EHR integration with Box suggests a trend: cloud services for care coordination and one-stop patient record access. Patient portals attached to EHRs are spreading rapidly, mainly a result of Meaningful Use Stage 2 requirement that providers share records electronically with patients. In response to a brand new Frost & Sullivan report, 50 percent of hospitals and 40 percent of ambulatory physician practices have already got such portals. But it’s unclear whether the sort of patient portal has the functionality required ultimately for patient engagement and collaboration among unrelated providers. One recent development shows the potential for an alternate path. The cloud-based file-sharing vendor Box announced that a link to its service was embedded within the cloud EHRs of Dr. Chrono and CareCloud. Physicians using these EHR systems can easily transfer patient records to Box, where patients can securely download them or transfer them to other providers. Theoretically, if Box or another cloud service provider persuaded enough EHR vendors to join up, patients with multiple providers could download and... Read More »

To avoid besieged buses in San Francisco and Oakland, Google begins transporting employees by boat. 10 Great Google Apps Tips (Click image for larger view.) While Google sorts out the permit issues with regards to the barge-borne showroom it hopes to dock at a San Francisco pier, the corporate has launched a ferry service to hold workers between San Francisco and Redwood City, Calif., a connection point with a corporation bus path to its headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. Google has recently come under fire for providing private buses to shuttle workers between San Francisco and Mountain View. Despite the ecological and traffic jam benefits of keeping workers out in their cars — eliminating a minimum of 45 million vehicle miles traveled and 761,000 metric a whole lot carbon annually — Google buses have drawn the ire of a few San Francisco residents for using public bus stops without compensating the town and for providing free parking that may cost private residents a $274 fine.... Read More »

Server shipments are slightly up but revenues are down within the third quarter, and Unix server sales continue to slip, says Gartner report. It’s not a very good year to be within the server business. Pity especially the poor Unix server salesperson in Europe. Gartner on Wednesday released third-quarter server market estimates that show that total worldwide shipments were up 1.9% from the prior-year quarter to only over 2.5 million units while total server revenues were down 2.1% to $12.3 billion. “The global server market remains in a comparatively weak performance mode as we go through the second one 1/2 the year,” said Jeffrey Hewitt, research vice chairman at Gartner, in an announcement. Server revenues grew strongly within the Middle East and Africa (up 12.1%) and modestly in Canada (up 6.5%), but were flat or declined in all other regions. Europe all over again suffered the steepest declines. [ Want more at the impact of slow server sales? Read IBM Hardware Slide Drags Down Q3... Read More »

Everest Group lead analyst Jimit Arora looks at five factors that may determine successful cloud adoption inside the enterprise. Last fall I had the respect of sitting at the selection committee for the inaugural ICE (Innovation in Cloud for Enterprise) Awards, sponsored by the Cloud Connect show and Everest Group. The experience taught me how large enterprises are adopting cloud computing in ways in which are usually compelling, sometimes surprising, and infrequently breathtaking. The winner, Revlon, Inc., presented a majestic case for a way it leverages cloud to succeed in organizational transformation that reinforces competitiveness and consumer wallet share. As impressive as each individual entry was, there have been five recurring themes that emerged around the enterprise cloud adoption stories we read. While under no circumstances scientific, they reflect what enterprises themselves report as important factors within the success in their cloud deployments. 1. Identify a compelling reason to step out of the relaxation zone.We’ve examine the significance of senior management buy-in to be successful... Read More »