KOREA: Intel Unveils Healthcare PC Solutions

SOEUL (The Korea Times), January 29, 2008: Intel has shown keen interest in one of South Korea’s "cash cow" industries ― healthcare ― with what is called a "healthcare PC" lineup. On Tuesday, Intel said it has developed PC solutions for healthcare with a local medical venture with Codisoft. The software used in Intel’s desktop makes it possible to analyze users’ health conditions by simply uploading basic personal information such as blood pressure and blood-sugar levels. "The new solution mainly targets the elderly. Although we cannot guarantee 100 percent the result of this computerized test, the package will be of help to those who need to have regular medical check-up at home," Ko Chun-il, senior managing officer at Intel Korea’s Retail Channel Organization, said at a press conference held in central Seoul. He said Intel will offer a ``free trial experiences zone’’ to some 250 small villages nationwide. The PC solution is also armed with 160 gigabyte hard disk drives and 1 gigabyte memory and will be sold for some 1 million won, according to Intel officials. South Korea is expected to become the world’s most aged society by 2050 with people over 80 years accounting for 15 percent of the population from some 1.5 percent in 2007, according to government estimates. Increased life expectancy means that healthcare systems face an increase in the number of older patients. Ageing also plays a role in the occurrence of chronic diseases, which in turn leads to higher demand for long-term care. Although considerable financial costs and profit-seeking have still been regarded as the main disadvantages for experiencing more advanced technologies, the Bank of Korea says the aging-related industry will grow more than 10 times to 148.6 trillion won by 2020 from 12.8 trillion won in 2002. By Kim Yoo-chul Copyright KoreaTimes.co.kr