Skyscape Receives U.S. Patent for Its ART Technology That Creates Information In Context For Mobile Devices

SKYSCAPE RECEIVES U.S. PATENT FOR ITS ART TECHNOLOGY THAT CREATES INFORMATION IN CONTEXT FOR MOBILE DEVICES

Raising the Bar for Mobile Data Use-Solutions Enable Professionals To Make More Informed Decisions, Quickly and Accurately

HUDSON, Mass. - August 5, 2002 - Skyscape, Inc., the leading provider of interactive, intelligent mobile solutions for the healthcare community, today announced that it received U.S. patent #6,389,461 for its ART™ (Advanced Reference and Transaction) Engine, smARTab™ and smARTlink™ technologies. The company has developed unique technology for aggregating information from any source, organizing the information and then creating linked, context-sensitive solutions for PDAs, cell phones and other devices. This means, for the first time, information can be quickly translated and automatically linked to similar electronic solutions in context to support the decision-making process of mobile professionals.

"Mobile and handheld devices are revolutionizing the way we access information, but the current way information is presented does not meet the needs of the mobile professional," said Sandeep Shah, CEO of Skyscape. "Until now, these devices have really only been used to store personal information and phone numbers. Skyscape solutions allow these devices to be effectively used in the mainstream work of mobile professionals."

Almost all mobile professionals operate on a common paradigm. They "think, refer and act." A physician might think about a possible disease, then about possible treatment strategies, then refer to a prescription drug reference and to a book on drug interactions, and finally act by writing a prescription. Skyscape's patented technology architecture aggregates information from diverse data sources, integrates reference and transaction information under a common paradigm, enables real-time navigation and exploration of huge, growing data stores, delivers relevant information in very rapid fashion, and processes rapidly increasing volumes of information-allowing mobile professionals to easily and naturally access the information they need to make better-informed decisions.

The U.S. Department of Commerce Patent and Trademark Office issued the patent for Skyscape's ART Engine and its associated data structures, processes, methods and interfaces. The smARTlink and smARTab technology is the first to put information in context for handheld users, following the intuitive "think, refer, act" model. Unlike hyperlinks, Skyscape's technology architecture allows for context-sensitive linking to new information without updating or adding hard links. This means when new content is added, it is automatically available in the proper context for use by the mobile professional. With smARTlink, users can switch from one information source to another without having to access new Web pages or wait while new files open. Skyscape's solutions respond as fast as users think. The patent also covers Skyscape's ability to automatically translate information into a device independent representation that can be immediately deployed to any target platform.

"Given the challenges facing the healthcare industry, particularly those related to medical errors and workflow, evolved mobile healthcare strategies present competitive, intuitive solutions to such challenges," said Alex Slawsby, research analyst at IDC. "Streamlining healthcare processes in a logical and efficient manner, such solutions have the potential to improve research and reference activities in other vertical industries as well."

Skyscape In Action - Revolutionizing the Way Information is Served to Physicians and Medical Professionals at the Point-of-Care

The first commercial application of the ART engine and smART technology infrastructure has been in the medical industry-revolutionizing medical knowledge management. With the increasingly mobile nature of doctors and the rapid pace of medical information change, critical new healthcare issues have arisen including an increase in the number of prescription errors and a decrease in the time doctors have to spend with patients. This translates into an increase in medical errors, which account for as many as 44,000 deaths per year.

Skyscape's solutions bring critical, actionable information to doctors, in a context they can use-reducing the time doctors need to spend consulting information and adding value by enabling complex information queries and access to the latest drug information. Research has shown that the ability to capture and retrieve information at the point-of-care can reduce the time it takes to deliver care in half and can significantly reduce prescription errors. The power of handhelds has been recognized by the medical industry, with almost 50 percent of doctors today using the devices.

Through the use of Skyscape solutions on their handhelds, physicians can diagnose illnesses, determine treatment, prescribe medication, identify drug interactions, calculate dosages, and perform all the necessary steps involved with quality patient care right at the patient's bedside. ART-based solutions enable practitioners to follow their own intuitive thought process and workflow, improving care quality and reducing administrative time. Skyscape's solutions are trusted by more than 90,000 registered users at leading medical institutions such as Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, Stanford Medical School, Partners Health System, Duke University, Mayo Clinic, and Kaiser Permanante.

"When seeing patients in pre-op clinic, I frequently consult Drug Guide for Physicians (DrDrugs™) through Skyscape to see exactly what some of the new drugs my patients are taking," said Carter Cherry, anesthesiologist, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. "In the operating room I find Sota Omoigui's Anesthesia Drug Handbook (AnesthesiaDrugs™) program most useful for details on the drugs. I find the information in it quite detailed usually allowing me to answer the question I have."

Recognizing the unique power of Skyscape's smART solutions, the world's leading medical publishers have partnered with Skyscape to bring their trusted medical content to handhelds including Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Elsevier Health Sciences, Thompson, Springer-Verlag/Bertlesmann, Facts and Comparisons, F.A. Davis and many others.

About Skyscape
Skyscape is the leading provider of interactive, intelligent mobile solutions for the healthcare community. Skyscape utilizes its patented ARTTM (Advanced Reference and Transaction) infrastructure technology to create compelling high-value solutions for handheld devices that reflect and support the intuitive thought processes of the medical practitioner. Skyscape's solutions significantly improve the quality and efficiency of medical decision making-at the point of care-by enabling doctors to diagnose illnesses, determine treatment, prescribe medication, identify drug interactions, calculate dosages and perform all the necessary steps involved with quality patient care.

Skyscape has the largest installed base of paying customers in the industry including individual and communities of medical practitioners at Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Stanford Medical School, Partners Health System, Duke University, Mayo Clinic, and Kaiser Permanente. Skyscape's solutions are available on multiple platforms including Palm OS®, Windows® CE, and Pocket PC. For more information about Skyscape, please visit our Website at www.skyscape.com.

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