IBM Power 750 systems help streamline blood collection

Auckland, New Zealand – 08 February 2011, IBM announced today that New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS) is shifting its national blood management system from SUN servers to IBM Power 750 systems. The deal delivers NZBS much higher computing performance which, combined with a major software upgrade, will help improve resilience and ultimately help streamline blood collection and transfusion processes across the country.

NZ Blood Service is currently implementing a new feature rich version of its blood management software, Progesa. eProgesa will coordinate every stage of blood bank management, from collection to transfusion. IBM recently assisted the Netherlands’ national blood service with a similar upgrade.

This is the first POWER7 server implementation in New Zealand and was carried out by IBM Business Partner Spectrum Consulting.

The three virtualised IBM Power 750 servers make the Blood Service’s records more resilient. The new configuration, implemented and managed on behalf of NZ Blood Service by IBM Business Partner Datacom, provides higher availability and improved disaster recovery facilities.

“We chose POWER7 servers after a competitive evaluation based on our need to improve resiliency and redundancy, while also meeting criteria for capacity, scalability and pricing,” says NZ Blood Service eProgesa upgrade project manager John Cox. “IBM’s experience advising the Netherlands’ national blood service gave us the additional benefit of relevant international expertise.”

“Ensuring safety and security of blood supply is mission critical for New Zealand Blood Service and this significant upgrade enhances the disaster recovery facilities available,” says Andrew Fox, Systems & Technology Group Manager, IBM New Zealand. “Making collection as easy as possible for its donors is an important part of ensuring a continuous supply.”

The eProgesa system provides a front-end to a database which records details of roughly 125,000 active donors, results of tests carried out on every donation, and details of the eventual recipients of the blood and other products. It also manages hospital orders and tracks movement and storage of donations from their collection point, through testing and delivery nationwide.

ENDS

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