FALLS CHURCH, VA – CSC, the IT services firm, has signed an agreement to acquire Sydney, Australia-based iSOFT Group, one of the world’s largest providers of advanced healthcare IT solutions, for $188 million.

Officials say the acquisition will complement and strengthen CSC’s market-leading software products and healthcare integration and services portfolio, while enhancing its healthcare research and development capabilities. It will also accelerate CSC’s strategic growth plan in the Life Sciences market and reinforce the company as a very strong player in healthcare information technology.

Adding iSOFT’s 3,300 global employees including those from major research and development centers in India, Spain, UK, Australia, New Zealand and Central Europe, will expand CSC’s capability to support existing customers, develop more innovative solutions, and add a robust set of clients in new and emerging markets, execs say.

“The combination of these companies will further establish CSC as an innovative leader in global healthcare IT,” said Michael W. Laphen, CSC chairman, president and CEO. “Through our combined experience in global healthcare delivery, complementary world-class healthcare software solutions, and enhanced capabilities in system integration, outsourcing and process management, we are forming a compelling lifecycle of services to better serve our global clients and improve patient care.”

[See also: iSoft falls on hard times.]

More than 13,000 healthcare providers and governments in 40 countries use iSOFT’s e-health software solutions to manage patient information and drive improvements in their core processes. With the expertise and experience of more than 1,300 development professionals and more than 200 clinicians, iSOFT solutions touch more than 200 million patients across five continents every day, and its systems are installed in more than 8,000 hospitals and clinics.

"iSOFT’s Electronic Health Record software and services, coupled with CSC’s global healthcare expertise and delivery capabilities, will create a very powerful force in the global healthcare market to enhance the provision of integrated care," said Andrea Fiumicelli, chief executive officer of iSOFT. “This is a great development for iSOFT’s employees as they will have the opportunity to continue their important work in healthcare IT whilst developing their careers across CSC’s global business.”

“When completed, this acquisition will be a critical step in the expansion of our global healthcare business," said Laphen. "CSC will be at the forefront of emerging healthcare technologies, giving our clients access to an expanded range of healthcare capabilities and continuing our journey of bringing the vision of a single patient record to life."