Medical offices are dependent upon computer networks for diagnostics, treatment, record keeping, billing and other important tasks. Downtime is disruptive and threatens patient care.

The problem is that keeping things running smoothly – and, in many cases, running at all – takes significant expertise.

Great strides in telecommunications and information technology has made “cloud computing” – the relocation of most of the hardware and software to an off-site operations center – accessible to small businesses. onthenetOFFICE has refined the concept for the specialized world of the sole practitioner and small to midsized medical office.

The cloud computing concept is simple. The emergence of high speed broadband and related advances means that data – both control commands and end user content – moves through networks drastically faster than it did even a few years ago. These networks now are so robust and sophisticated that it is no longer necessary for the hardware and software – the firewalls, switches, servers, backups and applications– to be in the same place as the desktop workstations, phones, and printers.

Advances in connectivity have largely eliminated geography as a concern in networking. Such approaches invariably raise security and reliability concerns among potential users. Medical professionals are quick to point out that the data these networks carry -- patients’ medical and billing data, diagnostic applications and numerous other things that the practice cannot run without – are the lifeblood of the business. Relying on equipment that is out “in the cloud” seems precarious.

There is a certain comfort in having a self-contained network on site. The reality is, however, that onthenetOFFICE’s cloud architecture is more reliable, more secure, more responsive, less likely to cause problems and more efficient than scenarios in which all the equipment is in the office.

onthenetOFFICE puts the elements that can cause the most trouble in our operations center, where they can be monitored, diagnosed and, if necessary, repaired by our expert staff 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our operations center features state-of-the-art hardware and software that is carefully administered by a team of highly trained technicians and specialists. onthenetOFFICE, which has adapted the core cloud concept to the virtualization of small doctors’ offices, specializes in medical application hosting and giving employees safe and secure medical software remote access.

Moving the “Network Critical” equipment from your office to a specifically designed data operations center offers all sorts of advantages. Some highlights:

It’s Inexpensive: onthenetOFFICE requires little upfront cost, no server purchase, no software purchase and an unlimited IT department there to support you with all of your needs. We included Free and Unlimited phone support for your entire office, including your medical applications.

It’s Reliable: Our systems are redundant, our staff is knowledgeable and on the job 24/7/365. Our uptime guarantee is 99.999 percent, which equates to an annual downtime of only a few minutes. We consistently upgrade our infrastructure with the latest in technology and perform a tremendous level of preventative maintenance. Small issues are caught long before they blossom into big problems – and long before they would have come to light if the equipment all was in the customer’s office.

It Helps With Compliance: HIPAA and other regulations include demanding electronic privacy and security requirements. We have experts that ensure your office technology and systems are in compliance.

It Enables Robust Disaster Recovery/Business Planning: The redundancy built into our networks – including daily and weekly backups -- offers the highest level of stability in the industry. The system is designed to withstand major problems and, if systems do go down, to facilitate fast restoration. This level of crisis performance can not be replicated in a self-contained small office network.

It Improves Security: In a cloud scenario, desktops are simply dummy terminals whose main task is to interface with users. All of the actual computing and data storage – and hence most of the risk – takes place at onthenetOFFICE’s operations center. For this reason, the key task of protecting the system from spyware, viruses and other threats are carried out at our operations center.

System and Network Engineers have been aware of the potential of cloud computing for decades. Until recently, however, the technology wasn’t ready. That’s changed. The great advances in technology make it possible to run cloud-based virtual offices that are more efficient, stable and secure – and less expensive – than the on-premise networks that small medical businesses have relied upon until now.