Tenzinger acquires ECD Cura from Unit4 as per 1 November 2019. With this takeover, Tenzinger, mother company of amongst others Medicore and Cure4, broadens its scope for the support of challenges within the healthcare sector with smart ICT solutions.
Size boosts innovativeness
“This acquisition is key for both parties”, states Boris Hololtcheff, CEO at Tenzinger. “For Tenzinger it is translated in a boost for the further development of our products and services. It also enables us to further expand our position as supplier of healthcare information systems to the fields of disabled care, homecare and dental care”.
Olav van de Reijken, general manager healthcare at Unit4 Cura, adds: “The added value for Unit4, of which Cura is a component, is that it can entrust Cura’s care activities to a party with its undivided focus on healthcare. Our clients expressly feel the need for a partner with an eye for both healthcare as well as innovative strength. The cooperation with Tenzinger offers solid perspectives for the joint development and enhancement of our digital strategy. It feels good to see Cura join forces with an organisation supporting the healthcare field.”
Healthcare and SaaS as specialty
Cura’s market position in the fields of homecare, elderly care and disabled care matches perfectly with the position of EPD (Elektronisch Patiënten Dossier – Electronic health record)-supplier Medicore, one of Tenzinger’s subsidiaries. Hololtcheff elaborates: “In 2004, at Medicore’s incorporation, we opted explicitly for webbased software development for Medicore’s healthcare information system. At that time, this was unique. This choice resulted in a solid market leader position within the field of medical specialist care for private treatment centres and consequently in a substantial growth within the mental health care and youth care segments. In addition, the incorporation of Cure4, also one of Tenzinger’s subsidiaries, strongly reinforced Tenzinger’s market position. Currently, more than 90
specialists are working on corporate, financial and legal matters within the healthcare sector at the fast-growing Cure4. Given the continuous changes in laws and regulations within the care sector, such knowledge is vital.”
The market where the Tenzinger group operates is in serious transformation, states Tenzinger’s CFO Björn Simmelink. “The strict laws and regulations, such as the General Data Protection regulations and the new regulations pertaining to care and coercion, for instance, force the EPD and ECD (Electronic health record) suppliers to continuously keep on developing and innovating.”
What’s more, there is a clear shake-out within the market of companies which are not coping with the regulatory pressure and are not able to play into it. “Often these companies have not jumped on the train of working Saas-based (Software as a Service; webbased software which is offered via the internet). SaaS offers far greater control and facilitates the required updates arising from the everchanging legislative landscape. However, changing to Saas-solutions is for most ICT suppliers rather difficult, not to say impossible. Consequently, we see, as a new trend, that solid ICT organisations shut down their healthcare activities”, Simmelink explains.
“We do exactly the opposite by strengthening our basis, by gathering knowledge and through our webbased and SaaS experience. With both Medicore and Cura in our group, we are now amongst the greatest EPD players in the Netherlands. And we operate from a solid financial position which enables even more innovation and further growth, the latter which is one of the key values in Tenzinger’s strategy.”
Olav van Reijken agrees: “Tenzinger’s acquisition of Cura came at the exact right time. Following the cure, we also expect a consolidation of ICT suppliers in the care sector. Only the strong will survive and this acquisition guarantees our position. Bringing two strong brands together creates twice as big the innovative power. Cura will now integrate in a company which is fully focused on healthcare and which can now help us to accelerate inmaking the change to SaaS.”
Impact on healthcare through innovation
Sustainable accessibility of high-quality healthcare is one of the biggest challenges for the Netherlands. Hololtcheff explains: “At first sight, the challenge is mainly cost-related. However, it is chiefly a demographic issue: an aging population and too few people to take care of them. If we continue on this path, ¼ of the Dutch population will need to be working in healthcare by 2040 in order to satisfy the demand for care. The issue is even worsened by the huge amounts of time that administrative reporting asks from carers. This time eats away the time of actual caring.”
“Our answer to these challenges are innovation and ICT technology: smart solutions which give patients and carers the chance to go back to the core”, says Hololtcheff. “In recent years, carers have had an enormous registration burden imposed by laws and regulations. It is about time that we start benefiting from that, making the data work for the carers and not the other way around and integrating ICT more and more for the support of carers and healthcare in general.”
Björn Simmelink elaborates: “For some time now, Tenzinger has, together with its clients, developed various projects with regard to self-sufficiency and data science. Our clients are very eager, we are highly motivated to make a difference. However, the accessory innovation costs are high. We opt for a growth strategy and for the broadening of our platform in order to realise our ambitions whilst being able to bear the investment costs of these innovations. Cura’s acquisition signifies a huge step forward in this respect; a healthy organisation with smart people aiming to further innovate together with their remarkable client base.”
About Tenzinger
Tenzinger helps care centres optimising their care processes. By means of innovative ICT solutions, practical supporting services and the introduction of high-quality data. In order to aim for better management, higher levels of efficiency and greater quality. For carers to focus on what healthcare is really about: providing high-quality care.
More information
For more information, please contact Lianne Willemsen (lianne.willemsen@tenzinger.com).
