Rise in Healthcare IT Spending Spells Opportunity for IT Managers, Profit for Open Source Vendors

BEAVERTON, Ore., July 19 /PRNewswire/ -- The Open Source Development Labs (OSDL), a global consortium dedicated to accelerating the adoption of Linux(R) and open source software, today announced it will host the first ever Healthcare Day at LinuxWorld San Francisco on August 15, 2006. The event is in response to an expected increase in healthcare IT spending in the near term and the growing role of open source software in the healthcare industry.

According to a Rand Corp. study published earlier this year, IT budgets average just two to three percent of overall healthcare expenditures, which compares to 12-15 percent in other industries. As a result, healthcare IT spending is expected to grow at a faster rate than overall IT, increasing the appeal of open source software to managers who are being pressed to ensure security of patient information and to drive consistency among networks.

"Linux and open source software have become pervasive in vertical markets such as retail and financial services. The healthcare market today is positioned for major growth, and managers are in a position to take control of their IT strategies and to have a significant impact on their organizations and the overall healthcare industry with open source technologies," said Stuart Cohen, CEO of OSDL.

Medsphere CEO Kenneth W. Kizer, MD MPH, will deliver the Day's keynote. Medsphere is a leading provider of open source software for the healthcare industry, including OpenVista, a portfolio of open source products and services based on the highly successful VistA electronic medical-records system used by the U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs.

"Linux and open source software are changing the way that healthcare IT is created and delivered by today's major IT vendors," Dr. Kizer said. "The cost savings and efficiencies inherent in the open source model are creating significant market opportunities for vendors and developers involved in the healthcare market."

OSDL Healthcare Day will bring together leaders in healthcare IT focused on driving the use of open source software and standards to increase efficiencies and interoperability among healthcare networks. The agenda includes application demos, deployment case studies, interactive discussions and a close look at the emerging impact Linux and open source software are having on the next generation of healthcare.

"OSDL has been successful in facilitating collaboration and movement with Linux on the desktop, in telecommunications and in the data center. We are very happy to see they are leading the charge in healthcare where there is wide open opportunity for advancement," said Joe Alexander, director of strategy, Bull Products & Systems. "We're looking forward to looking at the key issues, identifying opportunities and working with OSDL to move healthcare IT forward."

To register for OSDL's Healthcare Day, please visit http://www.linuxworldexpo.com/live/12/register.

About LinuxWorld Conference & Expo

LinuxWorld Conference & Expo is the premier event exclusively focused on Linux and open source solutions. As the world's most comprehensive marketplace for open source products and services, LinuxWorld provides business decision- makers with information and resources to implement Linux and open source solutions into business infrastructure and enterprise networks. For more information or to register for the event, visit the LinuxWorld Conference & Expo Web site at: http://www.linuxworldexpo.com, or call 800-657-1474.

About Open Source Development Labs (OSDL)

OSDL -- sponsor of Linus Torvalds, the creator of the Linux kernel -- is dedicated to accelerating the growth and adoption of Linux-based operating systems in the enterprise. Founded in 2000 and supported by a global consortium of major Linux customers and IT industry leaders, OSDL is a nonprofit organization that provides state-of-the-art computing and test facilities available to developers around the world. With offices in China, Europe, Japan and the United States, OSDL sponsors legal and development projects to advance open source software as well as initiatives for Linux systems in telecommunications, in the data center and on enterprise desktops. Visit OSDL on the Web at: http://www.osdl.org/.

NOTE: OSDL is a trademark of Open Source Development Labs, Inc. Linux is a trademark of Linus Torvalds. Third party marks and brands are the property of their respective holders.