Logiq 500 propels GE's ultrasound growth

The Logiq 500 scanner helped GE Medical Systems' status rise in1995 from an also-ran to a more respectable player in the radiologicalultrasound market.

GE has shipped about 1400 of the moderately priced Logiq 500platforms to customers in the U.S. and international markets sinceits introduction 18 months ago, according to Omar Ishrak, globalgeneral manager for ultrasound. Roughly 1000 of those installationswere completed in 1995.

The sales performance of Logiq 500 was the power behind40%revenue growth for GE's ultrasound group last year, Ishrak said.U.S. sales rose 30%, despite estimated 2% growth for the overallmarket.

"We have had significant market share growth, both inthe U.S. and worldwide. Our experience in the Americas regionin the second half of the year when sales rose 50% was particularlystrong," Ishrak said.

Ishrak has had much to be enthused about since joining GE lastyear after a stint as vice president of product development atDiasonics. He predicts at least one product performance breakthrougha year from GE's ultrasound group from now into the foreseeablefuture. For example, new advanced image quality and color Dopplerenhancements introduced with the high-performance Logiq 700 willtrickle down to other ultrasound products.

Industry observers note that the situation at GE has been generallypositive since the launch of Logiq 500, which was not hyped asheavily as Logiq 700 but which has brought in the majority ofnew scanner sales. Logiq 500 helped build momentum for GE's ultrasoundbusiness while stalwart products, such as RT 3200 Advantage, enabledGE to hold its own in the competitive ob/gyn physician officemarket.

The ultrasound group's biggest problem centers around devisingeffective marketing for the high-priced Logiq 700. Logiq 500 ispositioned as a mid-tier platform that performs as well as a high-performancemachine, according to Ishrak.

"To sell the 700, we have to prove to the customer thatit is superior to anything in the field. We had to learn how tosell it," Ishrak said.