Wireless Revolution Attracts New Health Care Partners

As health care’s quest to embrace the wireless revolution continues, the demands on medical devices are changing, and the industry is seeing a significant increase in the number of companies and products – at various stages of development – that utilize mobile technology. A good deal of emphasis is being placed on patient-monitoring devices designed to be used outside health facility walls. Although the types of information these devices measure are not really changing, the way the data is transmitted and utilized is poised to change how care is delivered. The players involved in this technology-based transformation are also shifting, as many of the large communication companies are not only becoming heavily invested in the process, but also are taking lead roles in the market’s direction.

One of the biggest names active in this evolving field is Qualcomm Inc., which established a new business unit, Qualcomm Life Inc., in late 2011 for the sole purpose of...