Torrevieja in running for further collaboration with Microsoft

It’s been quite a fortnight in the world of technology, where things sometimes seem to change on an almost daily basis.

First up was the long awaited announcement from Apple and their new ‘iPad’ computing tablet. It arrived to mixed reviews but many observers seem to think that the second or third generation models may signal the future of new beginning for mobile computing. For most of the last decade Mac users have scoffed at the viruses that have infected Window’s operating systems around the world as the Mac OS has been relatively virus free. Microsoft has unsuccessfully been trying to plug gaps in their Internet Explorer package. This week the BBC reported that Microsoft are to patch a 17-year old security flaw that first appearing in Windows NT 3.1, discovered by Google security researcher Tavis Ormandy in January 2010. This vulnerability involves a utility that allows very old programs to run in the newest version of Windows and will be seen as another sigh of relief for those that continue to use IE.

And that brings us nicely around to the city of Torrevieja! So what’s the link between technology and Torrevieja? As many readers may know, Bill Gates recently recognised Torrevieja Hospital as being one of the foremost facilities in the world to embrace the latest in health management and diagnostics using Microsoft technology. In part, this recognition has attracted Microsoft to the region and thanks to the direct intervention of President Camps, they have announced their interest in building a Research and Development department within the Valencian Community to design and test Medical Diagnostic and Management systems, code named ‘Florence’.

Torrevieja’s Mayor Pedro Hernandez Mateo has already spoken up for the city, granting Microsoft a plot of land beside the Hospital to build a facility. Microsoft’s innovative products have been further developed by local engineers and are designed to not only link all of the region’s health centres to the Hospital’s Main Frame but also to allow staff to allow the system to check a patient’s diagnostics from their bedside or a remote location. The system designed for use in Torrevieja is already being used around Private Clinics in the USA and other parts of the world but Microsoft are keen to develop the ‘Florence’ system further here in Spain to export to South America, other parts of Europe and Asia.

And the link with Apple: even though it’s not officially for sale yet, some analysts are already talking about the possibility that a wi-fi enabled touch screen tablet such as Apple’s new iPad, being a boon to Hospital staff as they shall be able to get immediate readings from a patient’s bedside, while elsewhere in the hospital or indeed, anywhere in the world! Exciting news then that Torrevieja is in with an excellent chance of becoming one of the World’s most recognized centres for pioneering and medial computer systems if chosen for this innovate project.

Keith Nicol

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