Survey: Healthcare Data May Be Safer in the Cloud

Healthcare IT professionals believe their data is safer in the cloud than on premises according to a survey released by Evolve IP, a Wayne, PA-based cloud services company. The survey also revealed a security preference for private over public clouds with about 60 percent preferring private cloud infrastructure. The survey of more than 180 healthcare professionals also revealed that 85 percent of all healthcare organizations now have at least one service in the cloud.

“As evidenced by their currently deployed services and planned adoption trends, healthcare organizations have recognized the significant benefits of the cloud,” said Dave McCrystal, healthcare vertical marketing manager of Evolve IP.

Other key results of the survey showed that, on average, healthcare organizations have between two and three services (2.75 average) in the cloud. Data backup, servers/data centers, other SaaS and Microsoft Exchange and Office were cited as the top deployed cloud services. Additionally, the survey indicated that adoption will continue to be strong, with 81 percent of respondents planning on adding new or additional cloud services in the next three years. The top services targeted for deployment over the next three years include data backup (48 percent), Exchange or Office (27.5 percent) and phone systems (27 percent).

Channel Impact^®
The data demonstrates that partners may be well motivated to pursue cloud-based technology sales in this important vertical market.