Zix Corporation Provides Cole Vision with e-Messaging Protection Services
Leading national eyecare corporation chooses ZixCorp solution to secure email communications with partners, meet HIPAA regulations
DALLAS– (BUSINESS WIRE) –July 17, 2003– Zix Corporation (ZixCorp(TM)), (Nasdaq:ZIXI), a global provider of e-messaging management and protection services, announced today that Cole Vision Corporation has selected ZixCorp for its company-wide email security solution. Cole Vision is the name behind the retail optical brands Pearle Vision, Sears Optical, Target Optical, and BJ’s Optical, and operates one of the nation’s largest providers of managed vision care benefit providers in Cole Managed Vision (CMV). The company purchased the server-based ZixVPM(R) (Zix Virtual Private Messenger) to secure inbound and outbound communications to ensure compliance with the administrative simplification regulations of the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).
“Protecting confidential patient information is an important part of who we are,” said Kim Scharf, director IT security for Cole Vision. “ZixCorp’s email security solution was an easy alternative for ensuring HIPAA compliance, while eliminating the hassles usually associated with system initiatives.”
Cole Vision purchased ZixVPM to securely email Protected Health Information (PHI) to its vendors, clients, and optical providers. As implemented, all company emails, including attachments will be automatically scanned by ZixVPM for content and processed according to established company policy, so that accidental PHI disclosure is prevented and communications can once again continue efficiently. Cole Vision departments benefiting from this user-invisible email protection service include CMV claims processing and account management, HIPAA privacy, records, and legal.
ZixVPM not only helps meet HIPAA regulations, but will keep Cole Vision from having to manage any digital certificates, maintain additional infrastructure, or take other measures to ensure compliance. “Without ZixCorp,” continued Scharf, “we would either have to burn information onto a CD, use the fax machine, or employ a delivery service to courier hard copies of communications containing PHI to avoid sending them over an open, unprotected Internet.”
“We are honored to serve a company like Cole Vision, which realized that its own email communications behavior could pose risks for its partners and took the necessary steps to protect its two-way electronic communications,” said Daniel S. Nutkis, vice president of strategy and products for ZixCorp. “This is the kind of partner anyone would like to have. Many companies are facing this same situation, and it is a good example of how much ZixCorp e-messaging protection services, which can be quickly deployed without disruption to normal communications, are needed in the marketplace.
“Meeting the mandates of HIPAA can be easy, automatic, and cost-efficient for any healthcare organization with ZixCorp services. Our solutions are quick to deploy, interoperable with virtually all email systems, and have the ability to safely send email to anyone, whether they have a ZixCorp service in place or not.”
About Cole Vision Corporation
Cole Vision Corporation, recognizable through its optical brands, is one of the largest optical retailers and largest chain providers of managed vision care services in the United States. Through more than 2,100 retail locations, its brands — Pearl Vision, Sears Optical, Target Optical, and BJ’s Optical — serve every sector of the optical market. Cole Managed Vision markets eyecare benefits and discount programs directly to large employers, healthcare organizations and national associations. For more information, visit www.colenational.com.
About Zix Corporation
Zix Corporation (ZixCorp(TM)) is a global provider of e-messaging management and protection services. ZixCorp offers a portfolio of managed on-site and hosted e-messaging solutions to protect organizations from viruses, spam, and electronic attack, while delivering the ability to enforce corporate policies and securely send to anyone. ZixCorp’s advisory services and secure e-messaging solutions enable organizations of any size to streamline operations, avoid obsolescence, mitigate risks, and leverage the cost and time efficiencies of e-messaging. For more information, visit www.zixcorp.com.