< + > Scalable Cloud-Based Imaging Solutions: Top Picks for Hospitals and Clinics

The following is a guest article by Candelis

Thanks to cloud-based imaging solutions, hospitals and clinics can now store, access and share medical images quickly and securely. Many of these systems can also scale with your organization as it grows across multiple locations. They let you add storage, users and capabilities without significant system changes or downtime. Here are the top picks of scalable, cloud-based providers that can support long-term growth and ever-changing clinical needs.

1. Candelis

Candelis is the top choice for hospitals and clinics seeking a scalable, cloud-based imaging solution that grows with their needs. ImageGrid — its main product — is a picture archiving and communication system (PACS) that supports image sharing and collaboration across multiple locations, modalities and clinical operations. It’s ideal for both expanding clinics and enterprise health care systems.

ImageGrid features RAID-based DICOM storage ranging from 1 terabyte to hundreds of terabytes, with capacity that can be expanded easily and cost-effectively. The company’s cloud-based imaging solutions are supported by ASTRA cloud, which adds backup and disaster recovery while reducing up-front infrastructure costs. It also includes security features, such as encrypted data transfer and system monitoring, that support HIPAA compliance.

Key features:

• Product options for small clinics and enterprise-scale needs
• Easily expandable DICOM storage
• Integrated tools for image viewing, archiving and more

2. Sectra

Sectra is a familiar name because it makes imaging simpler to run and easier to scale. Its Sectra One Cloud is a fully managed, software-as-a-service solution that runs on Microsoft Azure. It brings together PACS, vendor-neutral archiving and education portals in a single cloud environment, which removes the need for on-site services and complex IT upkeep.

With Sectra One Cloud, you only pay for the services you need. This allows storage and users to scale up or down as demand changes. Sectra also handles system updates, security and ongoing support to reduce the workload of the internal IT team. Moreover, the platform is built for secure, remote access to medical images and learning content, with encryption protecting patient data throughout its life cycle.

Key features:

• Fully managed SaaS with 24/7 reliability
• Built-in access control and encryption
• Fast performance for 3D imaging and other large files

3. Intelerad

IntelePACS by Intelerad is a cloud-native radiology PACS, delivering high-performance image access that integrates smoothly with existing systems. Since it’s a cloud-first platform, you can scale users and storage as demand increases. It also supports friction-free remote reading with secure, high-speed access, even in complex IT environments.

Among IntelePACS’ main strengths is reliability, which is why it’s equipped with technology to maintain fast streaming speeds and keep operating even if the cloud experiences disruptions. In addition to the PACS system, the company offers InteleArchive as well. It’s a cloud-based archiving system for storage and disaster recovery, with capacity that scales with your organization.

Key features:

• Built-in reliability and recovery support
• Secure remote reading with high-speed access
• Rapid deployment and updates of new features

A Side-by-Side Look at the Cloud-Based Imaging Solutions

The best cloud-based imaging solutions on this list help you manage higher volumes and remote work. Here’s how they compare.

Company	Scalability Model	Cloud Architecture	Best For
Candelis	Modular, from clinic to enterprise	Cloud-supported via ASTRA Cloud	Growing clinics and enterprise health systems that need long-term, predictable scaling
Sectra	Usage-based SaaS	Fully managed SaaS on Microsoft Azure	Hospitals and clinics that want minimal IT overhead and flexible scaling
Intelerad	Cloud-native, performance-driven	Cloud-first PACS with cloud archiving	Distributed teams and organizations prioritizing remote reading and uptime

How the Best Scalable Cloud-Based Imaging Solutions Were Evaluated

Various criteria were used to determine the top scalable cloud-based imaging solutions, including:

• Scalability: Ability to support increasing image volumes, users and locations without performance loss
• Cloud architecture: Native cloud or cloud-enabled platforms with flexible deployment options
• Security and compliance: Support for health care data protection and regulatory requirements
• Industry experience: Proven track record in hospital and clinical imaging environments

Choosing the Right Scalable Imaging Platform

Cloud-based medical imaging is now foundational to modern health care delivery. Having a scalable solution helps future-proof your operations, reduce technical bottlenecks and support better clinical collaboration. As your hospital or clinic grows, the right imaging platform can be an excellent investment to improve efficiency and patient care.

Candelis is a proud sponsor of Healthcare Scene.