Demand Analysis and Market Strategies of u-Health

There is no application of ubiquitous computing that holds as an exciting promise as u-health. The benefits of u-health can be concrete and consequential, as they touch areas directly impacting our well-being and the quality of life for all of us. With progress in ICT and health care and medical technology providing capability, the introduction of u-health has been propelled by an increasing demand from both ends of the health care service market - service providers and users. This development was also certainly facilitated by the expanding scope of business covered by telecom operators and solution providers, and policy-level support by the government to spur the infusion of ICT in health care services. The benefits expected from u-health are enormous. In addition to the tremendous contribution to the welfare of health care users, it is projected to entail huge economic effects, bolstering the growth of the health care industry as a whole, as well as the ICT industries, including solution and equipment sectors. In this paper, we, predict demand for both the services and related equipment based on the results of a consumer survey, identify factors affecting the diffusion of this new service system, and, finally, suggest market development strategies for it.