The healthcare industry is seeing tremendous change. With the pandemic, staffing shortages, and a backlog of patients needing care, now is the time to reset and question traditional approaches. Add in the pressure of data protection and compliance, supporting remote working environments, and providing telehealth services – finding the right technologies and endpoint security solutions is essential to the future of healthcare.
In this podcast, the experts at IGEL discuss how the next-gen edge OS for cloud workspaces is advancing user productivity, patient care, and security while simplifying endpoint management for healthcare enterprises everywhere.
Host: James Hilliard
Guests:
- Chris Feeney, Sr. Presales Engineer, Channel & Team Lead at IGEL
- Carl Gersh, VP of Marketing – North America at IGEL
You can hear us on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or Podbean.
Show Notes:
[2:45] How has the pandemic impacted the healthcare industry? Innovation in healthcare started in 2008/2009 when the HITECH Act gave the industry incentives to move to electronic medical records. The popularity of going to the cloud spiked in 2020 as collaboration tools, remote work, and the need to upgrade machines rose significantly due to the pandemic.
[6:34] Many healthcare teams struggle with deciding on the best approach for data storage: on-premise, cloud, or hybrid. What is your advice? We often speak to this as “inside the wall” where IT teams have more control over the data and access. Then there’s “outside the wall” which may open you up to more risks and vulnerabilities. But let’s remove the concept of the wall entirely. Security should be in place no matter where the users are or where the data is. This is the mindset we should all have in today’s digital environment.
[10:05] It took a global pandemic for many of us to shift to the cloud. What’s next? The technologies and capabilities have been around. The lack of awareness and getting executive approvals are the reasons why adoption has been slow moving across many industries. Cloud solutions have been around for 20 years. For healthcare, streamlining identity authentication and management, enhancing the user experience so clinicians can access the data and apps quickly, and improving patient care are major focus areas.
[14:20] We’re at a point in time where there’s a need for a great reset. What should teams consider as we go into the new year? In 2023, teams should question whether a fat or thick client OS is even needed for endpoint management. Instead, consider how to manage and scale your environments while being mindful of user experience. Some organizations may have or want to do both; thick clients for power users and thin clients for standard users, but you should also question whether this modality is necessary. For instance, consider Netflix. You don’t need a Netflix “box”, instead Netflix is seen as a service, and you can pick any device to use it. Think about your OS in the same way.
[18:30] So for those users that still want a workstation, what do you suggest as the right solution? Thin clients may be easier to manage but it won’t be enough for power users. With the rise of cloud computing, IGEL is focused on the “fit client” OS. In other words, we focus on delivering the right fit based on users’ needs.
[24:08] What are the benefits of IGEL OS? It’s no surprise that IT teams are always trying to do more with less or not enough. Many customers need to repurpose devices, extend the lives of those devices, and reduce e-waste. IGEL OS offers reliable performance that’s flexible and secure. We work with many vendors and partners like Citrix, Microsoft Azure, VMware, AWS and 120+ others to deliver a seamless experience.
[28:08] Describe the user experience when IGEL OS is first deployed. Once your device is on, the user is in their virtual session. The experience is seamless and doesn’t entail waiting and logging into various systems. If teams need to switch cloud service providers, IT can change that from the administrative side. The interface to the user will be the same. They would never know of the change.
[31:50] What are some nuances that IGEL OS has considered for the healthcare industry? IGEL works closely with Imprivata to deliver an integrated healthcare solution. Identity authentication is critical in the healthcare space so IGEL OS is activated when a clinician comes in and uses their badge for tap-and-go access. There are no passwords to slowdown clinicians, but the data is still secure.This user experience allows healthcare professionals to be more efficient so they can focus on patient care.
Contact your Account Manager at Connection or visit connection.com/IGEL where you can sign-up for a free trial.
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