The healthcare industry consists of approximately 7,000 general hospitals; 15,000 nursing homes; 30,000 outpatient clinics and 200,000 doctor's offices. Due to an aging baby-boomer population and rising expenses, the cost of providing healthcare is expected to double in the next decade. One solution to reducing those costs is videoconferencing.

AT&T and Polycom have joined forces to create high-impact solutions that offer AT&T Network Services with Polycom Video, Voice and Content collaboration solutions to Healthcare, Government and Education. Together, AT&T and Polycom help customers transform traditional business models, increase productivity and time-to-market, while reducing costs. Specific benefits include:

• Elimination of long distance travel for healthcare professionals
• Equal access to care for patients across all demographics and geographies
• Increase in market share with little expenditure
• Better management of the imbalance of healthcare providers in urban centers
• Overcome healthcare provider shortages in remote areas by offering access to expertise in other facilities
• Increase productivity of healthcare specialists by eliminating the need to travel
• Reduce overall travel expenditures