The medical support system – adopted by over 400 dental clinics in the six months since its release – can now also be used on tablets, leading to a further expansion of sales
- Delphi® XE4 has been adopted by Hitachi Medical Computer Systems development units
- The tablet app is a cross-device, cross-platform development project based on an earlier-launched Windows version
- Development of the iPad version started in March 2013 on the Delphi XE4 beta and was running in just one month
- The tablet version was produced in response to requests from dentists wanting to support patients by showing X-ray images chairside
SAN FRANCISCO – Aug. 22, 2013 – Embarcadero Technologies today announced that Hitachi Medical Computer Systems, Inc. used Delphi XE4 to develop a multi-device version of its DELTA View dental support system. The app can now be used on both iPad and Windows.
DELTA View is a software system that enables a dentist to receive "informed consent" by presenting medical information to a patient. DELTA View is a Presentation Image Viewer used by dentists to display X-ray images. The Windows version was adopted by more than 400 dental clinics within six months of its release in 2012. The iPad version was developed in response to dentists who also wanted to use the app on tablets. Delphi XE4 (released April 2013), which can be used for iOS app development, enabled the release of the iPad version in a short amount of time.
Hitachi Medical Computer Systems chose Delphi XE4 for the productivity of its visual development environment (which shortened development time to one-third of their conventional development times), the high performance enabled by its approach to native code, and its advanced application framework for creating stylish, responsive user interfaces. As a result, Delphi XE4 has now been adopted by Hitachi Medical Computer Systems' dental solutions development unit.
Development of the iPad version commenced in March 2013 with the evaluation of the Delphi XE4 beta. By utilizing existing code from the Windows version, it was possible to get the app up and running on the iPad in just one month. After some fine-tuning and adjustments, the app was submitted to Apple and passed their review. In total, it took only three months of actual development time to complete the app.
"The majority of dental treatment takes place chairside," said Noriaki Arizumi, Manager of the Dentistry Development Department, Development Headquarters, Hitachi Medical Computer Systems, Inc. "For this reason, many dentists requested a tablet version of the app so that they could communicate with patients in ways that were easier for them to understand. The use of Delphi XE4 allowed us to release the iPad version in an extremely short amount of time. It was also significant that we were able to use the same framework and easily unify the appearance with the already-released Windows version."
Many medical support systems, such as conventional electronic medical records systems and X-ray image viewers, have been developed for the Windows platform. However, there is an increasing demand for tablet versions that allow information to be easily shown to patients. This does not mean that the tablet will replace conventional Windows versions. Rather, there is a need for both a Windows version – used primarily to make entries – and a tablet version for searching and displaying data. Because Delphi XE4 enables development for both Windows and iPad devices, the same code can be used for both devices, while at the same time enabling the ability to fine tune the code to each device. This means the number of man-hours and the costs required for multi-device app development can be reduced significantly.
"There is an increase in requests, not just from the medical field but also from a wide range of industries, to make Windows applications available on tablets," said Michael Swindell, senior vice president of products and strategy at Embarcadero. "By using Delphi XE4, developers can build multi-device, true native apps from a single codebase. This makes possible extensions for tablets that combine both productivity and performance. Hitachi Medical Computer Systems' Delta View serves as a great example to developers that multi-device app development is truly viable and a successful model to embrace."
About DELTA View
DELTA View is a dental support system that allows real-time information sharing with patients. Necessary information can be explained to patients efficiently and in a short amount of time through intuitive system operation. For more information, visit iTunes page for DELTA View: https://itunes.apple.com/jp/app/delta-view/id671491538
About Hitachi Medical Computer Systems, Inc.
Hitachi Medical Computer Systems provides one-stop solutions for a wide range of medical fields, with pillars in the medical, dental and pharmaceuticals dispensing businesses. As a company of the Hitachi Group, Hitachi Medical Computer Systems are working to maximize synergies with Hitachi Medical Corporation and Hitachi Aloka Medical, Ltd. We are providing high-quality products that truly help the medical field by taking advantage of the strengths of these three companies. For more information, visit www.hitachi-mc.co.jp
About Delphi XE4
Embarcadero® Delphi® XE4 is the multi-device, easy-to-learn app development solution to create high performance, true native apps for PCs, tablets, and smartphones and get them to market and to users fast. Companies are under pressure to deliver apps that their customers can use in the office and on the road, but coding and managing these different versions can be costly and time-consuming. With Delphi XE4, you manage one codebase, one team, and one schedule, but support multiple platforms without sacrificing performance. With native apps, get full device-level capabilities, tighter security, and a better user experience. For more information, visit www.embarcadero.com/products/delphi
About Embarcadero Technologies
Embarcadero Technologies, Inc. is a leading provider of award-winning tools for application developers and database professionals so they can design systems right, build them faster and run them better, regardless of their platform or programming language. Ninety of the Fortune 100 and an active community of more than three million users worldwide rely on Embarcadero products to increase productivity, reduce costs, simplify change management and compliance, and accelerate innovation. Founded in 1993, Embarcadero is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices located around the world. www.embarcadero.com
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