Do Long Island Physicians Need Managed Services to Be Essential?

do long island physicians need managed services to be essential

2020 has been a challenging year for many industries and the healthcare industry is no exception. While many health professionals saw a significant influx of patients from COVID-19, others in healthcare suffered from a lack of patients due to government-mandated lock downs. Although many industries are back on the road to recovery, they are still looking for ways to manage costs in order to prepare for a future that remains a bit uncertain. Today we’re discussing if Long Island physicians need Managed Services and what they provide.

Challenging Times

Even before the pandemic occurred, 59% of healthcare CIOs were reporting increased operating pressures, with 41% reporting funding shortfalls. With the advent of the pandemic, many healthcare budgets experienced dramatic reductions, even as new technologies were needed in order to meet the demands of increased social distancing and higher levels of sanitization within physical spaces.

It should come as no surprise then that every aspect of healthcare, including supporting technologies, have come under budgetary scrutiny. Smaller and recently merged healthcare systems are now looking for ways to continue to have access to all the latest technologies, even while facing significant budgetary pressures. 

Managing Costs with Managed Services

One of the ways in which smaller healthcare settings can reduce costs is by partnering with a managed service provider for their technology needs. One of the great aspects of managed services is that they can easily be scaled up or down as demand requires. This means physicians and smaller clinics only need to pay for services they truly need. If the time comes where they have a need for increased services, they can easily obtain only those additional services they require, without getting locked into a long-term commitment.

Insightful Service

While those in the healthcare industry do need to find ways to cut costs, they must still maintain a high level of service to their patient, as well as adhere to industry standards and HIPAA-compliant protocols. By partnering with a managed service provider, physicians and those in smaller healthcare settings can ensure that all of their supportive technology is properly assessed and monitored to meet compliance standards. 

Security

Since the advent of the pandemic, multiple technology sites noted a dramatic increase in data breaches and other security issues. Beginning in early 2020, data hackers and thieves decided it would be a good time to take advantage of the increased chaos and uncertainty, and significantly ramped up their exploitative efforts. Now more than ever, it’s vital for even smaller clinics and independent physicians to ensure their technology hardware and software tools can withstand increased cyber attacks.

By partnering with a MSP, even healthcare professionals who do not have access to the technology centers found in larger hospitals, can have premiere security protection. A reliable technology service provider makes it their business to stay abreast of current security challenges in order to ensure their clients remain fully protected from both external and internal data threats.

Looking to Learn More?

If you are a physician or small health clinic in the Long Island area who is looking for a comprehensive 24/7/365 solution for your technology needs, including mobile initiatives, collaboration tools, security protection, remote solutions, and more, we can help. Please contact us today. 

Have You Found The Right IT Support in New York?

have you found the right it support in new york

Most businesses require some, if not quite a bit, of IT support to keep running smoothly. Whether you are just starting a business and need someone to walk alongside you, or you work at an established business that needs some extra support, AE Technology Group is the right IT support in New York. We help businesses in New York with all of their IT needs.

The Right IT Support in New York

When your technology isn’t operating correctly, things in your business may come to a crawl, or even to a halt. This is the worst nightmare of many business owners. Technology is so essential in today’s world. But it can sink you if you aren’t prepared to deal with its malfunctions. However at AE Technology Group, we aren’t afraid of any technology meltdown. Here are some ways we support our customers:

  • IT Support 24/7/365: We know your IT difficulties are not always going to happen during business hours. We always have trained support available to diagnose a problem in your computer or network and get it back up and running smoothly as soon as possible,
  • We Support Your Existing IT Team: At AE Tech Group, we know many businesses already have an in-house IT specialist or team. But the demands of your business may be a lot for one person to handle. We are happy to help out your existing IT department when you need extra support.
  • Managed IT Services: Managed IT services allow our team to be proactive and work out kinks in your network or systems before they become a problem. Managed IT services are one way we keep our client’s cost down and efficiency high.

If you want to know more about how AE Technology Group can support your business, contact us today.

Make Safer Decisions Involving The Internet of Things

make safer decisions involving the internet of things

Have you heard of The Internet of Things? ZDNet recently published an article called “The Internet of Weaponized Things,” highlighting the potential dangers posed by Internet-enabled devices and services.

Many businesses focus on the convenience and efficiency of such devices (which are undeniably beneficial), while not understanding the full extent of their vulnerabilities to hacking and data leaks.

For example, Internet-enabled security cameras have been hijacked and turned into bots that can launch massive DDoS attacks, bringing down business websites and causing various kinds of downtime and disruption. Devices can be hacked as a way of infiltrating a company’s network and obtaining confidential information, ranging from credit card numbers to personal identifiers.

How can we make these devices safer?

One major step would be to demand and enforce certain cyber security standards for these devices. Currently, many Internet of Things manufacturers disregard cyber security to an alarming degree. An important step in improving standards came recently from Consumer Reports, which plans to include information about a product’s security and privacy as part of its influential reviews.

But businesses need to take the appropriate steps to protect themselves now. They can’t wait for standards to be established at some future point.

The following are some of the steps businesses can take:

  • Carefully evaluate devices before purchasing them.
  • Configure devices properly. For example, make sure to switch from the default password to a more complicated one, use firewalls, and check that the devices aren’t exposed to the public Internet.
  • Understand how the devices are connected to the rest of your network, and ensure that they don’t have an unnecessary connection to sensitive parts of your IT set-up, such as your point-of-sale system.
  • Continuously monitor the activity from these devices to detect signs of cyber attack.

For further advice and assistance, please contact us. As experienced IT professionals, we’ll help you set up, configure, and monitor your devices to help prevent costly cyber attacks and data breaches.