Hello boomering-ga,
Here's your answer. I've asked the Google Answers Editors to remove my
answer on the earlier question. As soon as they've notified me that
the answer has been removed I'll post the information as a
clarification on this question and you will be notified to close the
other question.
Thanks very much for your great attitude in handling this. I enjoyed
working with you and I hope we can work together again.
czh
========================
Hello boomering-ga,
I’ve decided to send you all that I was able to find so you can use it
for preparing for your interview tomorrow.
I don’t know your degree of familiarity with the diagnostic imaging
industry so I’ve included some of the market research that seems
relevant. There has been tremendous consolidation in the medical
equipment / diagnostic ultrasound industry with many familiar names
disappearing because of mergers and acquisitions. There are also a lot
of development in the implementation of new technologies, especially
3-D imaging, integration of links to PACS and development of portable
systems. This may lead to many hospitals upgrading to newer equipment.
On the other hand, the move to refurbishing equipment has also been
growing. Traditionally diagnostic imaging has been done mostly in
hospital settings but there are new developments in use in other
medical facilities, use for non-diagnostic purposes, and use for
veterinary practices.
I’m very frustrated that I have not been able to locate much about the
typical service agreements or the costs involved. I found a couple of
market research reports that would answer all your questions but
they’re very expensive. I think those who are in the industry may have
to resort to paying for these reports for this very specialized, niche
market.
I’m sending you what I’ve collected. Please ask for clarification on
anything I’ve included. If you find that the research was not worth
what you offered let’s talk about how you would evaluate it. Just post
a clarification and I will be notified.
You said you’re interviewing in Colorado. Are you talking to Sonora
Medical Systems? From your description and their Web site, I thought
they might be your potential employer.
Good luck with your interview.
czh
--------------------------
SALES AND MARKETING ISSUES
--------------------------
http://www.firstmoves.com/view_magazine.asp?id=44
Power Brand Marketing
In the medical arena, Picker International's MRI division recognized
that its constantly upgraded software platforms were poorly defined in
marketing terms, and not branded at all.
The solution was to develop a brand for that fast-paced technology.
Called VIA, it was designed to be Picker's own 'Intel Inside,' the
enabler that allows sophisticated high field MR systems to lead the
way in delivering higher image quality and faster throughput with more
advanced clinical applications. VIA is the New Brand, and 'Leading The
Way' is the marketing theme that positions it at the top.
http://www.diagnosticimaging.com/dinews/2002091201.shtml
September 12, 2002, Diagnostic Imaging Online
Demand for ultrasound rises amid industry consolidation
http://www.diagnosticimaging.com/cgi-bin/webcast02/display_news.cgi?9
Saturday, 11/30/02 , 10:49 AM PST
US vendors refocus on technology development
http://www.tmg-inc.com/News_releases/1999/US_3-99.htm
TMG Census: 1998 Diagnostic Ultrasound Procedures up 5%, New Equipment
Planned at 42% of Radiology Sites
http://www.reillycomm.com/it_archive/it_ip0999.htm
Industry Perspective: An Overview of Ultrasound Technology
--------------------------------
PUBLICATIONS AND OTHER RESOURCES
--------------------------------
http://www.medicaldistribution.com/pands.htm
MDSI (Medical Distribution Solutions Inc), With a circulation of over
10,800, Repertoire Magazine is the only publication focused
exclusively on the sales and marketing segment of the medical products
distribution channel.
http://www.firstmoves.com/
FirstMoves Magazine
For eight years, MDSI has been the leader in bringing together
manufacturers and distributors. Now we'd like to introduce you to
25,000 healthcare buyers. As an extension of FirstMoves.com ,
FirstMoves Magazine tailors itself to serve the healthcare buyers
located in hospitals, surgery centers and large physician practices.
http://www.uslifeline.com/
U.S. LifeLine, Inc., health care's leading provider of real-world
intelligence for the supply chain, welcomes you to its home on the
World Wide Web. Major Accounts Exchange—or The MAX™ for short—has been
designed to serve as a Supply Chain "Community" where senior-level
executives can easily Find, Digest, and Act on vital business and
market intelligence in five minutes or less!
http://www.radinfonet.com/index.html
Radiology InfoNet
http://www.dimag.com/
Diagnostic Imaging Magazine
http://www.radcentral.com/
Radiology Central – Portal
http://www.nema.org/index_nema.cfm/535
National Electrical Manufacturer’s Association
Diagnostic Imaging & Therapy Systems Division
Description of Markets for These Products
The diagnostic ultrasound market can be segmented, by “sophistication”
of device (high-end, mid-range, low-end) or by application such as
cardiology, radiology, vascular, ob/gyn or ophthalmic. However,
segmentation by level of complexity and variety of features has begun
to blur due to cost pressures in the marketplace, as companies compete
to provide technologically advanced, yet cost-effective, devices.
Further, as systems become more advanced, the distinction between
devices intended for particular applications is reduced. Technology
is bringing multiple capabilities to systems previously targeted to
particular applications. However, the high development cost of
technological advances has been a factor in ongoing industry
consolidation.
-------------------------
HOSPITALS IN CHICAGO AREA
-------------------------
1. How many hospitals are in the Chicagoland area?
http://www.villageprofile.com/illinois/chicago/index.html
Chicagoland’s 97 hospitals are among the finest in the nation.
http://adams.mgh.harvard.edu/hospitalwebusa.html#ILLINOIS
USA Hospitals on the World Wide Web: Illinois (483 – 554)
List of hospitals with links to hospital Web page
http://yp.yahoo.com/py/ypBrowse.py?&city=Chicago&state=IL&country=us&msa=1600&slt=41.849838&sln=-87.648193&cs=4&ycat=8107003
Yellow Pages -- Top > Health and Medicine > Hospitals and Medical
Centers
Lists 177 in Chicago and near Chicago
----------------------------------------------
ULTRASOUND SYSTEMS AND COMPONENTS PER HOSPITAL
----------------------------------------------
2. What would be an average number of diagnostic ultrasound systems at
each hospital? How many probes or handpieces per system?
This will depend greatly on the size of the hospital and the
specialties they offer. I was not able to find any market reports to
give you specific numbers. I think you could make an estimate based on
your best guess after reading the marketing articles I've included.
--------------------------------
ULTRASOUND MAINTENANCE PRACTICES
--------------------------------
3. How do hospitals typically maintain their ultrasound equipment
after it is out-of-warrantee? i.e., how many have service contracts vs
how many simply pay for repairs and replacement parts? What percentage
of the equipment is typically past the warrantee period?
http://www.dmmonline.com/equip/orderlists/ctmaint.doc
CT Scanner Maintenance
Our biomedical engineers and contracting personnel are here to help
you obtain quality, comprehensive CT scanner maintenance. We have
contracts in place to quickly respond to the CT maintenance needs of
your facility.
------This is a sample offering from a maintenance and service
provider.
http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/biomedmike/busplan.doc
YOUR HOSPITAL AND MEDICAL CENTER
CLINICAL ENGINEERING BUSINESS PLAN
The following Business Plan is a proposal from the Clinical
Engineering Department to re-engineer itself and to supply
Administration the information and guidance to help make an effective
decision for the facility.
-----This is a proposal by a hospital maintenance department on how to
meet the needs for maintenance and service for a radiology department.
The issues pointed out will be present in many hospital settings.
http://www.imagingeconomics.com/library/200211-11.asp
A Capital Budget Proposal for Ultrasound
http://www.imagingeconomics.com/library/200209-15.asp
Technology Economics Review
The Importance of 3D: A 2002 Status Report
http://www.imagingeconomics.com/library/200208-01.asp
Revenue Diversification
http://www.descomed.com/
Diagnostic Equipment Service Corporation
This is an outsourced service company.
http://www.pasa.doh.gov.uk/fmu/estmain.pdf
Estates and Maintenance News
Although this is a UK publication, the issues raised in this 12 page
report also apply to US users or ultrasound equipment.
----------------------------------------
COST OF REPAIRS – CONTRACTS VS. INCIDENT
----------------------------------------
4. What are typical costs of repairs vs costs of service contracts?
Compare these costs as offered by the major OEM mfr's like Toshiba,
GE, etc, with 3rd party providers. Break it out into types of repairs
(i.e. handpiece repair, handpiece replacement, console electronics,
etc).
I haven’t been able to find anything to answer this question.
---------------------------------------
THIRD PARTY PARTS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS
---------------------------------------
5. How many 3rd party providers of parts and service are there? Who
are they?
I've collected some directories of 3rd party providers and also names
of providers that came up repeatedly in my research on your topic. I
think you will be able to get a sense of these companies from the
samples I've included below.
http://www.mdpublishing.com/e-news/medicaldealer/resourceinformation/directoryandlinks/ULTRASOUND.shtml
Company Directory – Ultrasound
Excellent resource with name, contact information, link to Web site
and description of company capabilities. More than 30 companies.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030110/100006_1.html
Misonix Announces Agreement With Medrad, Jan. 10, 2003
FARMINGDALE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 10, 2003--Misonix,
Incorporated (Nasdaq:MSON - News) announced today that its 90% owned
subsidiary, Sonora Medical Systems, has entered into an agreement with
Medrad, Inc., a U.S. affiliate of Schering AG, Germany (NYSE:SHR -
News), that will enhance and expand the ultrasound transducer repair
and replacement capabilities at both Sonora's facility in Longmont,
Colorado, and Medrad's Heilman Center facility in Pittsburgh.
Ultrasound transducers are hand-held probes that send and receive
sound waves during an ultrasound procedure. With over 100,000
ultrasound systems in the U.S. alone and with several transducers for
each system, there is a large market for repair services and
replacement product. Instead of simply replacing damaged or obsolete
probes, the agreement provides hospitals with a cost-effective,
reliable alternative that renews the equipment lifecycle and reduces
ongoing maintenance costs.
http://www.4sonora.com/
Sonora Medical Systems
2021 Miller Drive, Longmont, Colorado 80501 USA
phone:303-682-5871 fax: 303-682-5915
http://www.4sonora.com/links/linksindex.html
List of Ultrasound Sites
http://www.choicemedical.com/human/ourcompany.htm
Choice Medical Systems, Inc., specializes in quality pre-owned
diagnostic ultrasound systems, accessories, supplies, and service. We
provide high quality pre-owned diagnostic ultrasound equipment to the
cardiology, family practice, internal medicine, ob/gyn, radiology,
surgery, urology, vascular, and veterinarian market.
http://www.surgeonultrasound.com/
SurgeonUltrasound is the leading low-cost alternative to other higher
priced ultrasound system companies.
http://dmoz.org/Business/Healthcare/Products_and_Services/Diagnostic/Ultrasound/Parts_and_Service/
Top: Business: Healthcare: Products and Services: Diagnostic:
Ultrasound: Parts and Service (25)
http://www.medcatalog.com/ultrasou.htm
Ultrasound products, supplies and informational site on MedCatalog.Com
http://www.allimaging.com/
All Imaging Systems, Inc.
We have been successfully supporting a wide range of customers from
major OEM companies, hospitals to small private practices around the
world. Our products include: service contracts, used, pre-owned and
refurbished ultrasound systems, refurbished transducers, probe repair
and spare parts.
http://www.allimaging.com/service.html
Yearly Service Plan or $100/hour hourly rate
http://www.ultrasoundsupplies.com/
CIVCO Medical Instruments Co., Inc. is a world leading supplier of
high quality specialized imaging accessory products. A subsidiary of
Colorado MEDtech Inc., CIVCO custom designs and manufactures
ultrasound biopsy needle guidance systems and transducer covers to fit
every manufacturer’s ultrasound system equipment. In addition, CIVCO
offers customers a complete line of ultrasound supplies and disposable
accessories, as well as a variety of unique services and programs.
Worldwide Distribution Network
In addition to selling direct retail, CIVCO has a worldwide
distribution network including coverage in the United States, as well
as more than 35 international distribution sites in Central and
Southern Europe, the United Kingdom, South America, Australia, the
Middle East, Japan and Taiwan.
http://www.nicoletvascular.com/default.htm
Nicolet Vascular, a division of VIASYS Healthcare, is a major provider
of medical Doppler ultrasound products.
Nicolet Vascular has moved its operations to VIASYS Healthcare
Worldwide Headquarters in Madison, WI.
http://www.pyramidmed.com/
Pyramid Medical, Inc. — Supplying the medical industry with top
quality used, reconditioned, and refurbished ultrasound systems since
1978.
Service contracts or hourly rates.
Pyramid Medical, Inc.
10940 Portal Dr, Los Alamitos, Ca. 90720
phone 714-826-2777 fax 714-826-3875
http://www.ultrasoundone.com/
Buy and Sell quality medical imaging equipment, at or below wholesale
prices.
UltrasoundOne.com, Inc
P.O. Box 704
Milford MI, 48380
Information on Products and Services
Phone: 1-866-735-3030
ask for "Sales" or Email us at
sales@ultrasoundone.com
http://www.equipleasecorp.com/vendir/imaging.htm
IMAGING EQUIPMENT VENDORS
List of companies, equipment sold, and service area
http://www.prioritymedical.com/index.html
Priority Medical (located near Nashville, TN) is one of today's
leading sources for quality, pre-owned diagnostic ultrasound
equipment. From complete systems to individual parts, our knowledge
and expertise encompass all facets of ultrasound imaging.
http://www.atsultrasound.com/online-store/scstore/repairs.html
Advanced Transducer Services, Inc. repairs most types of ultrasound
transducers including mechanical sector and linear array transducers.
These repairs are performed in our facilities and then shipped
overnight upon completion.
http://www.drsmart.com/
SmartSound Ultrasound Equipment & Discount Medical Supplies
http://www.biolinks.org/Vendors/Healthcare/Diagnostic/Ultrasound/
Home : Vendors : Healthcare : Diagnostic : Ultrasound
Portal site with links to vendors
-------------
MANUFACTURERS
-------------
http://www.siemensmedical.com/
Acuson now a Siemens company
http://www.medical.philips.com/product_lines/ultrasound/index.asp
ATL ultrasound and Agilent Technologies ultrasound business have
combined as Philips Ultrasound to bring you the best in ultrasound and
echocardiography.
http://www.gemedicalsystems.com/index.html
Diasonics acquired by GE Medical
http://www.dynamicimaging.co.uk/m000.htm
Dynamic
http://www.medical.philips.com/
Philips Medical Systems acquired HP Medical Systems
http://medical.toshiba.com/
Toshiba Medical Systems
http://www.biosound.com/corporate.html
BIOSOUND ESAOTE
http://www.sunnybrook.utoronto.ca:8080/~donald/company.htm
Ultrasound Companies
This is a somewhat outdated list of companies in all areas of the
ultrasound industry. It shows the great extent of consolidations and
mergers that have taken place in the past five years.
--------------------------------------------
MARKET SIZE FOR ULTRASOUND PARTS AND SERVICE
--------------------------------------------
6. How big is the market for parts and service in the Chicagoland
area?
http://www.mindbranch.com/catalog/product.jsp?code=R1-1873&display=toc
World Medical Diagnostic Ultrasound Imaging Equipment Market
$6250 Market Report, April 2001, Frost & Sullivan,
The detailed table of contents spells out all the issues involved in
understanding this market. Key points: 1) Healthcare Reforms Encourage
Strategic Alliances, 2) Competition in this industry is extremely
intense and but Under-Served Regions Spur Market Growth, 3)
Refurbished Equipment Market Flourishing.
THIS REPORT WOULD ANSWER ALL YOUR QUESTIONS. -- A review of the
extensive table of contents provides a list of all relevant topics for
the industry.
http://www.imvlimited.com/mid/pdf/sr_us.PDF
1998 Diagnostic Ultrasound Market Summary Report, $4,750 / $5,000, 70
pages, Table of Contents is available.
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SEARCH STRATEGY
---------------
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