SwanCare Residents Find Life Is Better with Internet-Based Technology

Cisco and Vieo Communications Systems Improve Safety, Security, Services

SYDNEY, Australia - July 11, 2006 - SwanCare Group, a leading west Australian retirement and aged-care provider, is providing lifestyle and security benefits to its 1,100 residents based on a Unified Communications network solution from Cisco Systems®.

Working with technology leader, Vieo Systems®, Cisco is helping provide an Internet Protocol (IP) network for SwanCare Group, which features high-speed Internet access, security and emergency assistance, intelligent housing, and Cisco® Unified Communications telephony. The network is helping SwanCare Group improve the service for users and to reduce operational costs, as well as giving the organisation a unified approach to technology for the first time.

Bill Marshall, chief executive officer of SwanCare Group, said the network would allow the SwanCare group to offer residents tailored technology packages over a single IP backbone, thereby allowing for improved client communication.

“Historically, we have offered numerous independent technology solutions across the facility to aid residents. Since deploying the Cisco IP solution with IP telephony, the facility can now utilise an IP backbone to roll out converged services across one network, reducing costs and enabling services to be implemented more efficiently. Moreover, the combined systems now provide additional options for residents, which maximise the opportunity for them to remain independent, be it in our independent living units (ILUs) or even at their own home in suburbia,” Mr Marshall said.

Through an innovative mix of technology and “everyday appliances” such as pressure mats and monitored hot-water systems, the security and safety of residents, as well as access to information and services, are enhanced by the IP network. For instance, prolonged hot-water use, which may indicate a fall in the shower, can now be automatically detected by the IP network. Staff can be automatically notified of such an incident via the network, helping to improve response times to a potential problem within an independent residence.

Cisco IP phones in the home help enable residents to access essential information such as news and bus timetables from the convenience of a bedside table. Residents also enjoy the large displays and easy-to-use features of Cisco’s IP phone handsets.

SwanCare Group is also benefiting from new revenue sources. User-pays services such as telephony, high-speed Internet access and video-on-demand can provide a new income stream for the Group, whilst allowing the residents to benefit from discounted services. This trend is expected to continue as residents become more technically aware and the demand for services increases.

Ross Fowler, managing director of Cisco Australia and New Zealand, said; “The benefits of intelligent IP networking are becoming very clear to the health care industry in Australia and the aged-care sector in particular. Cisco has worked closely with technology partners on this project to help SwanCare Group provide improved services to its clients and to improve its communications system.”

Cisco worked with the SwanCare Group and Vieo Systems, aged-care infrastructure specialists, and Vieo’s technology partner Clipsal Australia, to create an architecture that meets the unique and complex needs of modern aged care.
About Vieo Systems

Vieo Systems is a premier provider of leading-edge intelligent housing and communications technologies for residential aged care facilities. VIEO Systems specialise in solutions that leverage the advanced capabilities of converged (voice, video and data) networks to improve communications, safety and quality of life for aged care residents, while ensuring a measurable return on investment for the organisations which deploy them. vieo@vieosystems.com
About Cisco Systems

Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO), is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to http://newsroom.cisco.com.

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