Hosted vs Local Install: Pros and Cons for Your Hospital Intranet
When implementing your hospital intranet, one of the many considerations will be whether or not you want to host the system internally on your own network or have a solution that is hosted in the cloud (SaaS). Based on my experience there is no definitive “better” option, it really depends on how you intend on using your intranet. Intranets can have a very broad scope of functionality and identifying the uses early on will help you make this decision. Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons for each option.
- No hardware to purchase
- No software licensing
- No software installation
- No ongoing IT support for hardware maintenance and upgrades
- Updates handled by the vendor
Hosted (SaaS) Cons:
- Complete dependence on the vendor for disaster recovery and security
- Dependent upon internet connection working
- Difficult if not impossible to integrate intranet with other system inside the network
- Little control over maintenance windows and potential downtime
Local Install Pros:
- Ability to easily integrate with other systems like Active Directory for authentication as well as clinical systems
- Full control over the application disaster recovery and maintenance
- Full control over data security
- Faster network performance
Local Install Cons:
- Requires hardware
- Requires server software (webserver and database)
- Requires IT resources for installation and ongoing maintenance/support
This is high level list of pros and cons and can vary in terms specific system requirements. If you intend on doing a lot of system integration, the answer is typically a local install. This will give you the easiest access to other system and data that reside within your hospital.
The good news is that there are a variety of options for you to choose from in both the local install and hosted areas. HospitalPORTAL offers both options and our team of experts can help you make this decision. Want to learn more about be best practices for intranet implementation in healthcare? Click below to download our best practices ebook.
