Telefonica calls for mHealth partnerships
Telefonica believes that partnerships with various players in the value chain are necessary if mHealth is to grow beyond test pilots into a mainstream global opportunity. Carlos Martinez Miguel – Head of Strategic Analysis & Planning at Spanish and Latin American operator Telefonica’s Global Healthcare division – claimed during his keynote at this year’s GSMA-mHA Mobile Health Summit that “network operators can be the ideal ‘travel companions’ for healthcare systems and providers.” Stating that “strategic partners are required” for all mHealth initiatives, Miguel said operators make good partners due to their experience in communications as well as customer service: “We have the ability to invest and offer end-to-end managed services.” However, Miguel stressed that there is no intention from the operator community to replace the role of the medical profession.