International SOS
Encyclopedia
International SOS provides integrated medical, clinical, and security services to organisations with international operations. Services include planning and preventative programs, in-country expertise, and emergency response. It has 9,000 employees, led by 1,100 full-time physicians and 200 security specialists and provides health and security support to members in over 80 countries. Members include 66 percent of the Fortune Global 500 companies.
, Dubai
, Jakarta
, Johannesburg
, London
, Madrid
, Miami, Moscow
, Paris
, Philadelphia, Singapore
, Sydney
and Tokyo
– as well as a network of alarm centres. The centres are staffed by physicians, operations managers, multilingual coordinators and logistics support personnel. Approximately 33 percent of the organisation's total workforce are medical professionals. The organisation often uses hospitals accredited by international accreditation groups, such as JCI
in Singapore
and Trent Accreditation Scheme
in Hong Kong
.
In July 2008, International SOS launched a "strategic alliance" with rival Control Risks, to offer combined medical and security services.
Under the terms of the deal, VIPdesk will continue to operate as the US-based, wholly owned subsidiary of International SOS, under the leadership of its founders and management.
in Hong Kong, various Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summits, and others.
Organisation
International SOS has thirteen regional centres – in BeijingBeijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
, Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Miami, Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Philadelphia, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
– as well as a network of alarm centres. The centres are staffed by physicians, operations managers, multilingual coordinators and logistics support personnel. Approximately 33 percent of the organisation's total workforce are medical professionals. The organisation often uses hospitals accredited by international accreditation groups, such as JCI
JCI
JCI is a three-letter abbreviation with multiple meanings, as described below:* JCI, Jakarta Composite Index of Indonesia Stock Exchange* JCI Limited or Johannesburg Consolidated Investment Company Limited - One of the oldest listed companies on the JSE Securities Exchange having been formed in 1889...
in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Trent Accreditation Scheme
Trent Accreditation Scheme
The Trent Accreditation Scheme , , was a British accreditation scheme formed with a mission to maintain and continually evaluate standards of quality, especially in health care delivery, through the surveying and accreditation of health care organisations, especially...
in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
.
History
AEA International was founded in 1985 by Pascal Rey-Herme and Arnaud Vaissié. The organisation focused specifically on providing medical care and consulting services to multinational companies operating in Asia Pacific. Over the following decade, the company grew from its base in Singapore and Indonesia into a pan-Asian corporation, creating operating companies in Hong Kong, Australia, Japan and mainland China. In 1995, AEA International launched subsidiaries in France and the USA. In 1998, AEA International acquired International SOS Assistance, creating the largest medical assistance company in the world. For a while, it was known as AEA International SOS. The organisation was renamed International SOS in 1999.In July 2008, International SOS launched a "strategic alliance" with rival Control Risks, to offer combined medical and security services.
Merger with VIPDesk
On January 11, 2011, International SOS announced its merger with VIPdesk, the North American provider of concierge services, customer care and loyalty programs. The new company will consist of over 1,200 professionals, including a network of concierge and customer care specialists and 14 global service delivery centers.Under the terms of the deal, VIPdesk will continue to operate as the US-based, wholly owned subsidiary of International SOS, under the leadership of its founders and management.
Duty of Care
International SOS assists organisations with developing integrated, strategic risk management programs helping to fulfill Duty of Care obligations within the context of travel risk management. International SOS helps plan, organise and develop an appropriate strategy to minimise risk and to protect human assets.Event assistance
In the past two decades, International SOS has provided medical and security services to a number of mass-participant events, such as the Olympic Games in Beijing, Athens, Sydney and The Paralympics, the South East Asian Games, ASEAN Games, East Asian Games2009 East Asian Games
The 2009 East Asian Games, officially known as the V East Asian Games, was an international multi-sport event that took place in Hong Kong, between 5 December and 13 December 2009. A total of 2,377 athletes from 9 East Asian national competed in 262 events in 22 sports...
in Hong Kong, various Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summits, and others.