What is an SSO?
Article by Scott Miscall
When examining remote portals and computer healthcare systems, many people are perplexed by some of the terminology in the paperwork and literature. Although some of it should be familiar to you, it is understandable that some of the newer terms aren’t as clear as they need to be so that you can make an accurate decision. In this article, I’d like to talk about Single Sign On (SSO) technology and why it matters when upgrading to a remote access healthcare solution.Traditionally, a remote solution will involve a series of different software portals, each with their own interface and login. To use them effectively, you would have to memorize a variety of passwords and features, which makes learning these systems very difficult. This is especially true if you have to train a new employee.
These systems are also very bulky and require specific hardware. You would need to standardize your computer systems and then systematically install the different software suites on every single workstation. Administrators would also have a difficult job because they’d have to administer dozens of portals and systems. Managing a series of users is difficult enough, but multiplying that number by a handful makes the job much more difficult and time intensive. As a result, your admins are tied up doing redundant tasks rather than helping solve support tickets. As you can imagine, when you combine all of these problems into a single workplace, you end up with an inefficient machine that sucks money from the bottom line rather than replenishes it.
Luckily, there is a better way. You can solve all of these problems with SSO technology, which uses a single interface and login to access a multitude of systems. You don’t need any fancy computers or expensive software suites to operate these systems either. The only thing you need is an internet capable computer with an internet browser. Computer operating systems need not be standardized either, as any system will work.
A single sign on works by removing the client side of the equation and relying on a smart server capable of managing a host of different systems. Transferring information between systems is largely a snap and requires much less time than traditional methods would. Implementing a system like this can save your company as much as 50% of wasted time, which can contribute to the bottom line. Although efficiency is often overlooked in large companies, once you see the results of wasted time being restore you will be amazed with how much time and money can be saved.
Installing these systems is also simple, since the only thing that needs to be set up is the server and the administration data. Admins can learn their portion of the setup very quickly, and training new users is equally as easy. The entire process is simplified, much to the relief of workers and clients. Check it out for yourself, do some research, and then decide if it is right for you. Regardless, don’t settle for old technology.