WebHealthCentre.com, the online health portal promoted by Tata Consultancy Services, in association with Web Health Systems, has enhanced its offerings to provide Webservices. These have been developed on Microsoft .Net framework by the Microsoft .Net Centre of Excellence at Mumbai. TCS is a Microsoft Certified Solution Provider and a managed partner with Microsoft. TCS is also certified as the .ET services system integrator by Microsoft. The portal has implemented .NET technology to offer value added services like online appointments, online lab reports and mobile health directories in addition to the already existing services.

The use of .NET web services allows applications to communicate and share data over the Internet, regardless of the operating system or programming language the applications are running in. Webhealthcentre.com is the first live site in India to use the Microsoft passport login. Microsoft Passport is an authentication service that allows a user common login across various sites.

"TCS health portal is envisaged as an important nodal point for the dissemination of health-related information in India. It will immensely benefit medical community and the public at large. The multi- institutional online consultation is the first of its kind in India. said S.Ramadorai, CEO, TCS. This unique confluence of technology with convenience is in line with our commitment to the social cause. The implementation of the .NET application has enabled us add on a whole range of other value-added benefits for our users. he added.

"In today's world, it is essential to integrate the existing disjointed pools of vast data. with web services built using the .NET platform. These islands of information can interoperate seamlessly, offering a comprehensive solution to end users" said Rajiv Kaul, managing director, Microsoft India, elaborating on the relevance of .NET applications in todays environment. "We are confident that the implementation of .NET application at webhealthcentre.com will help it become a single point for health related information, and hence offer enhanced value to the medical community and the general public." he added.

Webhealthcentre.com has been ranked as the 10th best health website on the Internet by www.worldnetwork.com. The site has tied up with the leading medical institutions across India and has access to 30 institutions and over 700 medical professionals as well as independent consultants. About 7,000 consultations have been completed in 26 specialities till date. Registered users consultation is free and replies are sent within 48 hours. Webhealthcentre.com currently stores more than 12,000 medical records, making it one of the largest online storage facilities for medical records in India.

The portal has several unique facilities like clinic online where doctors can set up their clinic on the Internet. Patients can send details of their condition, scans, reports etc. to their consulting doctor. This data is filed away in the patients name and can be referred prior to any future consultation. For patients, it gives the security of having accessibility to their doctor, no matter which corner of the world they are in. E-Health tools track health parameters. The doctor can have access to specific patient parameters over a period of time. Online laboratory reports allow doctors and patients to view lab reports online. This would prove invaluable in case of a medical emergency.

Other services include the appointment scheduler and a student centre. Students preparing for postgraduate medical entrance exams will find this service very useful.

In health E-Shoppe, one can purchase medicines online. It also has a health directory, which is a comprehensive listing of health services available in the four metro cities of Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata. This includes listing of blood banks, hospitals with casualty etc. Health directories are WAP enabled and the data can be accessed through WAP enabled mobile phones, anywhere, anytime. Other features include; E-Bookstore and Health E Finance.

About Tata Consultancy Services
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a division of Tata Sons Limited, is a global software solutions and consulting services enterprise. TCS is Asias largest global software and services consulting company with over 18,500 professionals working at 91 branches in 24 countries and 5 continents and with over 800 global clients. Tata Consultancy Services has 20 Global Development Centres, 13 of which are assessed at SEI-CMM Level 5 - the highest number in the world. TCS is also the only company in the world that has 4 offices assessed at PCMM Level 4 (Software and People Capability Maturity Model). TCS has established the Tata Research Development and Design Center (TRDDC) in Pune, Maharashtra dedicated to software research and development and the only one of its kind in Asia. The companys website can be found at www.tcs.com