UTAH TECH WATCH - - by David Politis - - 4/27-29/96 Edition

Imagine a world where you no longer have to rush your kid to the emergency
room of your local hospital for treatment for an overnight malady.

Think of a world where you can consult with a medical expert at any time of
day or night, with no waiting period, for little or no cost.

Consider a world where previous medical histories and current vital signs
can be reviewed and taken electronically by a health care professional
half way across the country, who can also electronically prescribe
medications to treat the symptoms besetting you or your youngster.

Sound like a Buck Rogers, M.D. fantasy?

Not to Utah Governor Mike Leavitt. And he's right.

Utah Governor addresses UITA

More than 200 of Utah's high-tech industry leaders gathered at Snowbird Ski
and Summer Resort this week for the fifth Annual Members' Day meeting of
the Utah Information Technologies Association.

Addressing the attendees were two keynote speakers: Leavitt and James
Oyler, president and chief executive officer of Evans & Sutherland.

Leavitt painted much the same picture described above, a world where much
of the diagnostic work done in medicine today would be completed via
two-way computer/television systems.

These teleputers will have high speed access to the Internet, or its future
offspring, capable of delivering real-time full motion video. As a parent,
we will have our own medical history, as well as the medical histories of
our children, embedded into a smart card, which we could download
instantly to a medical professional should the need arise.

With the use of various peripheral devices attached to the teleputer, body
temperature, pulse, blood pressure, and other vital statistics will all be
instantly available to the attending physician, regardless of where he or
she is located.

Tellingly, Governor Leavitt pointed out that many of these technologies
already exist today in one form or another.

In fact, Leavitt revealed that the state is investigating the possibility
of turning today's dumb driver's license into a smart license embedded
with a silicon wafer, capable of carrying a ton of data about the
licensee.

Pluses and minuses

This future Nirvana envisioned by Leavitt, however, does not come without
cost, he cautioned.

"It will be the sociology and not the technology that will limit us in the
future," Leavitt said. "This may be the largest single barrier to the
future success of this industry. It's not the technology; it's the
sociology."

Leavitt also warned against letting government play too big a role in
deciding what technology should and shouldn't do, saying that government
should not become the "Great Coordinator."

At the same time, Leavitt also praised Utah's IT companies for their role
in the state's booming economic status, claiming the high-tech sector "has
been the lift to our economy."

During his presentation, Leavitt also announced that Utah has just selected
two Internet providers to offer Internet access to every state and
educational employee in the state.

For $9.95 per month, any state or educational employee can have unlimited
access to the Internet through US West or Sisna.

Leavitt explained that he wants to make the maximum level of Internet
connections available to state employees.

"By year's end, every child in our state will have access to the Internet,"
Leavitt said.

Building the pipe

According to Steve Hess, executive director of the Utah Education Network,
dial-in service to the Internet should begin next month.

Individuals will pay for the service themselves, unless they can convince
their employers that it is necessary for their jobs.

Although there will be no money exchange hands between the state and the
two Internet providers, the contracts could prove quite lucrative.
Particularly when you consider that there are as many as 60,000 to 70,000
state and educational employees in the state.

A second part of the RFP (request for proposal) was a provision for a
high-speed backbone (known as a T3 or DS3) leased line connecting various
points in the state.

This $250,000 one-year contract was awarded to Sprint, and it should be
operational by early June.

A marketing communications consultant that specializes in high-tech and
life sciences clients, David Politis welcomes column ideas at 801-569-2592
or via the Internet at dpolitis@politis.com.
 
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