Sphere 3D Corp., a virtualization and data management solutions provider, today announced it has partnered with iPro, a value added solution provider of healthcare technology and services based in Calhoun, GA, that serves over 300 healthcare sites through its Healthcare division.  This partnership further highlights Sphere 3D's strategy to optimize its virtualization solutions for use within the healthcare vertical, which has shown strong demand for virtual workspaces as a means to support improved patient care.   

Through the first phase of the agreement, Sphere 3D will provide its virtualization solutions to over 200 iPro supported sites.  The initial implementation will support 50 users at each healthcare location, with the ability to seamlessly increase the number of users as needed. Over the next three years, Sphere 3D expects to deliver all the hyperconverged infrastructure required to support these facilities as well as receive a recurring monthly software maintenance fee post deployment. If fully implemented, the total contract value is estimated to exceed $13 million over the next 3 years.

iPro's network of healthcare clients are facing the need for enhanced patient record security, coupled with demands for anywhere, anytime access to patient data.  The use of hyperconverged infrastructure to deliver virtual desktops and applications allows IT departments to keep information in the data center and off end user devices. This approach not only provides for greater data control and security, but improves clinical workflow, enhances accessibility to that workflow and reduces the cost of replacing dedicated workstations.