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| FTIT February 21 2001 |
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| Index Published: February 20 2001 15:16GMT | Last Updated: February 21 2001 10:35GMT |
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| A healthy variety of themes This issue of FT-IT covers three very different topics. In our main theme (Pages 1-11), FT-IT writers get out their stethoscopes and assess the role of IT and the internet in the healthcare sector. Then, on page 12, we diagnose how Europe's IT industry and its customers are measuring up to the challenges of the euro. And on pages 13-17, we check the pulse of the Indian IT and communications sector. Overview Since science took over from witchcraft, technology has been inseparable from medicine. Now the internet is accelerating progress in healthcare as it helps connect disparate medical technologies. E-prescriptions Britain's traditionally cautious National Health Service is starting trials for online prescriptions, with the aim of cutting costs. Plus: Profile of Postoptics, said to be the UK's first mail order and online supplier of contact lenses. Medical confidentiality Easier electronic access to medical information bring many benefits but raises privacy issues. Plus - how biometric technologies could help solve the problem Electronic procurement Despite the wide benefits that electronic markets can bring, many parts of the European healthcare sector are poorly structured to take advantage of them. Plus: Viewpoint In Europe's healthcare sector, there needs to be a mind shift from conventional ways of doing business, argue Chas Pell and David Coliero of Via International. Telemedicine Although much was expected of it, telemedicine has had a chequered history. With a case study from Australia's outback. Three-dimensional imaging Computer-enhanced images of the human body are facilitating less-invasive surgical procedures. Profiles: Two London companies active in bioinformatics, in which IT is used to help manage biological data: Inpharmatica and InforSense. Plus: LifeChart.com, a Finnish e-health start-up, that offers a new diabetes monitoring service using wireless technology. B2C business models Two years ago it all seemed so easy: set up a medical site and the ad revenue would flood in. Now operators are having to revise their strategies. Patient empowerment The availability of healthcare information over the net is radically changing the traditional doctor-patient relationship. But this online information may well be questionable. Plus:case study from Boston hospital group. Online Viagra sales The explosive growth of online sales of the anti-impotence drug proves that where there is demand, the web facilitates supply. Healthcare IT start-ups Venture capitalists eye rich pickings for developers of wireless software for doctors and bioinformatics companies. IT and the euro. A package of articles looking at the effect of the euro on IT suppliers and their customers. With less than a year to the end of the current transitionary period in the eurozone, businesses must act quickly if they are to meet their euro obligations. With case study on Pilkington, the UK-based glass maker. IT and communications in India Overview: Although heavily dependent on the slowing US economy and short on qualified personnel, the Indian IT sector is looking remarkably robust.The global IT company A gulf is appearing between the best and the rest in the software sector. Profile: From its earliest inception, netdecisions identified India as a provider of invaluable IT skills. Bandwidth and infrastructure A crusade to increase the amount of capacity available for telecom data traffic in India is about to bear fruit. Software industry After little more than a decade of growth, the sector is stepping up its presence overseas Hardware industry For long the technological poor relation, India's hardware industry is set for growth although it won't be without growing pains. Human resources Countries are vying with each other to attract Indian software professionals to their shores. But will there be enough to go round - and cater for India's own needs? Education New Delhi is introducing, albeit belatedly, IT as a compulsory part of the school curriculum. India and the internet Despite a buoyant IT sector and online enthusiasm from the middle classes, huge swathes of India remain unaffected by the internet revolution Cellular telephony The government hopes that 50m people in India will have mobile phones by 2005, but a mis-reading of the market has put cellular operators under financial pressure. Profile: 24/7 Customer.com - a call centre business with a difference. View from the top Gary Bloom, the new chief at Veritas, is interviewed by Tom Foremski |
