CHICAGO, Feb. 10, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Merge, an IBM Company (NYSE: IBM) and leading provider of clinical systems and innovations that seek to advance healthcare, today announced that the 2017 Best in KLAS: Software & Services report named Merge Cardio(TM) and Merge's iConnect® Enterprise Archive Best in KLAS for the cardiology and VNA/image archive categories respectively. In addition, Merge Hemo(TM) was named the KLAS Category Leader in cardiology hemodynamics. This marks the sixth consecutive win for Merge Hemo, fourth consecutive win for Merge Cardio and second consecutive win for Merge's iConnect Enterprise Archive.

"This recognition by KLAS is humbling and mirrors the feedback we receive from them -- they trust Merge to deliver innovative image sharing solutions that help them reduce costs and improve efficiencies," said Anne LeGrand, vice president of imaging at IBM Watson Health. "Receiving KLAS designations year after year reinforces Merge's leadership position, and reflects our continuing commitment to our clients and ability to respond to industry trends with solutions that help improve healthcare."

The 2017 Best in KLAS: Software & Services report provides a high level overview of performance ratings for vendors offering software, professional services and medical equipment to the healthcare industry. Merge Cardio received an overall score of 80.7, Merge's iConnect Enterprise Archive received an overall score of 87.3 and Merge Hemo received an overall score of 86.6.

About KLAS
KLAS(TM) is a research firm on a global mission to improve healthcare delivery by enabling providers to be heard and counted. Working with thousands of healthcare professionals and clinicians, KLAS gathers data on software, services and medical equipment to deliver timely reports, trends and statistical overviews. The research directly represents the provider voice and acts as a catalyst for improving vendor performance. To learn more about KLAS and our reports, visit www.KLASresearch.com.

About Merge
Merge, an IBM Company, is a leading provider of innovative enterprise imaging, interoperability and clinical systems that seek to advance healthcare. Merge's enterprise and cloud-based technologies for image intensive specialties provide access using a standard internet browser or mobile device. With solutions that have been used by providers for more than 25 years, Merge is helping to reduce costs and improve efficiencies, which enhances the quality of healthcare worldwide. For more information, visit merge.com and follow us on Twitter @MergeHealthcare.

About IBM Watson Health
Watson is the first commercially available cognitive computing capability representing a new era in computing. The system, delivered through the cloud, analyzes high volumes of data, understands complex questions posed in natural language, and proposes evidence-based answers. Watson continuously learns, gaining in value and knowledge over time, from previous interactions. In April 2015, the company launched IBM Watson Health and the Watson Health Cloud platform. The new unit will help improve the ability of doctors, researchers and insurers to innovate by surfacing insights from the massive amount of personal health data being created and shared daily. The Watson Health Cloud will allow this information to be de-identified, shared and combined with a dynamic and constantly growing aggregated view of clinical, research and social health data. For more on IBM Watson, visit: ibm.com/watson. For more information on IBM Watson Health, visit: ibm.com/watsonhealth.

Join the conversation at #ibmwatson and #watsonhealth. Follow Watson on Facebook and see Watson on YouTube and Flickr.

Cautionary Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
The matters discussed in this news release may include forward-looking statements, which could involve a number of risks and uncertainties. When used in this press release, the words "will," "believes," "intends," "anticipates," "expects" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, such forwardlooking statements. Except as expressly required by the federal securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update such factors or to publicly announce the results of any of the forward-looking statements.

Media Contact:
Lorie Fiber
IBM Media Relations
(646) 318-0575
lfiber@us.ibm.com

SOURCE IBM

SOURCE: IBM