This week Robert Bosch Healthcare announced that it had come to an agreement with Waldo Networks, one of the companies that Bosch had sued over patent infringement this past January. The company sued three makers of remote home health monitoring technology -- MedApps, ExpressMD, and Waldo -- claiming that the competitors infringed on patents for Bosch’s Health Buddy system.
"Bosch Healthcare is pleased to work with Waldo Health as a licensee of our telehealth technology," Dr. Jasper zu Putlitz, president of Robert Bosch Healthcare Systems stated in a press release. "This is an important step in giving innovative start-up companies like Waldo Health the opportunity to advance the telehealth market. Our ultimate goal is patient-focused -- we all want to improve patient health outcomes and lower healthcare costs by leveraging technology to provide premium care at home. Licensing our technology helps Waldo Health to fulfill these common goals and we wish them great success in continuing to enhance patient care."
Waldo developed a tablet-based home monitoring system and raised $750,000 in private equity in 2010.
While this week's announcement did not specifically address the lawsuits, Bosch did suggest earlier this year that a licensing agreement would end the suit:
“We feel it is important to demonstrate that IP is important, and not just to our company,” Robert Bosch spokesperson Cheryl Kilborn told MobiHealthNews in February. “Bosch Healthcare Systems, like most high-tech companies, values its intellectual property as an essential asset of its business,” she added in an e-mailed statement at the time.”Bosch is open to working with those companies that are interested in securing this technology through a licensing agreement, and we are in discussion with numerous companies in this regard.”
At the time, Bosch was seeking to have the court order the three defendants to stop marketing their products, plus unspecified punitive damages.
While Waldo never commented on the lawsuits in past reports, MobiHealthNews reported in February that both MedApps and ExpressMD said the suits against them were baseless.
Vincent Salvo, Waldo Health's CEO noted that his company was one of the few to license the company's technology patents: "Waldo Health is excited to be one of the first companies to license the Bosch portfolio. It provides our team with the ability to focus on larger strategic initiatives and create the most meaningful customer experiences in the telehealth space. Our competitors do not have rights to the Bosch technology. This, combined with the launch of our next generation of innovative products and services, makes Waldo the clear choice when it comes to collaboratively improving people's lives."
More about the Waldo Networks licensing deal with Robert Bosch Healthcare in the press release below:
PRESS RELEASE: PALO ALTO, CA -- Robert Bosch Healthcare Systems, Inc. and Waldo Networks, Inc., also known as Waldo Health, entered into a licensing agreement as of April 24, 2012. Waldo Health now has the right to sell products and services incorporating technologies from Bosch's extensive telehealth portfolio.
Waldo Health is one of the first licensees of Bosch's extensive telehealth patent portfolio which consists of more than 145 issued U.S. patents and more than 60 U.S. patent applications and foreign equivalents. It includes: pioneering technologies for devices; methods and systems for transmission of physiological and psychological data of a patient; interactive communication between a patient and a health care provider; recording and analysis of health related physiological and psychological data of a patient; and feedback to a patient regarding compliance with a health-related care plan. In 2011, Bosch Healthcare initiated an active technology licensing program.
"Bosch Healthcare is pleased to work with Waldo Health as a licensee of our telehealth technology," said Dr. Jasper zu Putlitz, president of Robert Bosch Healthcare Systems, Inc. "This is an important step in giving innovative start-up companies like Waldo Health the opportunity to advance the telehealth market. Our ultimate goal is patient-focused -- we all want to improve patient health outcomes and lower healthcare costs by leveraging technology to provide premium care at home. Licensing our technology helps Waldo Health to fulfill these common goals and we wish them great success in continuing to enhance patient care."
Vincent Salvo, Waldo Health's new chief executive officer, stated, "Waldo Health is excited to be one of the first companies to license the Bosch portfolio. It provides our team with the ability to focus on larger strategic initiatives and create the most meaningful customer experiences in the telehealth space. Our competitors do not have rights to the Bosch technology. This, combined with the launch of our next generation of innovative products and services, makes Waldo the clear choice when it comes to collaboratively improving people's lives."
Robert Bosch Healthcare Systems, Inc. is a leading provider of innovative telehealth systems. Bosch's product spectrum ranges from patient interfaces to comprehensive health management and patient evaluation software allowing healthcare professionals to efficiently evaluate the patient's health status. Bosch Healthcare strives to help improve diagnosis and treatment through systematic patient monitoring and involvement. The result is that health professionals are able to provide a higher quality of care for patients with chronic conditions, patients lead happier and healthier lives, and the cost of healthcare is reduced for payers. Robert Bosch Healthcare Systems, Inc. is a fully-owned subsidiary of the Bosch Group. For more information, go to www.bosch-telehealth.com.
In the U.S., Canada and Mexico, the Bosch Group manufactures and markets automotive original equipment and aftermarket products, industrial drives and control technology, power tools, security and communication systems, packaging technology, thermo technology, household appliances, solar energy, healthcare telemedicine and software innovations. Having established a regional presence in 1906, Bosch employs over 22,500 associates in more than 100 locations, with sales of $9.8 billion in fiscal year 2011, per preliminary figures. For more information, visit www.boschusa.com.
The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. According to preliminary figures, more than 300,000 associates generated sales of 51.4 billion euros ($71.5 billion) in the areas of automotive and industrial technology, consumer goods, and building technology in fiscal year 2011. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its more than 350 subsidiaries and regional companies in some 60 countries. If its sales and service partners are included, then Bosch is represented in roughly 150 countries. This worldwide development, manufacturing, and sales network is the foundation for further growth. Bosch spent more than 4 billion euros ($5.5 billion) for research and development in 2011, and applied for over 4,100 patents worldwide. With all its products and services, Bosch enhances the quality of life by providing solutions which are both innovative and beneficial. Further information is available online at www.bosch.com and www.bosch-press.com.
