Bosch closes its US-based telehealth service Health Buddy

Bosch HealthBuddy

Although the telehealth market is booming, Bosch — which was one of the industry’s pioneers — is closing its US subsidiary Robert Bosch Healthcare, reducing the scope of its operations to a 50-person team based in Germany.

Bosch is currently realigning its business in the medical and healthcare sector, and is examining its options in this market. The company is currently analyzing future opportunities in this field. Its deliberations center on the company’s key competence in sensor technology, which results in improved diagnostics. To this end, Bosch has established an organizational unit in Germany at the beginning of 2015. It currently employs 50 people. As part of this realignment, Bosch has agreed to close its telehealth business in the US. Despite early entry to the telehealth market, the strategic and economic targets associated with Bosch’s telehealth business did not develop as expected.

The US subsidiary counts some 125 employees who will have the option of applying to open positions within Bosch, or get a severance package and outplacement services. The company will continue to employ a small support team, and will support its ongoing contract with the VA until it expires in 2016.

Bosch was offering home monitoring devices for people with chronic conditions since 2007, having acquired Health Buddy from Health Hero. The company also marketed ViTelCare T400, a home monitor for more acute and intensive cases that Bosch picked up in a 2009 acquisition.

In recent years however, Bosch became best known for all the lawsuits it has raised to defend its intellectual property. Perhaps that energy would’ve been put in better use if the company has adopted to the changing telehealth world. At this stage, we can only speculate…

[Via: mobihealthnews, Telecare Aware]