BERN, Switzerland -- Swisscom has acquired a 40% stake in Medgate Holding AG, which has become the leading Swiss centre for telemedicine since it was founded in 1999. Swisscom's investment underlines its ambitions in the growing e-healthcare market. The purpose of the investment is to develop and promote comprehensive telemedical patient care in Switzerland. The parties have agreed not to disclose details of the purchase price.

E-health and telemedicine provide an opportunity to optimize healthcare costs while improving treatment and quality of life for patients. Patients can be treated on a continual and remote basis, which decreases the need for hospital stays and has a positive impact on healthcare costs. The development of telemedical solutions requires expertise in the areas of medicine, healthcare economics, and IT and communications technology. The synergies between Swisscom and Medgate lie in the development and marketing of telemedicine systems and programmes.

Swisscom AG (NYSE: SCM)