – Business Wire] About Weave Weave is the all-in-one experience platform for small- and medium-sized healthcare businesses. From the first phone call to the final invoice and every touchpoint in between, Weave connects the entire customer journey. Weave’s software solutions transform how local businesses attract, communicate with and engage customers to grow their business. Weave has set the bar for Utah startup achievement & work culture. In the past year, Weave has been named a G2 leader in Patient Engagement, Optometry, Dental Practice Management and Patient Relationship Management software. About Affirm Affirm’s mission is to deliver honest financial products that improve lives. By building a new kind of payment network — one based on trust, transparency and putting people first — we empower millions of consumers to spend and save responsibly, and give thousands of businesses the tools to fuel growth. Unlike most credit cards and other pay-over-time options, we show consumers exactly what they will pay up front, never increase that amount, and never charge any late or hidden fees.

Read More