Internet Program Delivery (IPD): The process that delivers Program Director, with your patient data, from our servers to the workstations in your office, via the Internet, no matter where in the world you are located. The servers and all related operations including support, backups, data security measures, emergency failover systems, etc. are managed and provided from Advanced Ortho's datacenter.

For many valid reasons, orthodontic software will be increasingly operated over the Internet, instead of on local area networks ('LANs'), which are already technologically obsolete. Advanced Ortho is now in its 8th year of providing IPD services to practices located throughout the United States! Our state-of-the-art datacenter is located in the Telecom Center LA in downtown Los Angeles directly adjacent to the One Wilshire Building; the largest carrier hotel in the Western United States.
 
Security. Onsite staff provide around the clock security; security cameras are located throughout the datacenter and monitored 24x7. Visitors are escorted by authorized personnel.

Fire suppression. The datacenter's multi-zoned, dry-pipe fire suppression system is  monitored 24x7 by onsite personnel.

Power. The datacenter is on a preferred service grid that only supplies one other building; a second power grid offers redundancy. In the event of a power outage, the first emergency backup consists of Uninterrupted Power Systems (UPS). The UPS system supplies uninterrupted power until the second emergency backup, three (3) 2000KW diesel generators, automatically kick in. Onsite fuel for the generators, and a 24-hour refuel contract, enable them to provide power as long as it is needed.

Broadband connectivity. Advanced Ortho's servers are concurrently connected to twelve bandwidth providers in order to ensure reliability and the most direct routing.

IPD's Impressive Advantages

ü IPD software (also called web-based software) offers the same all-inclusive features of a LAN-based program, integrates with all the ancillary systems used in practices, and is capable of paperless operation.

ü The software is tremendously stable and has never ‘crashed.’

ü A subscription agreement allows this powerful Software as a Service ('SaaS') system to be used with no up-front software cost.

ü The software and practice data resides on powerful servers in our datacenter and is safely available to users around the clock from anywhere in the world with an Internet connection; including high-speed Wi-Fi access areas.
          

ü Data and images are bi-directionally encrypted and viruses cannot attach to the format in which the data and images are transmitted.

ü The speed of the office IPD network is determined by the datacenter’s multi processor-equipped servers and the user’s broadband connection, reducing the need to constantly upgrade workstations.

ü  Datacenter servers are protected by both software and hardware firewalls.

ü Network workstations can consist of PCs, Tablet PCs, Thin Client terminals, or Macs. Since workstation CPU speed is not critical, users with PCs capable of connecting to the Internet can use them on an IPD network.

ü Users avoid buying expensive servers and doing those time-consuming, annoying daily backups. Patient data is constantly backed up on multiple servers at the datacenter.

ü Your need to constantly upgrade operating systems is eliminated because the operating system on the datacenter’s servers is kept up to date at all times.

ü Updates to the management software are made on the servers in the datacenter and are instantly available to the user. No more user-installed updates.

ü Advanced Ortho's datacenter has multiple levels of system backup and load balancing  ensures that a server’s processing limits are never exceeded.

ü The user’s electronic records are easily made available to insurance clearinghouses, referring doctors, for interfacing with the practice website, etc.

ü The user’s data is easily accessible to the programming and support staff, simplifying support services.

Three more advantages make IPD operations very desirable and they come under the categories of emergency operations, operating multiple offices, and remote access.

Emergency Operations: IPD can make it easy to quickly get back to seeing patients after catastrophic events such as the destruction of an office by fire, wind, water, earthquake, etc. Since most doctors have arrangements with colleagues to temporarily share office facilities in the case of such disasters, they can soon be back in business with a Thin Client/PC/Mac and an Internet connection. And if the practice has been operating in paperless mode, the doctor has access to all the patient records.

Operating Multiple Offices: IPD is the ideal solution for operating multiple practice locations. All workstations are connected to a central server and use the same data, in real time, no matter where they log on from. No more carrying data between offices with all the backups and restorations that requires.

Remote Access: With an Internet connection, IPD makes it possible for the doctor to have complete and instant access to all the electronic patient records. This can be extremely helpful for handling patient emergencies when the office is closed; the doctor is at home, away on vacation,  etc.

Reduced Costs

IPD can reduce system costs. For instance, because IPD network speeds are based on our server and your Internet connection, speed is not degraded by using older PCs as workstations. This means you can save money by using older PCs until they ‘die.’

Practices that need to replace or add hardware, or a doctor opening his/her first practice, can buy minimally-equipped PCs or Thin Clients for workstations. This makes it much easier, financially, for the practice to convert to paperless operation, which requires a greater number of workstations. They also avoid spending thousands of dollars for an expensive RAID server and backup device for the system.

Compared to using a similar sized local area network, the total savings from using Internet-based software delivery over a period of 5-7 years can be as much as 60%!

For a detailed comparison of using a LAN vs. IPD, read 'LANs vs. IPD' on our articles page.