PACS market growth in Europe requires industry collaboration
Digital image storage space requirements in Europe are growing at an exponential rate and require collaboration among image archive solution providers, PACS vendors and modality manufacturers in order to ensure interoperability, according to a new analysis from market research firm Frost & Sullivan.
In 2007, the total European storage requirement was 106,044 terabytes (TB). Frost & Sullivan analysts said they examined medical image storage solutions markets in the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Germany, Scandinavia, Benelux and Italy.
"Some PACS vendors provide their own unique solution to archiving images that are not DICOM compatible, while others think it is wise to work around the evolving healthcare standards so that, in the future, systems interoperability is streamlined," acccording to Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Shriram Shanmugham. "This trend of providing solutions to images that are not DICOM-compatible will be prevalent over the next five to seven years."
The digitized medical imaging archives market requires complete cooperation among the following three major industry participants: PACS vendors, image modality manufacturers and storage solution providers, the firm reported. Some PACS vendors have indicated that it would be convenient for them if image modality manufacturers provided them with test data before an image modality is released into the market. By having the test data before hand, PACS vendors affirmed that they could easily establish connectivity (interoperability) of their module with the image modality.
"Hospitals cannot afford to experience an image server downtime," Shanmugham concluded. "It is therefore essential that storage solution providers devise innovative technology that obviates the possibility of such server downtime."
In 2007, the total European storage requirement was 106,044 terabytes (TB). Frost & Sullivan analysts said they examined medical image storage solutions markets in the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Germany, Scandinavia, Benelux and Italy.
"Some PACS vendors provide their own unique solution to archiving images that are not DICOM compatible, while others think it is wise to work around the evolving healthcare standards so that, in the future, systems interoperability is streamlined," acccording to Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Shriram Shanmugham. "This trend of providing solutions to images that are not DICOM-compatible will be prevalent over the next five to seven years."
The digitized medical imaging archives market requires complete cooperation among the following three major industry participants: PACS vendors, image modality manufacturers and storage solution providers, the firm reported. Some PACS vendors have indicated that it would be convenient for them if image modality manufacturers provided them with test data before an image modality is released into the market. By having the test data before hand, PACS vendors affirmed that they could easily establish connectivity (interoperability) of their module with the image modality.
"Hospitals cannot afford to experience an image server downtime," Shanmugham concluded. "It is therefore essential that storage solution providers devise innovative technology that obviates the possibility of such server downtime."