| Nearly a decade ago, Royal Philips Electronics of | | | | biggest independent supplier of Cath Lab |
| the Netherlands fathered the Philips Healthcare | | | | monitoring and reporting systems. |
| Services group and appears determined that their | | | | In its drive to become King of the Medical |
| "crowned prince" will soon become King of the | | | | Equipment industry, Philips Healthcare Services has |
| medical equipment industry. Apparently, this move | | | | obtained 6 businesses since its inception in 1998. |
| was in response to GE Medical Systems� | | | | Every single one of the six has expanded Philips' |
| announcement that it planned on becoming king | | | | offerings to include a total of ten medical imaging |
| itself of the ultrasound industry before the year | | | | modalities, from CT to MRI to x-ray, along with |
| 2000. Not to be outdone, Philips from the | | | | defibrillation and cardiac monitoring equipment as |
| beginning year began an acquisition frenzy so they | | | | well as image and information management |
| could expand its subsidiary's product portfolio well | | | | solutions. |
| beyond its initial product line, which began in 1918 | | | | So, has Philips arrived at the royal industry castle |
| with medical x-ray tubes. | | | | yet? Some believe so. As a matter of fact, prior |
| Concluding Philips Healthcare Services beginning | | | | to the last two acquisitions, Palo Alto's "growth |
| year, Philips Electronics added digital ultrasound | | | | consulting" company Frost & Sullivan seemed to |
| systems to PHS's portfolio by acquiring ATL | | | | think so. In 2004 Frost & Sullivan told everyone |
| Ultrasound of Washington. Only 2 years later, in | | | | they were awarding Philips FIVE awards for |
| late 2000, Philips expanded into nuclear medicine | | | | "technology and services innovation and industry |
| by absorbing ADAC Laboratories of California. | | | | leadership". Philips was honored for making |
| In 2001 was a watershed year as Philips shifted | | | | distinguished contributions to the cardiac |
| into high gear by bringing on two more businesses | | | | resuscitation and medical imaging industries and for |
| and their product lines - Agilent and Marconi | | | | providing leadership in these market segments. |
| Medical. By procuring Agilent Technologies' | | | | Was Frost & Sullivan just looking for a spot at |
| Healthcare Solutions Group of Massachusetts, | | | | the royal court or were these legitimate kudos? |
| Philips shot past GE Medical as the leader of the | | | | Probably the later. F&S conducted interviews with |
| ultrasound sector. Philips absorbed Agilent's | | | | many market players along with their customers |
| expertise in the areas of diagnostic cardiology, | | | | and suppliers, and reportedly did extensive |
| automated defibrillators, patient monitoring, and | | | | research into the medical equipment technology |
| point of care diagnostic systems. | | | | field. |
| Marconi Medical Systems of Ohio, formerly Picker | | | | One of the five awards included the regent-like |
| International, was already a huge part in its own | | | | titles of "Medical Imaging Company of the Year", |
| right among gigantinc global CT suppliers. With | | | | "New Care Setting of the Year", and "Medical |
| Marconi, Philips gained cutting-edge multi-slice CT | | | | Imaging Technology of the Year". The other 2 |
| technology along with cardiology, oncology and | | | | were for Technology Leadership and Services |
| PET/CT imaging applications. These two | | | | Innovation Leadership. |
| acquisitions in one year landed Philips in the top | | | | The response of Jouko Karvinen, president of |
| three for all of the medical equipment industry | | | | Philips Medical Systems, to the what he recieved |
| along with giants Siemens and GE Medical - some | | | | sounded like the exact same of an industry |
| say as number 2. | | | | coronation speech. He stated, "We proudly |
| In 2005, the expansion kept going as Philips | | | | recieve the Frost & Sullivan Awards as an |
| bought Stentor, Inc. of California, provider | | | | independent validation of Philips business and |
| best-in-class picture archiving and communications | | | | technology leadership. These 5 awards are more |
| systems (PACS). This move allowed Philips to aid | | | | indicators that Philips continues to set the industry |
| its clients successfully control the many amounts | | | | standard for developing innovative products that |
| of imaging data created by its medical scanners. | | | | help treat patients and save lives." |
| Then, the following year, the expansion continued | | | | Royal Philips. Long live the King! |
| as Philips adopted Witt Biomedical Corporation, the | | | | NOTE:Use of this article requires links to be intact. |