Continua Health Alliance Design Guidelines Now Available Free to Developers, Reducing Development Costs for Plug-'N'-Play Personal Health Solutions

BEAVERTON, Ore., April 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Continua Health Alliance, the international industry organization dedicated to advancing personal connected health by promoting end-to-end, plug-and-play connectivity of personal health devices and establishing industry standards for interoperability, today announced the availability of its most recent Design Guidelines (2011, 'Adrenaline') to the public as a free download. The Design Guidelines were previously available only to Continua members during Interoperability Testing. Continua Design Guidelines help technology developers build end-to-end, plug-and-play systems more efficiently and cost-effectively by facilitating seamless connectivity between personal connected health products and services, such as smart phones, gateways and remote monitoring devices.

"Making the latest Continua Design Guidelines available to the public for free is an important milestone, enabling vendors to create devices that make the collection and sharing of personal health data convenient and secure for consumers and health care providers. Availability of our Guidelines will also promote creativity among systems integrators to develop novel solutions," said Clint McClellan, Continua Board President and Senior Director of Strategic Marketing, Qualcomm Life, Inc. "Our Design Guidelines are proven to decrease time-to-market and reduce development costs, further supporting the widespread adoption of personal connected health solutions."

2012 Design Guidelines: First Bluetooth Smart Implementations
Continua's 2012 Design Guidelines ('Catalyst') were available to Continua members in March 2012, and are currently undergoing Interoperability Testing. For the first time, Continua's Guidelines include products that incorporate Bluetooth Smart, the low energy technology at the heart of the Bluetooth v4.0 specification. The ultra-low power consumption, security, and reliability of Bluetooth Smart products makes them ideally suited for health and fitness devices, vital signs monitoring systems (i.e., heart rate, blood pressure, temperature) or on-body sensors. Continua plans to publicly release the 2012 Guidelines, at no cost, at the end of this year.

"Continua and the Bluetooth Special Interest Group worked together to make Bluetooth Smart fully compliant with open Continua selected standards, so that Bluetooth Smart devices and systems will be 'Continua-ready,'" added McClellan. "This will facilitate more efficient connectivity, advancing our vision to create an ecosystem of plug-and-play products and services for health self-management and health care delivery. Devices powered by Bluetooth Smart technology use a fraction of the power of Bluetooth Classic, and, in many cases will not require recharging for over a year, making this an important technology for health and wellness monitoring programs."

Continua Design Guidelines are developed by Continua and complete an eight month, internal pilot program before public release. Each set of Guidelines is subject to interoperability testing to ensure Continua certified products and services connect to other products or systems without restrictions or specific implementation. Continua issued its original Design Guidelines in 2008 and 2010, and is working to release additional Design Guidelines each year.

Continua Health Alliance also provides free test tools and access to Certified Continua Experts (CCEs) to help members certify their products, and offers a testing and certification program that actively supports technology teams seeking certification. Certified products display a recognizable logo that signifies interoperability according to industry standards. Continua certification enables more efficient, standardized development and new market opportunities for interoperable products such as smartphones, dedicated wireless hubs, the Internet and personal health devices that can be used to collect and relay vital health information and education.

About Continua Health Alliance
Continua Health Alliance is an international not-for-profit industry organization enabling end-to-end, plug-and-play connectivity of personal health devices and services. These services will empower information-driven health self-management and facilitate the incorporation of health and wellness into the day-to-day lives of consumers. Continua is a pioneer in establishing industry standards and security for connected health technologies such as smartphones, gateways and remote monitoring devices. Its activities include a certification and brand support program, events and collaborations to support technology and clinical innovation, and outreach to employers, payers, governments and care providers. With nearly 250 member companies reaching across the globe, Continua is comprised of technology, medical device and health care industry leaders and service providers dedicated to making personal connected health a reality. For more information visit: www.continuaalliance.org.

SOURCE Continua Health Alliance