Skyscape(R) Launches Ground-Breaking MedAlert(TM) Medical Text Messaging Service for Cell Phones

MARLBOROUGH, Mass., June 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Skyscape(R), the worldwide leading service for trusted medical information by specialty for mobile devices, today announced the launch of MedAlert(TM), the first highly specialized, easy-to-use, text messaging medical service, specifically designed for cell phone users.

For a small monthly fee and by texting the keyword "medalert" to 36637, medical professionals can subscribe to MedAlert and receive up-to-the-minute medical news alerts via their cell phone. Users can customize their alerts by Specialty Interest Groups, and breaking medical news is communicated as it occurs, with a clear and concise text message. Since MedAlert has full email integration, the subscriber can instantly have complete medical articles sent to an email address simply by replying to the text message.

"Cell phones are quickly transcending communication from its traditional voice-centric modality to a far more powerful, yet silent modality -- text messaging," states Sandeep Shah, President and CEO of Skyscape. "While the young subscribers love to trade short notes and updates, until recently there has been little broad-based adoption by the professional community. With Skyscape's MedAlert, medical professionals are poised to utilize the benefits of this easy-to-use, efficient service to receive tailored information right on their cell. With virtually every healthcare professional owning a cell phone, this offers a quick way to receive relevant medical content vital to their medical specialty."

Skyscape offers the most trusted, evidence-based medical support tools for handheld devices, drawing from over 300 resources and close to 50 drug information resources. MedAlert subscribers can identify Specialty Interest Groups to receive information for the following:

  * Cardiology
  * Emergency Medicine
  * Internal Medicine
  * Neurology
  * OB/GYN
  * Pediatrics
  * Psychiatry
  * General Surgery
  * Family Medicine/General Practice

MedAlert is available to subscribers in the United States via cellular service providers such as Verizon Wireless, Cingular, Sprint/Nextel, Alltel and T Mobile for a monthly subscription of $1.99 per month plus standard message rates.

Usage of text messaging in the United States is growing at a rapid pace, currently reaching approximately 35% of all cellular users, according to M:Metrics, a mobile market measurement company. By offering MedAlert to its large base of medical professionals, Skyscape anticipates that number will steadily increase, said Shah.

"When I first heard about MedAlert, I immediately knew it would be a great way to stay on top of medical advances in my field without spending hours pouring through articles and news releases," states David Rosenberg, MD, a Pediatrician based in Long Island, New York. "Not only was MedAlert easy to set up and use on my cell phone, but it has exceeded my expectations. And I like getting breaking news as it happens 24/7. I have access to many services that provide email blasts of broad based information, but frankly, I can't keep up with the information efficiently. With MedAlert, it is as if I have a personal news channel, with a control of getting more information when I ask for it. I am positive that MedAlert will very quickly become a preferred source of information for more physicians and medical personnel."

For additional information on Skyscape's MedAlert and other Skyscape products, visit http://www.skyscape.com/medalert.

About Skyscape

Skyscape(R) is the worldwide leading service for trusted medical information by specialty for mobile devices. Skyscape's service enables healthcare practitioners to tailor their experience from the most trusted medical information available and delivers it in an intuitive manner that supports the natural thought flow for diagnosis and treatment. Skyscape has a registered user base of over 550,000 medical practitioners. Its more than 300 trusted references cover 30+ medical specialties. All are integrated via Skyscape's easy-to-use smARTlink(TM) technology and are available on Palm OS(R), Windows(R) Mobile and Windows(R) powered desktop and Tablet PCs. Skyscape is a privately held company headquartered in Marlborough, Massachusetts. For more information on Skyscape and its service go to http://www.skyscape.com/pr or call 508.460.6500.