When all the major and regular processes of Hospital administration are moving to a digital interface, a proper Hosting solution is required to keep the workflow moving without interruptions.
Cloud hosting is a new concept for many business owners and managers, but it has become increasingly popular as more businesses turn to the cloud for their IT needs. Many clinics and hospitals are now looking to host their data on the cloud instead of on-premise servers.
We will explore some of the pros and cons of these two options so that you can make an informed decision about which service best meets your company's needs.
Hosting on cloud
Cloud hosting offers IT operations in a secure manner that is flexible to your healthcare facility requirements. It is hosted on a vendor server and accessed via a web browser. Though it is largely used, there are some pros and cons that need to be evaluated before you make a decision.
Pros
- Cost-effective:
Companies don’t have to worry about investing a huge amount on devices for hosting as it does not require huge infrastructure or costly devices. They can also plan and pay for monthly subscriptions.
- Deployability:
The time taken from installing to getting it ready to use is very less. As it is web-based you can get your software ready to use within a matter of a few hours or days.
- Connectivity:
It is accessible from anywhere using any device like mobile, tab, etc.
- Scalability:
Can easily add any number of users or multiple branches easily by upgrading.
- Back up:
Data is backed up every 15 minutes. You don’t need to worry about losing any data. The payment is also flexible as you only pay for what you use. You can plan your subscriptions and upgrade easily as per your requirements
- Regulatory Compliance:
The privacy and security of the data are regulated mainly by law. The company doesn’t have to worry about these as the responsibility is shifted to the hosting vendor.
Cons
- Security concerns:
There are many confidential data that are usually kept in-house for security reasons. This confidentiality is lost while using cloud hosting. You are required to trust a third-party vendor with these data.
- Dependence on internet connectivity:
The performance is highly dependent on a reliable internet connection. If the internet connection is bad at your end or at the server end the whole process will slow down and troubleshoot.
- Customization:
Unlike local on-prem servers, cloud hosting applications are generally designed for the industry, not for the company. This limits the ability to provide customized facilities.
Hosting on-premises
On-premises hosting is installed locally on servers or computers within the premises of the hospital or clinic. Let’s look at the pros and cons over here.
Pros
- Operates without internet:
There is zero dependence on internet connectivity and data can be retrieved.
- Better Control:
Provides complete control over data, configuration, upgrades as it is purchased and handled on-premises and no third-party personnel is involved.
- Better security:
The confidentiality of data is fully secure.
Cons
- IT support:
Creates the requirement to have more IT staff support to maintain the server.
- Highly expensive:
Cost is high initially for hardware and infrastructure. The Maintenance charges also have to be met.
- Limited backup space:
Difficulty to increase the space as per requirement (scale up on device is limited)
- Deployability:
Cannot deploy quickly. Requires longer time for installation and to connect with the network and computers in the premises.
- Scalability:
Additional network and carrier services are required for additional branches.
- Data loss:
The risk of data loss under unfaithful occasions like disasters exists. Data lost are unretrievable.
- Regulatory compliance:
All government regulations need to be kept compliant and the responsibility is completely on the hosting owner.
Considering the pros and cons of both cloud and on-prem hosting understanding, the best solution for you can be tricky. Some hospitals and clinics use a combination of both keeping the confidential data in hand and leaving the remaining for cloud hosting.
Insta by Practo provides managed hosting for healthcare providers who want peace of mind knowing their data is being hosted securely in a fully redundant environment with maximum uptime.