NEUHAUSEN AM RHEINFALL, Switzerland and LOUISVILLE, Ky., Oct. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Card Guard AG and Humana Innovation Enterprises, a subsidiary of Humana Inc. , announced today that they have formed Sensei Inc., a new company designed to offer personalized monitoring services for wellness and disease management.
Sensei will be operated mainly as a wireless information platform, on which subscribers will be able to receive personalized nutrition, weight loss information, fitness notifications and medication reminders through their mobile phones and/or PDA’s. The company’s first services are scheduled to be available to subscribers in the first half of 2006.
“Humana’s innovation, expertise in data analysis, leadership in promoting positive behavior change and ability to engage consumers in managing their health led us to partner with Card Guard in this exciting new venture,” said Jonathan T. Lord, M.D., senior vice president and chief innovation officer of Humana. “Throughout the world, the negative consequences to individuals and society of poor diet and low physical activity are increasingly being understood. Sensei will provide a novel solution to this problem by leveraging technology to foster better health decision-making on a consumer-friendly, real-time basis.”
Yacov Geva, Chairman and CEO of Card Guard AG added: “It is our strong belief that new consumer-oriented, wireless applications will meet an emerging market need, and we’re pleased that Humana shares this view. Card Guard will provide technical know-how and experience to Sensei in order to construct a multimedia platform that answers the health, wellness and disease management demands of 21st-century consumers around the world.”
The Sensei platform will be marketed through wireless carriers, weight loss companies, fitness centers, consumer electronic companies and web portals. By 2007, the platform is also expected to include monitoring for hypertension, diabetes, heart failure, stress reduction, and asthma, among other conditions.
“Sensei is well positioned to capitalize on the vision and resources of Humana and Card Guard to positively impact consumer behavior,” said Terry Minton, CEO of Sensei. “Engaging consumers with personalized messages and customized content enables Sensei to be their wireless information mentor.”
Sensei, Inc. is 50 percent owned by Card Guard AG and 50 percent by Humana.
About Humana Inc.
Humana Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, is one of the largest publicly traded health benefits companies in the United States of America, with approximately 7 million medical members. Humana offers a diversified portfolio of health insurance products and related services - through traditional and consumer-choice plans - to employer groups, government- sponsored plans, and individuals. Over its 44-year history, Humana has consistently seized opportunities to meet changing customer needs. Today, the company is a leader in consumer engagement, providing guidance that leads to lower costs and a better health plan experience throughout its diversified customer portfolio.
About Card Guard AG
Card Guard AG, headquartered in Neuhausen am Rheinfall, Switzerland, is a leading company for healthcare technologies and solutions, specializing in advanced telehealth systems and monitoring services for high-risk and chronically ill patients, including ordinary consumers of health products and those who are worried well. Card Guard has subsidiaries in the United States, the Netherlands, Japan, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and in Israel. Among its subsidiaries, the company owns LifeWatch, a leading US-based cardiac monitoring service provider, and Instromedix, a US-based manufacturer of telecardiology products.
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CONTACT: Yacov Geva, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Card GuardAG, +41-52-632-00-50, or fax, +41-52-632-00-51, or ygeva@cardguard.com; orTom Noland, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications of Humana Inc.,+1-502-580-3674, or fax, +1-502-508-3674, or tnoland@humana.com
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