Compliantly

Several major technology companies are notably absent from the EHR Stimulus Alliance, a newly formed group that aims to educate U.S. doctors about the benefits of electronic health records.

The alliance, which promises to educate 500,000 physicians about EHR in 200 days, includes companies such as Nuance, Intel, Dell and Microsoft. Missing from the list are major EHR players such as Cerner, Google and GE, which recently launched "Healthymagination," a long-term, $6-billion commitment to improve health information technology. Also missing is Medsphere, a promising start-up trying to help hospitals implement VistA, an open-source EHR system. The alliance did not respond to a question about the group's membership.

The EHR Stimulus Alliance has planned briefings, roundtables, presentations and webcasts on the benefits of EHR. The group also hopes to inform medical professionals about government incentives available to doctors who adopt electronic health records.

The massive effort is a sign of how anxious companies are to get a slice of the EHR pie. President Barack Obama is making a push to digitize all health records by 2014 and has allotted $20 billion dollars in the stimulus bill that will go toward transitioning to EHR. 

Microsoft's forthcoming Windows Mobile Marketplace (or is it Windows Marketplace for Mobile? Microsoft uses both names) is the company's answer to Apple's App Store. But in order to prevent a repeat of the roadblocks hit by aspiring iPhone app moguls, developers should read the PDF listing Microsoft's banned dirty dozen on apps for the marketplace.

Some of the bans, such as apps that link to alternate app stores, are no surprise. But Rule No. 4 bans "applications that enable VoIP (Voice over IP) services over a mobile operator network." That means no Skype for Windows phones.

Rule No. 5 bans "applications that sell, link to, or otherwise promote mobile voice plans." Translation: Wireless carriers that sell Windows phones subsidized by service plans can't promote premium plans in the store.

Advertising is expected to pay for, or at least subsidize, many apps. But Microsoft has set the terms for ad content with Rule No. 6, which bans "applications that display advertising that does not meet the Microsoft Advertising Creative Acceptance Policy Guide." The guide bans audio, Flash, and even Microsoft's Silverlight streaming media format.

Other rules warn developers against uploading user data, including location. But there's one rule that should keep customers happy: All downloads must be kept under 10 megabytes.