Companies' Sleep Monitoring Offerings Leverage T-Mobile's NFC-Capable Smartphones on America's Largest 4G Network®
Bellevue, Wash. and Neptune, N.J. — Oct. 3, 2011
Meridian Health, a leading not-for-profit health care organization, and iMPak Health, a joint venture of Swedish-based chip developer Cypak A.B., today announced the successful deployment of their SleepTrak sleep monitoring offerings on T-Mobile’s nationwide 4G network. Utilizing T-Mobile’s Nokia Astound™ devices in combination with the SleepTrak card, a credit card-sized wireless device that is worn on the upper arm, and the free downloadable SleepTrak application, users collect and transfer valuable data about sleep patterns and symptoms associated with inefficient sleep via near field communication (NFC).
“With this deployment, we successfully combined the expertise of a health care organization, a telemedicine technology company, and a wireless operator to deliver cost-effective, easy-to-use tools that allow users to take control of their own health and act on the information provided,” said Sandra Elliott, Director, Consumer Technology and Service Development, Meridian Health.
NFC, a two-way communication technology based on radio frequency identification (RFID), allows for simplified data exchange and wireless connection between devices over a short distance. Today, NFC has primarily fueled mobile phone payment technology. However, the technology is seeing increasing use in the emerging mobile healthcare field as it offers healthcare professionals an ability to collect clinical data while connecting with patients seamlessly no matter their location. NFC also allows individuals new ways to keep track of their own health through innovative solutions like the SleepTrak offerings.
“In today’s digital age, the lack of quality sleep is one of the main health concerns of both men and women,” said Carol Ash, M.D., board certified sleep expert at Meridian Health. “Linking the SleepTrak offerings to a NFC-capable device on T-Mobile’s network will increase the user’s access and visibility to critical health-related information in a convenient and unobtrusive way.”
“T-Mobile sees NFC as one of the ways we can deliver value to our customers and help businesses evolve,” said Matt Millen, Vice President of Small and Medium Business Sales at T-Mobile USA. “Our NFC-capable smartphones on T-Mobile’s reliable nationwide 4G network are helping iMPak Health and Meridian Health to bring complex capabilities, like a professional sleep assessment session, to the consumer market for a fraction of the price. The opportunities for NFC technology appear limitless.”
The T-Mobile Nokia Astound is available at T-Mobile retail locations. Visit Nokia’s Ovi Store to download the free SleepTrak application. The SleepTrak card is available for purchase on Amazon.com for less than $30.
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Robert Cavanaugh
Meridian Health
732/776-4166
Lindsay Morio
T-Mobile USA Media Relations
425-383-4002
About T-Mobile USA, Inc.