Virgin Life Care SA, the health subsidiary of the global Virgin Group, has awarded IBM a R15.5 million five-year contract to design, manufacture, roll-out, maintain and support its 126 HealthZone kiosks.
The kiosks will replace those manufactured by Virgin Life Care and are being introduced nationally into Virgin Active clubs, corporate offices and Dis-Chem Pharmacies, say the companies.
Andrew Milne, CEO of Virgin Life Care SA, says IBM Global Technology Services offered the company a single point of management from strategy and manufacturing to ongoing maintenance support, both locally and in the US.
"IBM's manufacturing processes gave us a more cost-effective way of producing and maintaining these kiosks than was the case when we produced them ourselves. Also, we gain access to a much broader range and wider geographical reach of maintenance expertise," says Milne.
More than 300 000 Virgin Life Care members use the kiosks regularly to check their blood pressure, body fat percentage and weight measurements. Members also use the kiosks to assess and monitor progress from their recommended exercise and dietary programmes. The kiosks produce more than four million measurements a year.
Essential health tools
Gary Carroll, director of small to medium businesses at IBM South and Central Africa, notes the kiosks have become essential tools for customers using Virgin's healthcare facilities.
"People rely on the kiosks to keep motivated, continue tracking their health and take the necessary action to stay healthy, so ensuring the kiosks are reliable and cost-effective were crucial elements in their design and manufacture," he says.
"It was also important to keep deployment, maintenance and support as simple as possible for Virgin Life Care and enable the company to focus on keeping people fit and healthy without being distracted by the underlying technology."
The South African project mirrors one already completed in the US. Manufacture of the South African units began in March - with the first unit installed in Cape Town at the end of May. The roll-out of the kiosks to the rest of the country is expected to be completed by the end of this month.
IBM SA partner First Distribution is managing the distribution of the kiosks, while IBM installs the kiosks and manages ongoing support and maintenance as well as training of Virgin Life Care employees.
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