In the long arc of digital transformation in public health, Singapore's SingHealth and Altera Digital Health have renewed a commitment stretching back more than two decades — extending their electronic medical record partnership through 2029. What began as a software deployment in 1998 has matured into a strategic alliance, one that reflects how healthcare systems increasingly depend not just on technology, but on the sustained relationships that allow that technology to evolve alongside human need. The renewal signals that in an aging nation facing rising chronic disease, continuity of digita
Altera Digital Health extends SingHealth partnership through 2029
A platform that reduces burden and enables better patient outcomes
Mark
So this is essentially a renewal of a contract that's been in place since 2017. What makes it newsworthy now?
Mimi
It's the formalization of a long-term commitment. SingHealth has been using this system since 1998, so we're talking about a 30-year relationship with the technology. The new agreement extends that through 2029—that's seven more years of certainty for both sides.
Luke
But we should be clear: this is a press release from two companies announcing they're continuing to work together. There's no new technology being deployed here, no new capabilities being announced. It's a renewal.
Mimi
True, but the context matters. Altera is newly rebranded after being acquired. This is them signaling to the market that they're committed to Asia, and that they're keeping major customers.
Mark
What does SingHealth actually get out of this beyond continuity?
Mimi
Dedicated technical consulting. Altera is assigning specialists to help SingHealth find new efficiencies and functionalities within the platform. It's not just maintenance—it's active partnership.
Luke
That's in the statement, yes. But we don't know what that actually looks like operationally, how many people, what the scope is. It's a commitment in principle.
Mark
And the platform itself—how does it work?
Mimi
It's an open architecture. It connects different parts of the healthcare system and can integrate with other software. IHiS, Singapore's HealthTech agency, customizes it to fit SingHealth's workflows rather than forcing the workflows to fit the software.
Luke
Which is important because it means the system can evolve without being replaced. That's probably why SingHealth has stuck with it for so long.
Mark
So this is really about stability and incremental improvement, not transformation.
Mimi
Exactly. SingHealth is betting that this platform can grow with them through the next seven years as Singapore's healthcare needs change.
O Pulso
- Singapore's largest public healthcare network faces mounting pressure as an aging population and rising chronic illness demand systems that can scale without constant reinvention.
- A partnership spanning over two decades — and two corporate identities — is being formalized and extended, removing uncertainty about the platform underpinning clinical workflows across SingHealth's hospitals and clinics.
- Altera will embed a dedicated technical consulting team within the relationship, signaling a shift from vendor-as-supplier to vendor-as-collaborator in SingHealth's ongoing digital transformation.
- The open-architecture design of the SunriseTM platform allows Singapore's national HealthTech agency IHiS to customize and build upon the system rather than replace it, preserving institutional investment while enabling new capabilities.
- For Altera — recently rebranded after acquisition — the deal marks a strategic foothold in Southeast Asia, with SingHealth positioned as the company's gateway into the broader regional market through 2029.
In the long arc of digital transformation in public health, Singapore's SingHealth and Altera Digital Health have renewed a commitment stretching back more than two decades — extending their electronic medical record partnership through 2029. What began as a software deployment in 1998 has matured into a strategic alliance, one that reflects how healthcare systems increasingly depend not just on technology, but on the sustained relationships that allow that technology to evolve alongside human need. The renewal signals that in an aging nation facing rising chronic disease, continuity of digital infrastructure is itself a form of care.
Altera Digital Health has secured a multi-year extension of its partnership with SingHealth, Singapore's largest public healthcare network, ensuring the company's SunriseTM electronic medical record platform will continue operating across SingHealth's institutions through 2029. The agreement builds on a formal relationship that began in 2017 — itself rooted in a deployment that dates back to 1998, when SingHealth first adopted the SunriseTM Clinical Manager System under Altera's predecessor, Allscripts.
Over more than two decades, the platform has become embedded in SingHealth's clinical operations, supported by IHiS, Singapore's national HealthTech agency, which manages technical integration and customization. The SunriseTM suite's open architecture allows IHiS to adapt the system to SingHealth's specific workflows and build custom solutions on top of it — a flexibility that has made replacement less attractive than continued investment.
Under the extended agreement, Altera will assign dedicated technical consultants to work alongside SingHealth, helping the network unlock new platform capabilities and drive efficiencies aligned with its strategic goals. SingHealth's leadership framed the renewal as essential to meeting the demands of an aging population and growing chronic disease burden — conditions that require technology capable of scaling and adapting without constant overhaul.
For Altera, now operating under N. Harris Computer Corporation following a rebrand, the deal represents more than contract renewal. Company president Marcus Perez described SingHealth as the company's entry point into Singapore and Southeast Asia more broadly — a region where the stakes of getting healthcare technology right are only growing.
Altera Digital Health has locked in a partnership with SingHealth, Singapore's largest public healthcare network, that will keep the company's electronic medical record platform running across the group's institutions through 2029. The agreement is a formal extension of work that began in 2017, when SingHealth first contracted with Allscripts—Altera's predecessor company—to deploy its SunriseTM Clinical Manager System.
For more than two decades, SingHealth has relied on the SunriseTM platform to manage clinical workflows across its hospitals and clinics. The system, which SingHealth first implemented in 1998, operates with support from IHiS, Singapore's national HealthTech agency, which handles the technical integration and customization work. The new agreement essentially formalizes what has been a long-standing operational relationship, ensuring continuity of service and investment in the platform's evolution.
The SunriseTM suite functions as what both companies describe as an open platform—meaning it can connect different parts of the healthcare system and speak to other software tools through application programming interfaces. This architecture matters because it allows IHiS to adapt the system to fit SingHealth's specific clinical needs rather than forcing workflows to bend around rigid software. The platform also serves as a foundation on which SingHealth and IHiS can build their own custom healthcare solutions, adding layers of functionality without replacing the underlying system.
As part of the extended partnership, Altera will assign a dedicated technical consulting team to work with SingHealth. These specialists will help the health network unlock additional capabilities within the platform and identify efficiency gains that align with SingHealth's strategic priorities. The arrangement signals that Altera sees this not as a static contract but as an ongoing collaboration where the vendor actively participates in the customer's digital transformation.
For Altera, the deal represents a significant foothold in Southeast Asia. The company, which was spun out from Allscripts and rebranded after being acquired by N. Harris Computer Corporation, is positioning itself as a regional player in healthcare technology. Marcus Perez, Altera's president, framed the SingHealth extension as the company's entry point into Singapore and the broader region, emphasizing a vision of healthcare systems that reduce administrative burden on clinicians and enable better patient outcomes through better data sharing.
SingHealth's leadership, led by group chief executive officer Ivy Ng, characterized the partnership as essential to meeting Singapore's evolving healthcare demands. As the nation's population ages and chronic disease prevalence rises, the health system needs technology that can scale, adapt, and integrate new capabilities without constant overhauls. The SunriseTM platform, now locked in through 2029, will serve as that foundation—a bet that the system can grow with the organization's needs rather than become obsolete.
Citações Notáveis
We are excited to continue our partnership with SingHealth, which marks the first step of our Altera journey in Singapore and the region.— Marcus Perez, president of Altera Digital Health
As healthcare needs of Singaporeans continue to evolve, SingHealth is committed to leveraging technology and digital solutions as key enablers to improve care delivery and clinical outcomes.— Professor Ivy Ng, group chief executive officer, SingHealth
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