| Nearly a decade ago, Royal Philips | | | | continued as Philips adopted Witt Biomedical |
| Electronics of the Netherlands fathered | | | | Corporation, the largest independent supplier |
| Philips Healthcare Services and appears | | | | of Cath Lab monitoring and reporting systems. |
| determined that their subsidiary will soon | | | | |
| become King of the medical equipment | | | | In its pursuit to be crowned King of the |
| industry. This move apparently came in | | | | Medical Equipment industry, Philips |
| response to GE Medical Systems' announcement | | | | Healthcare Services has obtained 6 businesses |
| that it planned on becoming king itself of | | | | since its inception in 1998. Every single one |
| the ultrasound industry before the year 2000. | | | | of the 6 has stretched Philips' offerings to |
| Not to be "out-royaled", Philips from the | | | | include a total of ten medical imaging |
| first year started an acquisition frenzy so | | | | modalities, from CT to MRI to x-ray, along |
| they could expand its subsidiary's product | | | | with defibrillation and cardiac monitoring |
| portfolio well beyond its initial product | | | | equipment plus image and information |
| line, which started in 1918 with medical | | | | management solutions. |
| x-ray tubes. | | | | |
| | | | So, has Philips moved into the royal industry |
| At the end of Philips Healthcare Services | | | | castle yet? Some believe so. In fact, before |
| first year, Philips Electronics added digital | | | | the last two acquisitions, Palo Alto's |
| ultrasound systems to PHS's portfolio by | | | | "growth consulting" company Frost & Sullivan |
| getting ATL Ultrasound of Washington. Only | | | | thought so. In 2004 Frost & Sullivan |
| two years after, in late 2000, Philips grew | | | | announced they were giving Philips 5 awards |
| into nuclear medicine by absorbing ADAC | | | | for "technology and services innovation and |
| Laboratories of California. | | | | industry leadership". Philips was recognized |
| | | | for making distinguished contributions to the |
| In 2001 was a very productive year as Philips | | | | cardiac resuscitation and medical imaging |
| went into a very high gear by obtaining two | | | | industries and for providing leadership in |
| more businesses and their product lines - | | | | these market segments. |
| Agilent and Marconi Medical. By procuring | | | | |
| Agilent Technologies Healthcare Solutions | | | | Was Frost & Sullivan just searching for a |
| Group of Massachusetts, Philips catapulted | | | | place at the royal court or were these |
| past GE Medical as the leader of the | | | | genuine kudos? Probably the later. F&S held |
| ultrasound sector. Philips absorbed Agilent's | | | | interviews with a myriad of market players |
| expertise in the areas of diagnostic | | | | along with their customers and suppliers, and |
| cardiology, automated defibrillators, patient | | | | reportedly did great research into the |
| monitoring, and point of care diagnostic | | | | medical equipment technology field. |
| systems. | | | | |
| | | | One of the 5 awards included the regent-like |
| Marconi Medical Systems of Ohio, formerly | | | | titles of "Medical Imaging Company of the |
| Picker International, was already a big | | | | Year", "New Care Setting of the Year", and |
| player in its own right among major global CT | | | | "Medical Imaging Technology of the Year". The |
| suppliers. With Marconi, Philips gained | | | | other two were for Technology Leadership and |
| cutting-edge multi-slice CT technology along | | | | Services Innovation Leadership. |
| with cardiology, oncology and PET/CT imaging | | | | |
| applications. These two acquisitions in 1 | | | | The response of Jouko Karvinen, of Philips |
| year landed Philips in the top 3 for the | | | | Medical Systems, to the awards sounded like |
| entire medical equipment industry along with | | | | the exact same of an industry coronation |
| giants Siemens and GE Medical - some say as | | | | speech. He stated, "We proudly accept the |
| number two. | | | | Frost Sullivan Awards as an independent |
| | | | validation of Philips business and technology |
| Back in 2005, the growth continued as Philips | | | | leadership. These 5 awards are further |
| bought Stentor, Inc. of California, provider | | | | indicators that Philips continues to set the |
| of best-in-class picture archiving and | | | | industry standard for developing innovative |
| communications systems (PACS). This move | | | | products that help treat patients and save |
| allowed Philips to aid its clients | | | | lives." |
| successfully manage the many amounts of | | | | |
| imaging data created by its medical scanners. | | | | NOTE: Use of this article requires links to |
| Then, the following year, the growth | | | | be intact. |