When transitioning an on-premise solution to the cloud, there are certain areas where organizations can expect to see a high return on investment while also assuring the highest level of patient care, according to one expert.

Andrew Sroka, CEO of Fischer International, recently shared with Healthcare IT News, the most common myths and risks associated with the cloud. [See: Cloud computing myths vs. risks.]

Now that he has addressed those misconceptions, he outlines five areas where he believes organizations can expect to see a ROI.

1. Cost Savings: Not only does the cloud eliminate the cost of infrastructure, software and space, it also reduces the need to hire additional employees to manage an on-premise solution. Software upgrades and ongoing maintenance, which can feasibly take one full-time staff equivalent, are also outsourced in the cloud.
2. Increased Focus: A migration to the cloud improves service levels across the organization by focusing IT resources on staff-facing applications such as Web-access programs, and improving operations.
3. Improved Visibility: Transitioning to the cloud often results in improved reporting and visibility into how the solution is being used. This can help IT departments stay current on identity practices, such as who are using identity services, which departments are most frequently changing passwords, and other access patterns.
4. Predictability: Service providers are contractually bound to deliver specific results at a specified cost each month or face financial penalties, whereas internal IT departments can be distracted by competing internal projects and unforeseen issues.
5. Increased Visibility and Intelligence: Service providers can generally extract greater value from a solution due to their familiarity with the technology and motivation to increase client satisfaction levels. For example, offering detailed and targeted reports uncovers potential bottlenecks in a particular process that can be resolved with an identity management practice. 

[See also: Cloud computing, security and privacy considerations.]

Sroka oversees global operations for Fischer International Identity, LLC, and other holdings within the Zenerji, LLC portfolio management group, including Fischer International Systems Corporation.

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