USA Mobility, Inc., a provider of wireless messaging, mobile voice, data and unified communications solutions, announced the appointment of Colin Balmforth as president of Amcom Software.

Balmforth joins Amcom, USA Mobility’s software subsidiary, after four years at Lawson Software, Inc. where he had been group executive vice president of Lawson’s Subscription Business unit. He succeeds Christopher D. Heim, who left Amcom Software in June but remains on USA Mobility’s board of directors.

“We are extremely pleased to have Colin join the USA Mobility team,” said Vincent D. Kelly, president and chief executive officer. “A seasoned software executive with extensive experience nationally and internationally, he has held senior positions at such technology companies as Lawson Software, Intelliden, Conexus, PeopleSoft and J.D Edwards where his leadership produced a successful track record for increasing revenue and profitability. Colin will be responsible for managing Amcom’s overall operations, most specifically driving revenue and profit growth through business and product development as USA Mobility continues to transition from a paging carrier to a provider of a broader range of wireless and software services.”

Commenting on his appointment, Balmforth stated “I look forward to the challenge of helping Amcom achieve its short and long-term goals for growth and profitability.”

[Posted by Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD for AnswerStat magazine, a medical healthcare publication from Peter DeHaan Publishing Inc.]

Amcom Software announced the acquisition of IMCO Technologies’ critical test results management suite. Now hospital customers can improve patient safety and caregiver productivity by streamlining the delivery of critical test results to ordering physicians. Serving more than 900 hospitals, many have requested this type of solution to meet the guidelines established by the Joint Commission in its National Patient Safety Goal Requirements.

The newly renamed Amcom Critical Test Results Management solution brings together once-disparate pieces of information essential to the effective communication of test results to the clinicians who ordered them. In particular, the solution will integrate the test results functionality from IMCO with Amcom’s suite of communication workflow solutions, including smartphone messaging. It supports traceable, closed-loop test results information that empowers physicians to provide better care for their patients.

The Joint Commission and other healthcare authorities have identified that failures and delays in the communication of critical test results are a major problem for patient safety. Inefficient handling of critical test results also contributes to higher costs of care for compromised patients as well as increased risk of litigation and higher expenditures for regulatory compliance.

[Posted by Peter DeHaan for AnswerStat magazine, a medical healthcare publication from Peter DeHaan Publishing Inc.]

Amcom Software, Inc. announced that its Amcom (Commtech) Messenger middleware received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a class II medical device. For hospitals, this clearance means Amcom Software is ensuring its solution is keeping pace with key industry standards and guidelines.

Amcom Messenger middleware sends critical secondary notifications from patient monitoring and other alert systems to staff carrying wireless communication devices. Its purpose is to help hospitals improve patient care by supplementing a monitoring system’s audible notifications with targeted messages to the right caregiver.

“Amcom Messenger helps hospitals improve how quickly staff can react to a variety of time-critical events, which in turn helps improve patient safety and outcomes,” said Chris Heim, President, Amcom Software. “We’re pleased to have received FDA clearance for this solution as it’s an important consideration for our customers today.”

Amcom Messenger middleware helps organizations create an enterprise-wide hub to manage, prioritize, and respond quickly to key events. This includes the ability to send messages to the right people on the right device based on rules set up in a given facility. Staff devices can include smartphones, pagers, Wi-Fi phones, and others, enabling hospitals to incorporate their specific needs into their alarm management process.

[Posted by Peter DeHaan for AnswerStat magazine, a medical healthcare publication from Peter DeHaan Publishing Inc.]

Amcom Software announced that the latest versions of the Amcom operator console applications have successfully completed interoperability testing with Cisco UCCX 8.5, UCM 8.5, and UCCE 8.5.  The operator console solutions are a foundational element in Amcom Software’s unified communications suite; Amcom has been a Cisco Solution Developer since 2003.

The Cisco Developer Network unites Cisco with third-party developers of hardware and software to deliver tested interoperable solutions to joint customers.  As a Solution Developer, Amcom Software shares Cisco’s commitment to customer service and satisfaction, has completed interoperability verification testing based on criteria set forth by Cisco, and can provide their customers 24 hour, 7 days a week customer support.

With offerings such as the Amcom operator console, customers can deploy a range of Cisco compatible business applications, devices, and services that can enhance their Cisco network.

For more information, call 800-852-8935, go to www.amcomsoftware.com, or follow them on Twitter @AmcomSoftware.

[Posted by Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD for AnswerStat magazine, a medical healthcare publication from Peter DeHaan Publishing Inc.]

Community Behavioral Health in Philadelphia announced that their contact center has achieved consistently strong results using operator console and speech recognition solutions.  The operator group provides the first line of contact for 350,000 local Medicaid recipients seeking assistance with coordinating behavioral and mental healthcare.

“We’ve been cited by the federal government for excellence in providing behavioral health services, and we’re very proud of that,” said Marilyn Nicoletti, assistant director of administrative management/telecommunications manager, Community Behavioral Health.  “Our ability to assist callers quickly is a key component of this.  Our operator staff is happy because the Amcom system provides them the ability to quickly access all the information they need.”

“Managing a contact center on a 24/7/365 basis is very much an art – one that requires a good balance of the right technology solutions and a well-trained and knowledgeable staff,” said Chris Heim, president, Amcom Software.  “We’re so pleased that Community Behavioral Health has succeeded in its mission to provide high-quality services for its community year after year using our solutions as the communications backbone.”

[Posted by Peter DeHaan for AnswerStat magazine, a medical healthcare publication from Peter DeHaan Publishing Inc.]

USA Mobility, Inc., announced the acquisition of Amcom Software, Inc. for $163.3 million in cash, creating a company in the forefront of mission critical unified communications.  Vincent D. Kelly, USA Mobility president and chief executive officer, said, “This acquisition is about combining two leaders in mission critical communications.  USA Mobility’s three primary core market segments of healthcare, government, and large enterprise are exactly aligned with Amcom’s customer segment focus.”

“Chris Heim, Amcom’s former chief executive officer, will continue to serve as the president of Amcom Software, Inc. and Dan Mayleben, Amcom’s former chief financial officer, will serve in the capacity of chief operating officer of Amcom Software, Inc.,” added Kelly.  “We are excited to have Chris, Dan, and the entire Amcom team as part of our organization going forward.”

Heim stated, “This is a great fit.  We bring a combined 40-plus years of experience in software solutions that help our customers run critical communications reliably, efficiently and accurately.  Both Amcom and USA Mobility share the same mission.  Together, we serve a tremendous need for our joint customers.”

[Posted by Peter DeHaan for AnswerStat magazine, a medical healthcare publication from Peter DeHaan Publishing Inc.]

Amcom Software, Inc. released Amcom Mobile Connect version 2.1.  This smartphone messaging and pager replacement solution continues to be well received as physicians and hospital staff seek improved two-way communications using BlackBerry, iPhone, and Android smartphones.  Version 2.1 adds Wi-Fi coverage and BlackBerry Internet Service capabilities to ensure rapid and reliable message delivery. This is in addition to core functionality already available, such as message encryption, delivery confirmations, and full traceability for all messages sent and received.

The highlights of Amcom Mobile Connect v2.1 include:

• BlackBerry Message Delivery via BlackBerry Internet Service Push: send messages using the BlackBerry Internet Service push system; securely download messages to the mobile application, eliminating the need to use SMS.
• Wi-Fi Support for BlackBerry Smartphones: supports message delivery to BlackBerry smartphones over Wi-Fi, giving users an alternative way to send messages if there are dead cellular coverage spots within a facility.
• Message Reply Templates: when responding to a message, the user can elect to enter free-form text or select from one of the pre-built message replies.
• Security Access Code: mobile users can establish and utilize a security access code on their Amcom Mobile Connect application.

[Posted by Peter DeHaan for AnswerStat magazine, a medical healthcare publication from Peter DeHaan Publishing Inc.]

Emory University selected Amcom Software, Inc’s smartphone messaging and pager replacement solution to enhance staff communication.  Amcom Mobile Connect simplifies the process of sending messages and tracking responses among smartphone-carrying staff for code alerts, patient updates, lab results, and consult requests.  Half of Emory’s 4,000 pager users also carry smartphones, making it possible for many of them to consolidate to a single device.

Emory’s Office of Information Technology chose the smartphone messaging solution to integrate with its existing Amcom contact center solutions, which are the backbone for a number of mission-critical communications throughout the Emory organization.  These include applications for operator consoles, Web-based employee directory and on-call scheduling, emergency notifications, and automated speech-based call processing.  Currently, Emory’s contact center operators transmit 8,000 messages per week using the operator consoles and 40,000 per week with the online directory.  With Mobile Connect, these messages can now go to smartphones in addition to pagers.

The software allows Emory to support a diverse user environment, including BlackBerry, Android smartphones, iPhones, and other devices; messages can be sent to any recipient, regardless of device or carrier.  This simplifies communication administration and speeds interaction.

[Posted by Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD for AnswerStat magazine, a medical healthcare publication from Peter DeHaan Publishing Inc.]

Amcom Software’s Amcom Mobile Connect now offers smartphone messaging for the Android.  This enables staff members at technology-driven hospitals to receive all messages on a single smartphone, negating the need to carry multiple devices.  The solution provides a full audit trail of activities, including date and time stamps for messages sent, received, and acknowledged.  The result is improved patient care and staff efficiency through a highly streamlined unified communications process in which it’s clear how to reach the right staff members at all times.

With smartphones as the basis for their pager replacement strategy, healthcare organizations are able to tap devices already in widespread use to simplify the process of contacting highly mobile staff.  This gives hospitals the flexibility to incorporate smartphones without worrying about which telecom carrier provides service.  This Amcom solution is already in place at several hospitals using BlackBerry smartphones.

Hospital operators and others can use Amcom Mobile Connect to deploy critical messages to staff members through a variety of inputs, including a simple Web portal.  In addition to this stand-alone deployment option, the solution also integrates seamlessly with Amcom’s unified communications suite.

For more information, call 800-852-8935.

[Posted by Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD for AnswerStat magazine, a medical healthcare publication from Peter DeHaan Publishing Inc.]

Amcom Software, a provider of mission-critical communications solutions, announced that its contact center applications are compliant with Avaya Aura Application Enablement Services (AES).  Avaya is a leader in enterprise communications systems.

The Amcom contact center applications, a foundational element for its unified communications solutions, help organizations create safer and more efficient environments through fast, intelligent information sharing.  The applications now are compliance-tested by Avaya for compatibility with Avaya Aura AES 5.2.

“Amcom is committed to ensuring seamless integration with Avaya solutions so we can continue to be a single source for customers’ end-to-end unified communications requirements,” said Chris Heim, CEO of Amcom Software.  “The fact that Avaya’s innovative solutions are based on open, standards-based platforms enables our customers to incorporate new technologies alongside their Amcom solutions easily and cost-effectively.  This helps them create forward-thinking communications infrastructures based on fast, accurate data exchange.”

Amcom Software is a member of the Avaya DevConnect program, an initiative to develop, market, and sell innovative third-party products that interoperate with Avaya technology and extend the value of a company’s investment in its network.

[Posted by Peter DeHaan for AnswerStat magazine, a medical healthcare publication from Peter DeHaan Publishing Inc.]