Merit Network Announces VMware Licensing For Michigan Health Care
ANN ARBOR -- Merit Network Inc. announced Thursday a new Enterprise Licensing Agreement with VMware that expands the successful MeritLicensing VMware Program to benefit health care organizations in Michigan.
Through this program, Merit will offer its members in the health care sector significant discounts on unlimited licenses for the full portfolio of state-of-the-art virtualization software and technical support services from the global leader in virtualization, VMware.
Under the new ELA, Merit Network will offer savings of up to 40 to 50 percent off list prices when purchasing VMware licenses through the MeritLicensing VMware Program.
"Virtualization is a critical tool for health care IT with tremendous potential for cost-savings and operational efficiencies," said Elwood Downing, vice president of member relations, communications and services for Merit Network. "As a trusted provider and strategic asset to the health care community in Michigan, Merit Network is proud to offer this breakthrough technology to our Members at the lowest pricing available."
Virtualization for Health Care
The virtualization of servers and desktops can provide hospitals and health care organizations with greater efficiencies and create significant savings with lower hardware costs (servers, desktop computers) and operational maintenance costs. Server virtualization reduces the footprint of a data center, decreasing the environmental impact and lowering power consumption.
Desktop virtualization is being adopted by more hospitals to enable a greater sharing of data and to better serve mobile physicians with dynamic desktops that can be accessed anywhere. The practice has led to increased efficiencies through better collaboration between health care providers and their patients.
The effort to virtualize heath care IT has also been driven by legislation in recent years, including incentives to adopt electronic health records under the HITECH Act, and the requirement under Title II of HIPAA for national standards for electronic health care transactions and national identifiers for providers, health insurance plans, and employers.
Saving Much Needed Dollars
It is estimated that Michigan's health care sector currently has 7,000 servers and 35,000 desktops that could be virtualized. With participation in the MeritLicensing VMware Program, Michigan health care will realize significant cost reductions in IT hardware budgets for servers and desktop computer purchases, accompanied by lower operations and maintenance costs.
Merit Network - VMware Free Technology Update Events
Merit Network and VMware are hosting a complimentary technology event focused on current and future virtualization technologies. The free event will be held twice: Wednesday, April 25 at the JW Marriott in Grand Rapids, and Thursday, April 26 at Eagle Crest Conference Center in Ypsilanti. Get the latest information on desktop and application virtualization uses for reducing operating costs, view new technology demonstrations, and much more. For more information visit www.merit.edu/techevent.
Merit Professional Services
Virtualization system installation and benchmarking can often require specialized techniques and skills, best performed by a professional with years of virtualization experience. Through a preferred partnership arrangement, Merit Network offers outcome-based professional virtualization services to Members who want to enjoy the benefits of virtualization and need assistance in making the journey to a virtualized environment. For more information visit www.merit.edu/services/proservices.
