Intel And Experian To Enable Trusted Patient-Provider Interactions On The Internet

Consumer Authentication Solution is a Catalyst for Internet Health

ORANGE and SANTA CLARA, Calif., May 4, 2000 - Experian and Intel Corporation today announced a collaboration to develop an online digital credential for consumers that will help enable trusted patient-provider interactions over the Internet.

The consumer digital credential service will be offered to health-oriented Web sites that are connecting patients and providers to enable more trusted online communications as well as transactions such as appointments, referrals, prescriptions and payments.

Intel® Internet Authentication Services (IAS) is developing the credential with Experian, a leading information solutions company. Intel IAS previously announced plans to deliver online digital credentials for physicians and pharmacists through agreements with the American Medical Association and American Pharmaceutical Association.

"Solving patient authentication is critical to helping the $1.2 trillion U.S. healthcare industry adopt the Internet," said Mariah Scott, business unit manager at Intel IAS. "Today's announcement, combined with the AMA physician digital credential and APhA pharmacist digital credential, marks another key step in creating a more trusted online environment for healthcare. Intel is pleased to be delivering the infrastructure needed to bring the benefits of the Internet to the largest service sector in our economy."

"Experian's industry-leading consumer databases enable more reliable online authentication of American consumers," said Steve Krenzer, chief operating officer of Experian e-Commerce Solutions. "This ability will play a critical role in allowing Intel to provide high-quality and reliable authentication services to their healthcare customers. Experian is committed to helping patients and providers safeguard patient privacy in online healthcare transactions."

"By working together to help create, manage and deploy online digital credentials, the AMA, Intel and other Internet health leaders are creating a network of trust for all stakeholders," said Robert A. Musacchio, Ph.D., senior vice president of Publishing and Business Services, American Medical Association. "We are pleased to be helping bring physicians into this trusted environment."

The consumer digital credential will help protect patient privacy by giving healthcare Web sites that connect the many players in the healthcare services industry a more reliable mechanism for establishing a patient's identity before granting access to private communications and transactions. The Intel and Experian solution will be focused on authenticating patient identity on an opt-in basis; the organizations will not access or store patient information or transaction data in delivering the service.

About the Companies
Experian is an information solutions company. It uses the power of information to help its clients target prospective customers, manage existing customer relationships and identify opportunities for profitable growth. Experian is a subsidiary of The Great Universal Stores PLC and has headquarters in Nottingham, England and Orange, Calif. Its 12,000 people support clients in over 50 countries. Annual sales are in excess of $1.5 billion. For more information, visit the company's Web site on www.experian.com.

Intel Internet Authentication Services develops and manages authentication services for associations, organizations and Internet health sites that want to offer branded credentials to their users. Intel IAS enables remote credential retrieval when users need access from a different computer, and performs maintenance to keep credentials current.

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