CloudWave was recently named to the 2023 Cyber Top 20, which recognizes the top cybersecurity companies providing the most value to the market.
We sat down with Mike Donahue, vice president, client services, CloudWave, to learn more about the company and how healthcare organizations can overcome the challenges of cloud migration. What factors should healthcare organizations consider when deciding where to place their workloads in the cloud?
Healthcare organizations should consider factors such as cost, performance, regulatory compliance, and security when determining where to place their workloads in the cloud. The decision should be based on a careful analysis of these critical factors.
How does cost analysis play a crucial role in determining the feasibility of cloud technology adoption in healthcare?
Cost analysis is crucial in healthcare cloud adoption as it helps organizations shift from upfront capital expenses to pay-as-you-go models, reducing infrastructure costs and providing scalability. It assesses savings in maintenance, security, and disaster recovery, considering the total cost of ownership and the benefits of accessing advanced technologies. Cloud adoption's feasibility hinges on understanding these cost implications and comparing them with traditional on-premise solutions.
What challenges does the healthcare industry face in achieving cost savings through cloud technology, especially compared to industries with varying workloads like financial services or retail?
Unlike industries with varying workloads that can take advantage of the flexibility that the cloud offers, healthcare operates continuously. Healthcare institutions are not able to power down critical applications for extended periods, making it challenging to achieve the cost benefits promised by the cloud. Cloud savings are more achievable in areas like backup and disaster recovery, office productivity, and analytics. These use cases can yield substantial cost benefits by leveraging the scalability and cost-effectiveness of public cloud resources.
What are some workloads that may not be suitable for the cloud, and what concerns may lead healthcare organizations to avoid cloud adoption for certain components?
Latency-sensitive applications, like real-time patient monitoring systems, may face performance challenges in the cloud due to network latency. Large-scale medical imaging files, such as high-resolution scans, may be impractical to transfer quickly over the internet, impacting both speed and costs.
5. Why is a multi-cloud strategy often recommended for healthcare organizations, and how does it address issues like vendor lock-in and potential outages?
A multi-cloud strategy is recommended because it offers enhanced flexibility, control over workload placement, and access to compute and storage resources on demand. It allows healthcare organizations to optimize each application's environment to match its unique requirements. A multi-cloud platform enables hospitals to implement a high availability strategy, where during downtime, critical workloads can be restored to and operated in another location, ensuring continuity.
What challenges do healthcare organizations face when migrating to the cloud and managing a multi-cloud environment, and how can third-party managed cloud providers help address these challenges?
Healthcare organizations face challenges related to integrating different platforms, maintaining security across environments, and optimizing costs when migrating to the cloud and managing a multi-cloud environment. Third-party managed cloud providers can assist by offering expertise and resources to guide organizations in adopting a strategic multi-cloud strategy. Security is a particular benefit for healthcare organizations moving from on-premises to a managed private cloud because it provides a level of security that may not have been affordable independently.
In addition to providing enhanced security, third-party managed cloud providers can ultimately help organizations navigate the complexities of multi-cloud management, ensuring a cost-effective and secure transition to cloud technology.