MSPNetworks Blog

Improvements in technology have allowed us to come a long way since the days of our ancestors, which is made exceptionally clear by our developments in the realm of healthcare. There are so many ways that healthcare providers can use information technology to their advantage, so we’ll cover a select few here.

Technologies That Help Improve Medical Care

Electronic Medical Records

The typical person will pretty rapidly build up a pretty considerable medical file, provided they are going to the doctor on a regular basis. Naturally, this is even more the case for individuals with chronic conditions or who fall ill more often than average. It is important that their physicians are able to reference this file as they plan for each patient’s care, to ensure that their strategy doesn’t interfere with a past decision.

Electronic medical records make this information easier to store and access, enabling doctors more data to work with as they provide their care. Secure platforms keep the private matters hidden from unauthorized viewing, while making it easier for a patient and a physician to stay informed. 

3D Printing

While certainly not something one might have expected to find in this list, 3D printing has proven to have true benefits to healthcare. Crafting prosthetics and other customized materials has become far more precise than it once was, making outcomes far more effective for patients. This has actually led to other advances in medicine, allowing doctors to now craft replacement organs, tissues, and skin for patients in need.

Robot-Assisted Surgery

Many surgeons are renowned for the stillness of their hands as they operate, but as a human being, there are going to be limits to what they can do by hand. That’s why devices have been developed that can give them a much better view and more precise tools to work with as they command a robot that can get into places with less trauma and scarring to the patient. This combination of a physician’s talent with the unerring precision of a machine has created a much better way of performing surgeries and other complex procedures.

Looking to Implement More IT into Your Healthcare Practice?

We’re here to help. Reach out to the experts here at MSPNetworks to learn more by calling (516) 403-9001.

With technology being deployed to help businesses solve all manners of operational inefficiency, it’s often difficult to pinpoint what IT will work best for your business. Organizations of all types look to technology; and, at some point you need to ask yourself if your technology is set up to help reach your business’ potential. 

If you are like many other businesses, IT is a crucial part of your business’ day-to-day operations and it stands to reason that it should be a priority to understand just how it functions to do so. This process, while pretty transparent, is not always cut and dry. With a simple IT assessment, you can get a clear look at how your organization’s IT functions, how it works to tie your business together, and get an idea how it can be improved. Today, we’ll take a look at an IT assessment and how it can be the first step on a path to improving your operations. 

The Assessment 

In order to get the most comprehensive look at how your IT is functioning for your business, you need to take a look at core functions those technologies are used for. They typically include human resources, financial information, hardware, software, specific needs of your business, governance (compliance), managing risk, and the ever-prominent security of said network.

Before we get started going through what to expect from an IT assessment, there are a couple terms that you need to understand:

• Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) - This metric will measure the total cost of a piece of technology. This takes into account the initial cost, the cost of operation, the cost of maintenance, and the cost of any downtime related to the solution in question.
• Return on Investment (ROI) - This metric will measure how much you’ve profited off of an investment. 

These two metrics will come into play frequently during the IT assessment. 

But First...

You have to know why you would need an IT assessment in the first place. An IT assessment, or IT audit, is going to be the basis for the decisions that will come after. For that reason it is extremely important that you have trained technicians who know exactly what they are looking at, conducting the audit. It’s crucial that the people who conduct the assessment understand how IT should be used as a part of your business’ workflow, not aside from it. 

Starting the Assessment

The first thing that will happen during an IT assessment is to put together something called the Asset Detail Report. The Asset Detail Report lists all computers, servers, virtualized computing platforms, printers, switches, routers, and any other hardware and software that you have or pay for. This will present the age of all the hardware systems your organization has; provide the names of software, when it was installed, and what versions you’re working with; the status of endpoint security; where, and how much, data is stored; IP addresses and much, much more. 

At this time, it may be advantageous to create a site diagram. A site diagram shows you how your data flows through your network and devices. This visual representation of your IT infrastructure will give you a map of sorts of your organization’s network. The IT technicians at MSPNetworks can assist you with any part of the IT assessment process. 

Next the IT SWOT analysis, which is a metric that separates the strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats affecting your business’ IT network. First, technicians will identify internal and external factors that are considered favorable or unfavorable to the network and infrastructure health--including security--of the organization’s IT.  Next, the techs will use the SWOT results to make recommendations on how to improve network security and suggest what types of investments will be needed to reduce organizational risk, promote rapid and sustainable ROI, and maintain a positive TCO. These suggestions will then be put into an actionable plan with the design to help a business make the right technology decisions. 

Finally, the assessment will produce a risk report from an evaluation of:

• Network hardware
• Security configuration
• Servers
• VPN/Remote Access
• Websites, domain names, and hosting provider
• ISP
• Phone System
• Email, messaging, and conferencing
• Computers, mobile devices, tablets
• Cabling
• Printers
• Software and mobile apps
• Procedures, policies
• Technology vendors

...and more

This report will identify domain controllers and online statuses, list users in Active Directory, a user’s last login, identify potential security issues such as weak passwords and machines that haven’t had their software updates, and provide the known vulnerabilities found on the network. With this report you will understand everything you need to know about your organization’s IT infrastructure and networking; and, their relationship to your team’s ability to be productive. 

Your organization’s IT is often what holds it all together. For more information about an IT assessment, or to schedule our knowledgeable technicians to complete one for you, call MSPNetworks today at (516) 403-9001.

Businesses have a lot of technology to manage. While some organizations have an in-house IT department to manage it, many small businesses are limited due to location factors, budget concerns, and countless other variables. In the past, organizations would turn to break-fix IT management for all of their technology issues, but trends in IT maintenance have given rise to a more popular and more sustainable way for small businesses to get the technology maintenance and management they need.

Break-fix IT management was largely considered a waste of resources, as it would mean your organization was waiting until your technology was already failing before seeking assistance. This would mean experiencing downtime while waiting for someone to resolve the issue, which further adds to the cost of the incident.

Preventative managed IT provided by a managed service provider, or MSP, is the better alternative, as it means you are effectively preventing IT issues from becoming problems in the first place. What this does is that it mitigates the possibility of downtime, along with all of its expenses. The problem is that this kind of IT isn’t possible unless you have a team dedicated to making sure that your technology is operating as intended.

Outsourcing this responsibility to a managed service provider is a great way make up for a deficit in your IT management. Some of the services offered by a managed service provider include, but are not limited to:

• Server hosting
• Cloud hosting and management
• Data backup and disaster recovery
• Email hosting
• Network maintenance, monitoring, and management
• Security monitoring and deployment
• And more!

Simply put, a managed service provider manages anything technology-related you want them to. Whether it’s something as complicated as deploying a new software or hardware solution or a task as simple as setting up an email account, you can bet that any managed service provider will be able to provide stellar assistance with any of your business’ technology issues. In many ways, a managed service provider is a company that provides even further solutions, as you’re leveraging the expertise of trained, professional IT technicians who understand fully the amount of trust you are placing in them to manage your technology behind the scenes.

MSPNetworks can be the managed service provider that is right for your business. To learn more about the services we offer, reach out to us at (516) 403-9001.