Your dental office technology is the backbone of your practice because it houses and safeguards critical data like financial records and patient health information. So when changes to your network operating system—the backbone of the office technology—are announced, it is important that every practice pay attention.
Microsoft has recently announced that if your office still runs Windows 7 or server 2008, it’s time to upgrade ahead of support ending in January 2020. This leads to some important questions, which we’ll address in this article with the help of the IT professionals at TechCentral by Henry Schein One.
The advice from TechCentral is simple: Don’t wait to upgrade because you will put your practice at risk.
What should you know about 2020 Windows OS updates?
After Jan. 14, 2020, Microsoft will no longer support Windows 7 or Server 2008 and 2008R2. Microsoft is warning users that as cyber attacks become more sophisticated and frequent, running apps and data on unsupported systems can create significant security and compliance risks1.
Why act now?
Once Microsoft’s support ends, your technology may become more vulnerable to security risks such as a cyber security attack. Also, if your practice continues to run an unsupported OS, new software applications and hardware devices may not be compatible.
To that point, many IT experts recommend updating your hardware when migrating from old, unsupported Windows to a new platform because the existing hardware is also typically outdated and increasingly subject to failure. Microsoft states2, somewhat optimistically, “the upcoming end-of-support milestone is a great opportunity to transform your applications and infrastructure.” However, for many busy dental practices, IT infrastructure is the last thing on their minds. Also, this is not the last time practices will be expected to “transform” their IT infrastructure or a software manufacturer will discontinue support on their older products.
For dentists, this is a lot of additional information to keep track of, and they now have an added challenge of trying to guess how much it will cost to replace each piece of hardware every few years. Fortunately, there’s an easier, cost-effective alternative in hardware-as-a-service (HWaaS).
When you partner with a HWaaS provider, you avoid the costs and frustrations of purchasing and supporting your own networking hardware, therefore breaking the cycle of technology refreshes. You simply pay a monthly fee for this trusted IT provider to install, maintain, and monitor your dental office network. But not all IT partners are created equal…
Why should you partner with an IT provider in dentistry instead of your local IT company?
When given the option between the local computer provider, who doesn’t know the dental industry, or a trusted dental IT organization, like TechCentral, with proven solutions designed specifically for dentists, who would you choose? In a side-by-side comparison of experience, the choice should be a no-brainer.
TechCentral has leveraged their experience to build a new offering called OmniCore, an all-in-one network infrastructure solution that provides all essential hardware and services handpicked for dental practices. In addition to removing the burden of choosing the right hardware, OmniCore relieves dentists’ IT financial burden because all support, product management, equipment upgrades, and even the replacement of failed hardware is included in one easy-to-budget monthly amount.
When you hand over your IT burden to TechCentral, you’re making a decision for the entire life of your practice just like you do with many other business or electronic services. As a one-stop IT partner, TechCentral will keep your network current now and in the future, taking care of any network needs, including upgrading your operating system, replacing old workstations and software, setting up IT equipment, and remotely monitoring it. Overall, partnering with TechCentral can help you stop wasting time and stress trying to keep your network infrastructure and workstations up to date. TechCentral takes care of it all, so you can actually focus on your patients and providing excellent dental care rather than IT issues.
To that point, a free technology assessment can help your practice identify vulnerabilities so you can get the IT solutions that are right for your current and future needs.Schedule your free TechCentral network assessment today by visiting https://www.HSTechCentral.com/ITchanges.