Munich, Germany, 29th September 2004 – Intel today announced that Siemens Medical Solutions, the leading healthcare equipment supplier worldwide, will develop its next generation of workstations for Computed Tomography, Magnetic Resonance systems and multi-modality workplaces on the Intel® Xeon™ processor-based platform. The powerful Siemens Medical system provides, for the first time, hospitals worldwide with image processing workplaces for three-dimensional (3D) virtual image reconstruction, delivering dramatically advanced capabilities for patient assessment and diagnosis. The new Intel Xeon dual processor based-Fujitsu Siemens Computer R630* workstations, combined with Siemens Medical Solutions imaging software syngo*, provides a robust platform that speeds the time required to compute scanned data while enhancing the visual rendering quality, giving healthcare professionals a significantly more accurate and faster patient diagnostic tool.

The healthcare equipment supplier selected the Intel-based platform to deliver the huge levels of processing power required by Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance systems to visually reconstruct data captured from X-ray and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans, for enhanced analysis and diagnosis of human organs. The new Intel Xeon processor with Intel® Extended Memory 64 Technology provides Siemens Medical Solutions with a robust, reliable platform to run its current 32-bit syngo software platform providing more data storage and processing power.

“High-performance systems for medical diagnostics make a real difference in terms of accurate, fast and detailed data that enables effective patient assessment. The Intel Xeon processor platform provides the ideal hardware solution for next generation medical workstations, in delivering the data-crunching performance and reliability needed for advanced imaging and diagnosis,” said Volker Kaiser, General Manager, Siemens Medical Solutions. “It supports in the best possible way all syngo workflow features beginning with registration up to filming, post-processing, viewing and storage. Additionally, we have a standard platform in place for all Siemens medical solutions workplaces from acquisition to image post-processing. This includes also Siemens medical solutions SOMATOM* and MAGNETOM* family of Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance products which delivers industry-leading high performance now and can be extended to embrace 64-bit computing in the future.”

“Healthcare is a great example of a sector where IT innovation enables real benefits in terms of patient care and tools for preventive medicine. The introduction of 3D imaging can transform patient care and understanding of conditions,” said Tom Garrison, Enterprise Marketing, Intel EMEA. “The SOMATOM and MAGNETOM systems from Siemens Medical Solutions are pushing the boundaries of high performance, bringing new capabilities to healthcare diagnosis, and we are delighted Intel Xeon processor-based workstations are powering these advancements.”

The SOMATOM and MAGNETOM systems run syngo software presentation layer on a Microsoft XP* operating system. The Intel Xeon processor with EM64T, (formerly codenamed Nocona) operates at speeds of up to 3.60GHz, integrating Demand Based Switching (DBS) with Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology to dynamically adjust power and lower the processor’s power demand. Intel Extended Memory 64 Technology enables access to 64-bit memory for greater application flexibility.