The Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) market has taken off this year, doubling over the past six months alone, according to 451 Research. Delivering solutions “as a service” offers benefits to managed service providers (MSPs) and customers alike.
MSP and IT solutions provider Logicalis US observes a massive opportunity for SaaS in the healthcare space and is urging software companies and developers to consider this type of delivery model.
The company is so confident about the SaaS model that it has developed a list of seven criteria for healthcare developers as they work on an SaaS strategy and select an Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) provider.
"Healthcare-focused software companies are experts in creating innovative new solutions that help healthcare providers transform their business models and meet new compliance requirements,” said Karen Burton, healthcare business development manager, Logicalis US. “But neither the software companies nor their healthcare clients are typically experts in running a data center, providing 24x7x365 support or creating solid disaster recovery strategies. They need a cloud partner that can take responsibility for everything from the operating system down, implementing - as well as monitoring and managing - their solutions, freeing their time and resources to focus on what they each do best."
According to Logicalis, the first step for developers is to seek out robust infrastructure via a fully managed IaaS cloud solution. It must be running in a secure, enterprise-class data center with reliable support for cloud services and the ability to deliver hosted software solutions. Developers should also question how they may generate additional revenue through their IaaS partnership, particularly by offering extra services like disaster recovery, application monitoring and service desk solutions.
A major factor when considering the move to the SaaS model is finding an infrastructure provider that uses a best-practices approach that is based on ITIL v3 standards. Providers should also have 24x7 monitoring and management capabilities along with automated processes and sophisticated software tools. They should provide the flexibility to accommodate changes in capacity as customer workloads fluctuate and on-demand capacity is required for training, demonstrations and testing/development.
Cloud solutions should be tailored to the requirements of specific software solutions, and providers should offer a hands-on approach to creating a custom solution. Managed appliances, hybrid solutions and legacy operating systems should also be offered as alternatives by providers.
Service level agreements (SLAs) are a major consideration, and a designated manager should oversee agreements. SLAs should also be backed by financial penalties to ensure target resolution times, in addition to response times, are met. And finally, an IaaS provider should be proven through industry certifications and awards as well as high rankings among competitors.
Edited by
Alisen Downey