For Metropolitan Hospital (Metro Health) of Grand Rapids, Michigan, it all began with a rather ordinary requirement for additional space. In 2001, the community hospital had outgrown its landlocked 13-acre campus and was searching for a new location. Seizing the moment as an opportunity for change, the hospital's key stakeholders developed a vision for the future, thus giving birth to the concept of Metro Health Village — a digital village that promises to do much more than simply treat patients.

Challenge
• Consolidate, streamline and standardize IT infrastructure
• Improve availability
• Improve server performance and utilization
• Raise service levels
• Maintain technical-support requirements
• Reduce IT costs

Solution
• Hardware:
- 4 HP ProLiant BL45p server blades
- 2 HP ProLiant BL20p server blades
- 2 HP Integrity rx2620 servers
- 2 HP Integrity rx4640 servers
- 2 HP Integrity rx8620 servers
- 2 StorageWorks Disk Array xp1024 (28 TB)
- Implementing HP bc1500 PC blades
• Software:
- VMware ESX server 2.5 running Windows
- Windows running on HP ProLiant servers and HP-UX OS running on Integrity servers
- HP Serviceguard running on HP Integrity servers
- OpenView—Virtual Machine integration
- Evaluating HP ProLiant Essentials Rapid Deployment Pack (RDP) and Systems Insight Manager (SIM) for HP BladeSystem
- Implementing HP Identity Suite
• HP Services:
- HP Critical System Support
- HP Consulting & Integration services
- IT Infrastructure for implementation and ongoing project management

Results
• Simplicity
- Displaced previous server vendor
- Developed a consistent infrastructure model
- Reduced costs through fewer required servers to make better use of space
- Simplified management and real-time availability of electronic medical records
• Agility
- Increased flexibility
- Increased availability
- Maintained existing staff levels to support new applications
• Value
- Virtualization and clustering on HP server blades and Integrity servers
- Breadth of support with HP systems and storage
- Increased service levels to core patient processes
- Reduced application downtime via SANs
- Consolidating a standards-based healthcare IT infrastructure
- Efficient processes and lower operating costs allow hospital to focus on providing quality patient care
* This customer’s results depend upon its unique business and IT environment, the way it used HP products and services and other factors. These results may not be typical; your results may vary.


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