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Dell is in the EMR Software business…

Dell has Electronic Medical Records?

It's not surprising to see large corporations getting involved with Electronic Medical Records. Since the announcement of federal stimulus funding, large corporations who want to add to their riches seek ways they can put that guaranteed money in their pockets.

I can't help but to ask myself, is this really the best way for stimulus money to flow? What was the purpose of the stimulus funding again?

Will large corporations like Dell improve the economy by consuming as much stimulus money as possible? Will their marketing engines actually destroy small companies who have been in the business for years and years?

Does Dell still have award winning support right out of India?

There is no question, the EMR Software community seems to have a rocky road ahead: figuring out exact standards, who defines those standards, and what the stimulus requirements are exactly.

Dell offers EMR Software solutions which is supposed to provide a simpler way forward, and this might be true with a company such as Dell. If they are committed to actually providing decent software and the support to go along with it, then perhaps Dell is a good choice in this confusing marketplace.

However, if large corporations just get a sense of "stimulus funds" and want a piece of the pie, then it's possible in a few years they will lose interest in it and cut back on the support that's truly needed. What, this isn't a possibility?

I feel that as your company searches for an EMR Software solution, you should consider what the future might be when the stimulus cash windfall is over.

Which EMR Software Vendors are Stimulus Ready?

EMR Software Solutions

There seems to be a lot of movement in the Electronic Medical Records (EMR) marketplace since the wind of government stimulus was released. It seems new vendors are popping up out of the woodwork and competition has increased ten fold.

However, confusion still remains. Which EMR software solution is best for your business and which software vendor will meet the stimulus requirements?

First of all, not all EMR Software packages are equal. Although one EMR Software package might be good for a Long Term Health Care Facility, it might not be the best solution if you are a dentist.

This means, careful consideration is required when selecting a vendor.

EMR Software is a Big Decision

Set aside the government stimulus for a moment and realize the decision to switch to electronic medical software is an expensive and important transition. Selecting the wrong software or company can become an extremely costly mistake.

Since the government has issued a stimulus package for electronic medical records, the increase in EMR software vendors has risen. They are trying to follow the money and get their products to fit the stimulus requirements. How does this effect the marketplace? How does this effect you and your business?

The stimulus incentives have opened doors for for companies who might not have had anything to do with electronic medical records. Dell and WalMart for example are two companies who caught wind of the stimulus money and are making an effort to get their fair share of that funding.

This of course will cause some serious hurt to the small businesses who produce EMR software (RH Positive) or for those small companies that provide Value Added Reseller (VAR) support. When the already billion dollar companies decide to get involved, it might not always be for the best, but it will shake the industry a little and perhaps some solid standards will result.

It's still a little too early to tell exactly who will produce the correct software in standards and meet the federal stimulus funding requirements. However, there are a number of companies that are promising and even guaranteeing it.

Guaranteed Stimulus Funding for EMR Software?

Click here to follow the current list of companies who are guaranteeing their software will met federal stimulus requirements.

The Quest For the Perfect SOHO NAS (Part II)

 

MR. Technoid Guy
In Part I of The Quest for the Perfect SOHO NAS, my journey began with the Coolmax CN-330 Dual Bay 3.5″ SA TA RAID Network Attached Storage Enclosure. If you read my first article, “The Quest For the Perfect SOHO NAS (Part I),” you soon found out that the device did not perform as expected. The next stop in my journey led me to the Buffalo LinkStation Duo 2TB Dual-Drive Reliable Shared Storage (NAS), Model LS-WX2.0TL/R1. I did not do much research on this model before purchase. This time I trusted the word of the salesman, who based his opinion on the manufacturer’s name, “Buffalo.” Feeling confident in my decision, I purchased the Buffalo LinkStation Duo 2TB Dual-Drive Reliable Shared Storage (NAS), Model LS-WX2.0TL/R1.

Immediately upon opening the box, I definitely liked the sleek look and appearance of the Buffalo NAS. Its simple but stylish lines with compact design made me want to display this handsome device in the middle of my living room. Since this model comes with hard drives already installed, much of the initial setup work was done. Insert the CD, run the setup software and you are almost ready to start enjoying your new NAS product. FTP setup was simple, with easy to follow on screen questions. Most, if not all, users will find the Buffalo NAS easy to setup and install. Overall setup of this product took less than 30 minutes. The only thing to remember is to set the RAID configuration. This model ships with the RAID set at the default level, RAID 0. RAID 0 (striped disks) distributes data across multiple disks in a way that gives improved speed at any given instant. If one disk fails, however, all of the data on the array will be lost, as there is neither parity nor mirroring. In order to switch to disk mirroring, RAID 1, you need to set up the information in the Buffalo firmware. YOU MUST SETUP YOUR RAID LEVEL FIRST BEFORE COPYING FILES ONTO YOUR NEW NAS, OR ALL YOUR FILES WILL BE LOST UPON SWITCHING RAID LEVELS. Buffalo does a nice job of covering this issue by inserting a special instruction pamphlet in the box.

This product has many features that the average SOHO users will like, such as simple setup, small footprint and extremely quiet operation. This model is so quiet that I could not even hear the fan or the hard drives running. Users can take confidence in the Buffalo name. Buffalo has been a leader in the backup and storage area for many years. Once you see this product, you can see why. Simply put: quality through and through.

The only problem with this product is the lack of security. Yes, the product requires passwords, and can incorporate in an active directory. However, there is no connection log, or access log. This is a huge flaw in the design of many of these NAS products. Buffalo is not alone in this deficiency. In order to verify that I was not missing something in the security, I called Buffalo and talked to their support team. While I was on hold, I searched their forum and found other customers requesting the need for event log tracking. Eventually I reached a live support person. I want to add that the gentleman I talked to was very pleasant and knowledgeable. He informed me that the security logs are not available on their NAS products. He mentioned that I was not the first person to request this and that management was aware of the problem but no solution was currently available at the time of writing this article. I thanked him for his time and ended the conservation.

Security is a huge issue when it comes to computers and file storage. Your average everyday person does not stop and think about security for their computers, wireless access points and especially a new device like a NAS. I went back to the store and talked to the sales rep who sold me the product. I have much respect for him, and he is very knowledgeable in the field of computers and electronics. I mentioned that the Buffalo has no security logs or tracking logs. He said and I quote, “No one has ever asked me about them.” I inquired how would users would check to see who is accessing their files via LAN, FTP, or HTTP. He again said no one had ever asked about the security. Scary, isn’t it? Makes me wonder how many NAS storage boxes are running wide open.

I now was on a mission to find an NAS with security and connection logs. If I am going to open up my storage drive to the outside world, I definitely need to know who is accessing it and from where. I quickly called Seagate and inquired about their highly touted Black Armour NAS. I was extremely disappointed to find out that their system does not have security or connection logs. My next call was to Western Digital. The Western Digital new Share box NAS did not have security or connection logs either. Now I was truly stumped. Some of the biggest manufacturers in the world and their products do not have logs. I could not sleep knowing my files were setting out on the web and I had no way to track who was trying to hack my site or who might even be logged in, friend or foe. I quickly disconnected my Buffalo product and went looking for the perfect NAS. My vision now was a nice sleek product like the Buffalo, but with enhanced security features.

Part III on my Quest for the perfect NAS will reveal the product that I found.

 

Buffalo LinkStation Duo 2TB Dual-Drive Reliable Shared Storage (NAS)
Buffalo LinkStation Duo 2TB Dual-Drive Reliable Shared Storage (NAS)

Pros

  • Simple Setup
  • Ultra quiet design
  • Small footprint
  • Very stylish
  • Solid performance

 

Cons

  • Lack of connection logs
  • Lack of security logs

 

4.5 Star Rating

 

I would rate this product a 4 1/2 star. I really liked the small foot print as many users will. It’s ultra quiet operation makes it suitable for both home and office. Simple setup allows most users the ability to have their files on-line in record time. The only drawback was the lack of security logs. In my opinion if you are looking for a NAS device that you will not expose to the internet, than this product is for you.

 

Until next time, keeping reading Technoid Corner where you learn today’s technology one article at a time.

 





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Maria Austin