The healthcare sector is under growing pressure to modernize. At DMEA, Europe’s leading digital health trade fair, industry experts discussed the current state of hospital digitalization. Their conclusion: the technological foundation for smart hospitals is already in place, but a major gap still exists between vision and reality.
The healthcare industry has been discussing digital transformation for years. Electronic patient records, connected medical technology, digital ward rounds, and intelligent bed management have become standard topics at conferences and trade fairs. Yet everyday reality in many hospitals still looks very different: outdated Wi‑Fi structures, isolated systems, missing interfaces, and workflows that continue to rely on paper or even fax machines.
This contrast shaped many conversations at this year’s DMEA in Berlin. Representatives from Extreme Networks and healthcare IT experts described a mixed picture after the event. Hospitals are increasingly willing to invest in digital transformation, and awareness is growing that network infrastructure has become a critical backbone of healthcare operations. At the same time, many organizations still lack the staffing, strategic planning, and internal coordination needed to implement large-scale digital projects successfully.
“The quality of the conversations was significantly higher than in previous years,” said Michael Schwanke-Seer, Senior Key Account Manager and Vertical Lead Healthcare at Extreme Networks. Compared with earlier events, the fair attracted more decision-makers from large hospital groups looking not for isolated products, but for comprehensive digital transformation concepts.
According to the participants, one structural issue became especially visible: hospitals often modernize individual areas without following a long-term strategy. Government funding programs may support specific projects such as new operating rooms or digital patient services, but comprehensive digitalization across the entire hospital remains difficult.
Another major challenge is the shortage of experienced planners and consultants capable of integrating modern digital requirements into new buildings and renovations from the beginning. Andreas Helling, Manager Systems Engineering at Extreme Networks, described the situation bluntly: “In many cases, the problems start with basics like power supply, cooling, or cabling.” Modern Wi‑Fi 7 infrastructures with high-performance access points create far greater energy and heat demands than previous generations, and many hospitals are not prepared for those requirements.
At the same time, hospital demands have changed dramatically over the past 15 years. Earlier Wi‑Fi networks were designed mainly for basic communication. Today, hospitals must support streaming services for patients, digital bedside visits, connected medical devices, indoor navigation, real-time applications, and asset tracking.
Real-Time Location Services (RTLS) are considered one of the sector’s key technologies. They make it possible to locate medical devices, optimize bed management, and provide indoor navigation. Technically, these solutions are now mature and affordable, experts said. However, many projects still fail before deployment.
One reason is the silo mentality that continues to exist inside many hospitals. Requirements for digital services often come from medical departments, while budgets and responsibilities sit elsewhere. As a result, projects are discussed and tested but rarely implemented.
Still, awareness is clearly changing. Network infrastructure is increasingly seen not merely as background technology but as the operational backbone of the hospital. Without stable and intelligent networks, neither modern medical technology nor digital communication can function.
New wireless standards such as Wi‑Fi 6E and Wi‑Fi 7 are receiving particular attention. Experts believe it will still take years before medical devices fully adopt the new frequency ranges, but pressure is coming from the consumer market. Modern smartphones, tablets, and laptops already support these standards.
This matters because hospital infrastructure typically remains in operation much longer than in other industries. Access points are often used for eight to ten years. As a result, many hospitals are already investing in newer standards to ensure long-term compatibility.
Cybersecurity remains another central issue. Attacks on hospitals have increased dramatically in recent years, causing severe operational disruptions in several facilities.
The experts see progress, but also major shortcomings. Many hospitals have introduced segmentation technologies and access controls designed to isolate attacks and prevent them from spreading through the network.
At the same time, increased security also increases complexity. And that may be one of healthcare’s biggest challenges: the more complicated digital processes become, the harder they are to integrate into everyday clinical workflows.
The discussion also highlighted a sobering reality: many hospitals still share sensitive patient data through consumer messaging apps or improvised communication channels. In some cases, fax machines are still brought back into service whenever digital systems fail.
This is why automated network solutions are becoming increasingly important. According to the company, Extreme Networks is focusing heavily on AI-supported management platforms that centrally manage networking, segmentation, security, and automation. The goal is to reduce the workload of IT departments so they can focus more on strategic initiatives.
The conversations at DMEA ultimately revealed a contradiction: the technological foundation for the digital hospital already exists. Many solutions are mature, affordable, and field-tested. Yet missing strategies, limited resources, and organizational barriers continue to delay implementation.
For now, healthcare digitalization is failing less because of technology and more because of structures, priorities, and responsibilities. Or, as one young hospital employee visiting the trade fair put it: “It’s impressive to see what technology can do. But we still don’t see much of it in our own hospital.”
Dr. Jakob Jung is Editor-in-Chief of Security Storage and Channel Germany. He has been working in IT journalism for more than 20 years. His career includes Computer Reseller News, Heise Resale, Informationweek, Techtarget (storage and data center) and ChannelBiz. He also freelances for numerous IT publications, including Computerwoche, Channelpartner, IT-Business, Storage-Insider and ZDnet. His main topics are channel, storage, security, data center, ERP and CRM.
Contact via Mail: jakob.jung@security-storage-und-channel-germany.de