CDW-G launches health care unit

CDW has launched an initiative in the health care sector, with dedicated sales and marketing forces to cultivate the market. The unit, which has not yet been formally named, will be part of CDW Government, a CDW subsidiary.

Christina Rother, the company's vice president of health care sales, said the new group is a continuation of the reseller's market segmentation strategy.

The new unit plans to focus on areas such as the security and privacy of patient data and electronic health records, Rother said. The health care team will spend the balance of this year learning more about the market and developing specific health care offerings, she said.

“We are going to need to add software…solutions that align themselves with the health care market,” Rother said. The reseller will also add hardware vendors, she added.

CDW has experience in the health care field. The company has provided solutions to hospitals, community health centers and rural health care networks. In the government sector, CDW-G counts the Department of Veterans Affairs among its health care customers.

Also today, CDW reported $1.54 billion in sales for the second quarter, which ended June 30. Sales grew 11.3 percent that quarter compared with the same quarter last year. Net income was $67.1 million, a 15.1 percent boost, compared with last year’s second quarter. Diluted earnings per share were $0.80 for the quarter, a 19.4 percent increase.

By mid-morning, the company’s shares rose 4.5 percent to $59.15.