Marconi debuts radiology supplies Web site

While other companies fight over hardware turf on the Internet, Marconi Medical Systems launched a business-to-business Web site Aug. 7 to serve the medical imaging supplies market. Through strategic alliances with large group purchasing organizations, the site will offer purchasing options to 90% of U.S. hospitals.

“We’re the first company in diagnostic imaging to bring this capability to thousands of customers’ sites around the country,” said Jerry Cirino, Marconi’s executive vice president for global sales and service. “Marconi Health Care Products (HCP) has been North America’s largest supplier of medical imaging products for nearly a century.”

The launch is in line with Marconi’s move to position itself as a leading network solutions provider. In a joint statement issued the same day as the Web purchasing announcement, Marconi and group purchasing giant AmeriNet announced an agreement by which Marconi will provide broadband network services to AmeriNet’s 14,000 member facilities. These services will include voice, video, and data networking. Marconi is the first company to offer hardware, software, and integration services to AmeriNet in a single package.

Cirino said the HCP division, which is going on the Web as www.marconihcp.com, has annual sales of $600 million, basically as a distributor of branded products, although Marconi does manufacture some radiology items such as film and chemicals.

Another 32,000 products are available through the Web site in categories that include radiation protection, contrast media, illuminators, processors, film handling, and darkroom accessories.

Marconihcp.com has alliances with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Tenet Healthcare, HCA, HealthSouth, and Novation. Through its sister company, Marconi InfoChain, the firm is developing an electronic distribution manifest and an inventory-asset tracking system that uses radio frequency identification and the Internet to track hospital assets remotely.

Customer security is being ensured through Marconi InfoSec, a digital security firm.