Merge Healthcare Adds Remote System Monitoring to Managed Services Offerings

Business Wire, Nov 24, 2008

MILWAUKEE -- Merge Healthcare (NASDAQ: MRGE), a leading medical imaging solutions provider, announced Remote System Monitoring as the newest addition to its Managed Services suite. Users of Merge eFilm Workstation[TM] and Merge Fusion[TM] RIS, PACS and RIS/PACS solutions can rely on this 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week service to continually audit and verify technical uptime requirements, helping ensure a seamless workflow and maximum productivity. Merge Remote System Monitoring provides a cost-effective way for organizations to optimize data protection and to ensure the stability and uptime of their imaging informatics infrastructure.

"As the imaging industry evolves, especially in today's post-DRA era, imaging organizations seek new opportunities to focus more fully on clinical excellence in delivery of care while allowing technology experts to focus on imaging informatics infrastructure," says Nancy Koenig, President of Merge Healthcare's Fusion division. "We are pleased to add Remote System Monitoring to our range of Merge Managed Service offerings to help organizations limit system downtime and workflow interruptions, lower IT staffing costs, reduce infrastructure investments, minimize risk of system failure, and improve overall system performance."

Merge proactively monitors data and systems, provides site and workflow-specific alerts, identifies and solves problems via remote access, and produces comprehensive reports. Merge's proprietary ViewCheck[TM] software continuously gathers information from the technical infrastructure using Open SSL to create a secure encrypted communication channel between the organization's server and Merge's Data Center. Critical system resources, such as disk space, CPU activity, memory usage, service status, queues, and system log files, can be tracked by default without VPN hardware and software. The same Merge staff that handles daily support calls performs tracking and troubleshooting for Remote System Monitoring.

Koenig adds that many vendors do not offer a seamless approach to monitor systems remotely, especially as new functionality is added to off-the-shelf products. All data collected via Merge Remote System Monitoring is captured and used to build a knowledge base unique to each customer site. With data trend analysis available, organizations can make more informed decisions about workflow improvements as they relate to future growth needs.

Merge Healthcare's solutions solve mission-critical issues for radiology practices, outpatient imaging centers, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and device manufacturers worldwide. Our software and services help customers implement safe and profitable image and information management systems. For additional information, visit www.merge.com.

The matters discussed in this news release may include forward-looking statements, which could involve a number of risks and uncertainties. When used in this press release, the words "will," "believes," "intends," "anticipates," "expects" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, such forward-looking statements. Except as expressly required by the federal securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update such factors or to publicly announce the results of any of the forward-looking statements.