For many valid reasons, orthodontic software will be increasingly operated over the Internet, instead of on local area networks ('LANs'). Despite this, ASP operations are still in the 'discussion' stage at other companies. Advanced Ortho is now in its eighth year of providing IPD services to practices located throughout the United States!

Internet Program Delivery's Impressive Advantages:

þ IPD 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.

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

þ The software and practice data resides on powerful servers in Advanced Ortho's state-of-the-art data center and is available to users around the clock from anywhere in the world with an Internet connection.

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

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

þ Data center servers are protected by both software and hardware firewalls.

þ Network workstations can consist of PCs, Tablet PCs, Thin Client terminals, or Macs and the program will also operate on PDAs or Pocket PCs. Since workstation CPU speed is not critical, users with PCs capable of connecting to the Internet can use them on an IPD network.

þ Users never have to purchase expensive servers or do time-consuming, annoying daily backups; their data is constantly backed up on multiple servers at the data center.

þ The constant upgrading of operating systems is eliminated because the operating system on the data center’s server is kept up to date at all times.

þ All updates to the management software are made on the servers in the data center and are immediately available to the user. No more user-installed updates.

þ Advanced Ortho's data center has multiple levels of system backup. Failover servers are utilized for redundancy and for load balancing to ensure that a server’s processing limits are never exceeded. Off-site failover servers in different geographic areas are used in the event of natural catastrophes.

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

þ The user’s data is stored in the same location where the programming and support staff is based, simplifying support services.

þ The managed Internet services AOS uses are guaranteed to have an uptime of 99.99% and thus far have never been down.

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 connected to the central server are using 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 help reduce system implementation costs. For instance, many doctors are still using Pentium III PCs. Yet most Windows XP-based management programs require using a Pentium 4 processor. But because IPD network speeds are based on those of the server and office Internet connection, network speed is not degraded by using these older PCs as workstations. This means doctors 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 purchase lesser-equipped, cheaper PCs and/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, a good estimate is that the total savings from using Internet-based software delivery over a period of 7-10 years could be in the range of 50-60%!