by Eric Nied, Information Technology Director, Radiology Ltd. — February 22, 2011
As a dedicated provider of professional, quality and technologically advanced imaging services, Radiology Ltd. requires technology that lives up to our stringent standards. Our nine different locations offer a range of services including body imaging, breast imaging and intervention and cardiac radiology, so it’s important we have a reliable storage system in place. Patient records not only need to be available 24/7 for short-term needs, they also often need to be available for the entire lifetime of the patient and sometimes longer. Dell and Compellent provide that kind of reliable technology for us.
When we began using a Picture Archiving Communication System (PACS) in 1998, EMC was really our only choice to manage the data-rich imaging files. We were a medium business storing at enterprise level. Our IT department was calculating a potential 4-5 TB of storage needed per year, and we were being forced to buy EMC hardware at a premium cost. While we were happy with our Dell servers, we needed a storage solution that could accommodate our storage growth while ensuring that we could access our images and records as quickly as possible to continue offering great patient care.
When it was time to invest in storage again, Compellent was the clear choice. Fluid Data allowed us to move 80 percent of our data onto less expensive lower-tier drives, saving us tens of thousands per year. Finally, we had a solution with enterprise-level storage at a price that was affordable for us. Attached to our Dell servers, Compellent has provided us with a reliable and easy-to-manage solution, and the two companies have helped us to stay competitive with other imaging service providers.
Dell’s acquisition of Compellent is a great opportunity for both companies and their customers. Compellent will reap the benefits of more dollars behind research and development, which will put new features and capabilities on the fast track for customers. For Dell, adding Compellent to its portfolio along with their EqualLogic offering will create a strategy that covers all of the open storage market, especially mid-sized companies whose storage needs grow as fast as they do.
My team and I are excited to see what the future holds for Dell and Compellent.
Editor’s Note: Eric Nied is a Compellent and Dell customer. To learn more about Radiology Ltd, visit their website: (www.radltd.com).