Service(s) with a Smile!

Dizzying growth, buy-ins, buy-outs, booms, and busts are the material that the services segments are made up of. A major contributor to GDP and comprising key segments that attract foreign investment inflows, the fast growing sector is governed by factors domestic and global. Seeing its importance, governments and private players alike provide incentives to boost engineering, communications, information technology, banking, and so on.

The evolution of Smart Cities and investments in data-enabled services are key areas where the private sector plays a prime role in developing “open” services. According to the OECD, a large portion of the $1.8 trillion global annual investment required for infrastructure projects between 2010 and 2030 will be invested in cities. No wonder policy leaders, citizens, and business houses – in the Asia Pacific, Barcelona, Bengaluru or Boston – are fast forwarding to the future!   

On to startups, the latest entrants into the asset class in the product portfolio and on whom the eyes of the high net worth bracket are trained. Investment is through either personal wealth or angel funding. India is a case in point, the risk nevertheless. GCC governments too have made considerable investments in the services sector, and rightly so by improving ICT infrastructure. GCC business leaders and governments still face challenges, funds being among them, at times.

In the software industry, however, growth rules are far different. A 20% annual growth in a healthcare firm is cause for cheer, but it spells doomsday for IT. To sustain investment, firms anywhere need to plan with foresight as to:

·       How much growth is needed, and how quickly?

·       How much growth is left in core markets and how secure is the firm?

·       What are the chances of expansion and to generate cash for further investment?

·       What new opportunities exist, and when is the move?

Concern about one’s country, the world, its people, and environment has led to a new breed of investors promoting concepts they feel strongly about, to influence decisions that could detrimentally impact society. Socially Responsible Investing has thus come to stay.  

 As Stephen Covey wrote, “To be successful requires beginning with the end in mind.”

Live and let live, balancing ecosystems!

It took over 50 years for the word ecosystem, as we know it, to be transported from the natural world to that of business and commerce. Coined in the 1930s by British botanist Arthur Tansley, it was given a new dynamism by business strategist James Moore. Companies working together, cooperating and competing to promote new products while keeping the customer in mind was Moore’s vision of an ecosystem for the business world.

Fighting to find a footing in the jargon-oriented business setting, the term scored brownie points for its value and has since found a permanent place in the lexicon. From technology to platforms as diverse as media and healthcare, the scope of the possible was continuously put to the test. And pass it did with flying colors, in serving communities and harnessing talent.

The operative word here is platform, as, magnet-like, it attracts participants or players to the field with a purpose. Such platforms bring about resource sharing to access untapped assets or markets and improved customer satisfaction. Platform business models led to the evolution of apps-based businesses. The early birds stood to gain, the smartest opening the doors to Smart initiatives.

The financial technology ecosystems that took wing in the developed countries look set to branch out to other regions, for instance, to the GCC countries. Governments and financial institutions have come to realize that such ecosystems are imperative for growth. Architects of business ecosystems in the GCC countries would do well to:

·      calculate the financial benefits of having such systems

·      develop the strategy to achieve the aim

·      choose the partners

·      build an operating structure and model of the system

·      put together all criteria for best use of available resources

In countries such as the GCC, however, the governments have a more crucial role to play than in the developed world, and the challenge lies in developing the necessary coordination. So, let’s connect, cooperate, collaborate, and co-evolve!

Healthcare: wired, smart, and upwardly mobile!

Healthcare: wired, smart, and upwardly mobile!

The world is getting Smarter by the day. Shopping, banking … and more are accomplished at the click of a mouse or the press of a mobile button. Healthcare, too, has come within the ambit of this Smart world. According to reports, 70% of the world’s population is expected to use smartphones capable of monitoring biometrics and lifestyle data by 2020. 

This calls for concomitant Smart teams with access to constant, real-time data on lifestyle diseases or chronic conditions, such as diabetes and hypertension, and the ability to remote monitor and manage patients and situations. Users and their families will, in turn, have access to full medical records, test results, history of appointments, and related services. 

The benefits include better management of health conditions, lesser complications, fewer hospital visits, cost reduction, and faster return to the workplace. Patients’ medical queries are answered quickly, diagnosis is faster, and people understand their health and well-being better. For patients and countries battling healthcare costs, competition, and shortage of physicians, the use of telemedicine and mobile health technology or m-health is a blessing.  

Downloaded healthcare apps on the rise, and GCC countries, too, are upwardly mobile. The tech-savvy population is eager to adapt digital solutions for healthier lifestyles, and private and government entities are taking steps to provide on-demand healthcare. Cloud-based systems are used to connect healthcare professionals and cloud-based solutions to provide aid, for instance, in administering immunizations and conducting medical investigations.

GCC healthcare leaders could ensure that:

• 1.      Hospitals improve their admission, discharge, and transfer process. This will lead to shorter hospital stays and higher occupancy rates; reduced costs for patients and improved productivity for hospitals; besides patient satisfaction.

• 2.      Data, both internal and external, are used in better ways to gain maximum value.

• 3.      Collaboration and exchange takes place between organizations and the broader ecosystem.

The overall goal should be to capitalize on the advantages and carry through the digital imperative to completion.

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Chasing the entrepreneurial dream!

The best way to predict the future is to create it. – Peter Drucker

Looking back, the concept of entrepreneurship has undergone a sea change, as did everything else. Gone are the days when young enterprise was frowned upon and startups were unheard of. If job security was the watchword then, the same security blanket was flung out of the window as crises gripped the global economy and financials took a beating.

Lifting the self-imposed shades, the public saw the world for what it was – in black and white – that entrepreneurship was the tool to fight unemployment, generate jobs and, with it, wealth. Glorying in its image makeover, entrepreneurship became a matter of pride. Gen Y businessman veered away from profit pipe dreams to look to innovation, creativity, and a sense of balance to keep their own. Small is beautiful, indeed!

With the pink slip a stark reality, striking out on one’s own was a practical solution. Clued up, connected, or plugged in – describe it any which way – the teenager/school student with a micro-business proposal is now credited with a hearing, success surfing in via the laptop and Internet.

Individual success stories led to the birth of corporate entrepreneurship, and major firms began investing in, rather than acquiring, startups. Industry experts say 30% of large companies are seed funding entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial ventures. Not to be left behind, banks too began jumping onto the bandwagon.

 So much so that employers now take on even failed entrepreneurs; mastering one’s destiny has made its mark. And with individual success, social entrepreneurship and social innovation rose to the fore combining determination, optimism, and resourcefulness to pursue social change and social profit. The spurt in education, more rights for women and minorities, and the swell of information technology made social innovation a reality.

Behind every successful business is an individual or a group of individuals who dares to dream. Hail Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and others of his ilk!

Cloud Computing in Government Sectors - Middle East

Introduction:

Cloud computing as a concept became popular in 2010 and individuals and organizations (mostly private sector) across the world were quick to adopt it. On a broader scope cloud computing encompasses a mix of computer and network resource pooling solution that includes hardware, software and communication systems harnessed to obtain desired goals and objectives. Networking and global communication processes now demand the presence of cloud computing as an integral component.

Current Scenario:

In the present fast paced environment internet communication technologies in the Middle East are in tandem with global standards with significant trends affecting regions irrespective of their current ICT development levels. The Middle East region is not so different in terms of high capacity networks, low-cost computers and storage devices with extensive inclination towards hardware virtualization, service-centric architecture etc., all of which constitutes pre-requisites of cloud computing.

The gradually ascending level of economic growth in the Middle East has placed the region in the forefront to adopt cloud technology to achieve their commercial goals. At the same time, the market for cloud technology in the region has also grown. It is said that in the coming years cloud vendors can expect a surge in demand to deploy services and data into the cloud environment.

Cloud in Government:

Today, expectancy run high among people. They expect all services including public services to be available in the blink of an eye and that too at the least cost, in the least possible time. Thus, the time was right for government take the initiative to consider the need of the hour and provide the best service to its citizens. This need has resulted in the public sector embracing technology and offering their services online thereby creating better engagement with citizens. But with each passing day there is an increase in computational data which makes it imperative for government bodies to adopt cloud computing technology.

While cloud technology is being openly embraced by most industry segments, adoption of cloud technology is comparatively slow in government sector. It is not a new concept for governments, as they are gradually inching towards adopting cloud environments to reduce operating costs substantially. Government bodies have realized that cloud technology can actually optimize asset utilization and increase flexibility in the scale and scope of IT services and hardware. Cloud technology is being considered as an evolutionary transformation to conventional IT applications. Cloud technology offers an array of ancillary benefits viz., cloud can be used as a tool to drive innovation, facilitate smooth interaction with people and other government bodies. At the same time, it would also assist in reducing IT footprint thereby facilitating government bodies to concentrate on the effectiveness of their programs rather than managing their IT infrastructure. However, it is well known that there are two sides to a coin, similarly, cloud technology not only presents opportunity but also brings forth several challenges which again can and must be overcome to fully harness its potential.

Benefits of cloud computing for Governments:

The key question that any entity harbors while venturing into relatively new areas or implementing new techniques is the kind of benefit a new technology would offer that would ultimately enhance their overall performance. As mentioned in the introduction, there are several advantages offered by cloud technology for governments:- 

•          Rapid Elasticity
•          Cost & Efficiency
•          Disaster Recovery
•          Data Scalability

·        Rapid Elasticity: One of the basic advantages of cloud computing is to provide services with unrestricted scalability. It can offer governments with an easy access to an immense array of virtual resources facilitating them to counter periods of peak load in an organized, elastic and economically viable method. Moreover, cloud computing is available on demand with no restrictions on quantity or time.

·        Cost & Efficiency: Cloud computing not only provides economically viable services but it also offers an option wherein costs of investment can be replaced with operating costs by obliterating the need to purchase expensive infrastructure or employ professionals to operate and maintain the relevant infrastructure.

·        Disaster Recovery: Cataclysmic events that threaten loss of data / records causing a suspension in services include; earthquakes, floods, war and civil unrest. In such situations data stored in one location or separate locations for that matter can be easily destroyed. Cloud computing can address this problem as they have more options than traditional models that facilitate easy recovery of critical data without causing significant delay in provision of services.

·        Data Scalability: One thing that governments can be assured of is that the amount of data they process will keep on increasing without any scope of reduction in data inflow. In such situations, conventional hardware demands frequent upgrades. On the contrary, data processing in cloud is absolutely scalable. Any database can continue to grow relentlessly without directly affecting quality of service.

Next Steps :

Though cloud computing offers several benefits it also has its own set of challenges. Governing bodies in the Middle East today are working towards addressing those challenges that hinder adoption of cloud technology thereby moving closer to bring in the ability to provide innovative ways to provide the essential services in a faster and efficient manner to its citizens.  

Advantage & Disadvantage of Cloud Computing in Healthcare Business.

Introduction:

Technological advancements that have been observed in most industry segments are hardly visible in healthcare / medical segments.  Rather it can be said that technology in healthcare sector has been underutilized. Paper based medical records and handwritten notes are still being used by business owners to inform and make decisions. The same can be said for processes such as consultation, revenue and inventory management. Digitized information, if any is stored between departments and applications, which make access to patients’ health records and day to day operational procedures complicated and time consuming. At the same time, the overall healthcare environment is undergoing a rapid transformation owing to a rising need for providing highest quality medical services that are economically viable. Hence, it is high time for business owners to switch over from paper based workflows and embrace new technologies in order to improve their operational efficiency and quality of patient care.

Amongst the many technologies available in the market today, one that holds the most potential to improve the way healthcare is delivered and impacting all stakeholders’ viz., doctors, patients, insurance companies and government bodies equally is CLOUD COMPUTING.

What is Cloud Computing?

In layman’s terms cloud computing can be described as services that are hosted over the internet. Cloud is basically a mix of software, data & intelligence all easily accessible and managed on the World Wide Web. It facilitates stakeholders to securely access information that is updated from time to time.

Cloud computing represents the biggest potential change to the healthcare industry since the computer. Utilizing healthcare business software through cloud technology facilitates business owners to focus their efforts on clinically relevant services and enhanced patient outcomes. What it means is; it would enable seamless access and management of patient care and information through automation and streamlining of workflows. Summing it in short, it would create an integrated healthcare ecosystem that would ultimately aid business owners to go beyond traditional methods of business management. Moreover, it also eliminates the burden of infrastructure management by providing easy access to software, while driving down costs and simplifying technology adoption.

Why Cloud Computing?

One of the key focuses of business owners today is to provide patient-centric services. Since we are living in the information age, patients expect more from business owners in terms of technology. This has led to an increasing requirement from patients to have their medical information at their fingertips. Their logic being that while internet has simplified everything else in their lives why not healthcare? for eg: gone are the days when people needed to go shopping physically, it is now very easily done from the confines of their homes or while on the move using smart phones. Cloud based electronic medical record software can do just that by enabling patients to access their medical information at their convenience. 

Similarly, business owners can consult with their peers in case of doubt using customized healthcare business software to exchange medical records of patients’, irrespective of their location using cloud technology. The same holds true for other aspects associated with day to day functioning of healthcare organizations such as consultation, revenue and inventory management etc.

Simply said, opting to utilize cloud based healthcare business software can drastically simplify these procedures while offering business owners a tremendous opportunity to enhance the quality of their services and improve operational efficiency.

Advantages of Healthcare Business Software on Cloud:

For any new technology to be accepted by business owners it must offer some benefits. Evidently, health care business software on cloud offers several advantages over traditional models that would eventually improve operational efficiency of a healthcare organization. Some such key yet basic benefits are:-

  

·        Easy access to medical records: In a traditional model, patients are required to maintain their own records. All medical information is handed over to patients who are expected to carry the records with them during their next visit. In such circumstances it is quite possible that patients may misplace the records or forget to carry them during their next visit. Such scenarios can be entirely avoided if business owners deploy cloud based healthcare business software. Cloud based electronic health record software eliminates the need for paper based information making it easier for patients as well as business owners.

·     Collaboration: Time and again business owners may need to collaborate with each other to reach a correct diagnosis or outline the right treatment plan for a specific patient. If at all such situation arises, it is quite likely that collaborators are not in the same location so sharing of information becomes a hindrance. Cloud based business software can overcome this hurdle as information can be synchronized and shared amongst multiple collaborators in real time.

•   Speed: Information exchange through business applications delivered using cloud technology  is comparatively faster than traditional methods of information sharing viz., paper based  information wherein information exchange can cause sizable delays or information sharing  through email which can be delayed owing to heavy internet traffic. 

Cloud Computing Challenges:

In spite of the array of advantages offered by cloud computing technology, there have been very few takers. This lack of initiative on the part of healthcare service providers is not out of ignorance but largely due to challenges associated with adopting cloud computing. As with any new technology cloud computing too, presents its share of challenges which needs to be overcome before it can be successfully adopted & implemented within existing systems. Challenges in cloud computing can be classified into two categories viz., technical challenges and non-technical challenges. 

Technical challenges include 1. Security & Data Privacy, 2. Data Portability& Integrity. While data ownership & legislative parameters construe non-technical challenges associated with adopting cloud computing in healthcare. Hence, it is essential to tackle these challenges before healthcare providers can full-fledgedly adopt cloud computing within their business processes. Let us now get into how technical & non-technical challenges are affecting adoption of cloud computing in healthcare.

Technical Challenges:

·        Security & Data Privacy:

In the present scenario, exchange of data is a matter of great concern from a security stand point, primarily owing to large amount of data available with healthcare service providers. This automatically makes migration of data from traditional systems to a cloud model very complex. Therefore, in order to avoid exposing data to third parties during transition from traditional models to cloud, robust security measures are required. This is a deterrent which hampers adoption of cloud computing amongst healthcare service providers. To facilitate trustworthiness of cloud systems this hurdle needs to be overcome. Though most cloud service providers today are committed towards developing best practice policies in order to secure customer data and ensure utmost privacy, healthcare service providers are yet to be convinced about the veracity of their claims.

·        Data Portability & Integrity:

Apart from security & data privacy, another challenge faced by healthcare service providers when it comes to adopting cloud computing technologies is data portability & integrity. In a conventional setup, healthcare service providers have exclusive control over their data and services. On the contrary, in a cloud model they would be dependent on the cloud service provider for easy and unfettered access to their clinical data and services. In case a cloud service provider for some obtuse reason suspends their services abruptly without warning, services of a healthcare organization would come to a standstill. Similarly, healthcare service providers are also quite apprehensive about the capability of cloud service providers in facilitating data exchange to another service provider without disrupting existing services. A cloud service that does not have a provision that supports transfer to other vendors is a major drawback.

Non-Technical Challenges:

·        Data Ownership:

    At present there are no specific guidelines pertaining to data ownership in the healthcare industry. For instance, patients can claim proprietary rights to their own medical records but since a medical practitioner has helped create those records is he not entitled to have ownership rights on those records? Same is the case with a patient’s insurance service provider, they too can claim ownership and use those records as they may deem fit. This brings us to the next non-technical challenge i.e., legislative parameters or guidelines that outline ownership boundaries.

·        Legislative Parameters:

   As of now there is clearly a lack of comprehensive legislative parameter that largely addresses the myriad issues associated while adopting cloud computing in healthcare industry. In the absence of any guidelines, conflicts related to data ownership, standards for medical informatics & data exchanges may arise. Needless to say this shortage may even spawn social and ethical concerns. 

As security & data privacy, data portability & integrity form the crux of technical challenges, lack of legislative parameters figures high in non-technical challenges. In short, these are some of the challenges that hinder the adoption of cloud computing in the healthcare segment. 

Conclusion:

Since the pros of cloud computing outweighs the cons, it becomes necessary that the healthcare industry too catches up with other industries that are growing leaps and bounds, riding on the back of cloud technology. Therefore, the need of the hour is for business owners to adopt healthcare business software driven by cloud technology which would allow them to accelerate their ability to tackle critical day to day functional challenges, bring about a radical change in their business models and provide patient-centric services while minimizing costs.