Through this nonexclusive agreement, the companies seek to combine Philips' experience in telehealth and remote patient monitoring with Misys' expertise as one of the leading providers of clinical and business software for the U.S. homecare market. Misys and Philips intend to work together to offer deeper integration of vital signs data and health status information into the patient record, providing a more comprehensive clinical review application than is currently available from telehealth providers today. The goal is to provide a powerful solution that helps homecare agencies optimize care for patients most in need of clinical attention, in order to reduce hospital readmissions and healthcare costs associated with chronic disease.

Philips offers wireless telemonitoring measurement devices, robust clinical content – including patient education, validated health surveys and risk assessment tools – as well as wide-ranging service delivery support and innovative pricing models. Misys brings a fully integrated financial and clinical management solution, including point-of-care, to the homecare industry.

"Telemonitoring, in conjunction with early intervention and self-care education, can extend the reach of care and improve patients' quality of life," says Mike Lemnitzer, senior director, Philips Consumer Healthcare Solutions. "Studies have shown that remote monitoring can lead to significant reductions in unnecessary readmissions and emergency hospitalizations, helping ease the burden of rising healthcare costs due to chronic disease. Specialized Primary and Networked Care in Heart Failure (SPAN-CHF II) study presented at the American Heart Association annual scientific session Nov 15, 2005. Study conducted by Tufts-New England Medical Center, Boston MA; Dr. Marvin Konstam, senior investigator."

By integrating telehealth information into its clinical platform, Misys believes a combined software solution would enable homecare agencies to boost operational efficiency and quality scores, in addition to improving patient safety and oversight. "Misys is focused on providing cost-effective solutions for the home healthcare market. By providing a better way to monitor and manage home-bound patients and schedule clinical staff, we can help homecare agencies improve both productivity and patient care," according to Jeneane Brian, clinical strategy executive for Misys Healthcare Systems.

As Philips and Misys work together on an integrated software platform, they will also be co-marketing their existing products in the homecare market – Philips remote patient monitoring and Misys Homecare™ integrated clinical solution.

Philips Consumer Healthcare Solutions offers a range of telehealth solutions for home care and disease management: remote monitoring for patients with chronic conditions, risk assessment services, and Motiva interactive platform for patient education and self-management. Philips Lifeline provides medical alert services and senior living solutions to help enable independent living for older adults. For more information about Philips telehealth solutions, visit www.medical.philips.com/goto/telemonitoring.

About Misys Healthcare Systems
Misys Healthcare Systems develops and supports reliable, easy-to-use software and services of exceptional quality that enable physicians and caregivers to more easily manage the complexities of healthcare. Misys' family of leading clinical products and Web-based technologies are designed to share patient data across medical care settings. Misys makes Community EHR a reality by connecting community-based physicians and caregivers to acute care enterprise, enabling increased efficiencies, better decision-making and improved hospital-physician relations. For more information, visit www.misyshealthcare.com.

About Royal Philips Electronics
Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) is a global leader in healthcare, lifestyle and technology, delivering products, services and solutions through the brand promise of "sense and simplicity". Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips employs approximately 124,300 employees in more than 60 countries worldwide. With sales of USD 34 billion (EUR 27 billion) in 2006, the company is a market leader in medical diagnostic imaging and patient monitoring systems, energy efficient lighting solutions, personal care and home appliances, as well as consumer electronics. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter.