One might think that the pharmaceutical industry is always late when it comes to the adoption of new technologies. However, that is not necessarily the case. It is important to note how sensitive the industry is and the precision it needs in the technologies it chooses to adopt. The industry conducts in-depth research, thoroughly studies the pros and cons, and analyzes the risks associated with any new technology before implementing it. Today, as pharmaceutical organizations across industries are compelled to align their processes and reduce costs, they’re looking for creative ways to streamline and optimize complex processes with cloud computing technologies.
The pharmaceutical industry and the cloud technologies
To stay ahead of the curve, accepting newer, more sophisticated cloud technologies is essential for pharma companies. Cloud solutions have numerous capabilities and can take on various tasks in the pharmaceutical industry. Pharma companies are now open to exploring and reaping the benefits of emerging cloud technologies and are ready to try disruptive cloud technologies, such as automation, cloud analytics, and other various marketing tools.
Implementing cloud in this industry will also enhance the quality of data supplied to the sales teams. It will help in providing more practical ways for clinical trial site managers to collaborate and communicate across borders. Cloud also makes it much easier for pharma organizations to merge operations, taking away the challenges and issues that arise when data between two or more systems are combined.
Rapid response to security concerns
One of the biggest concerns chief executives of pharma industry players have is that they feel cloud vendors and service providers do not understand the sensitivity involved in pharma security, compliance, and regulatory requirements. Due to the high-volume, high-priority information the industry generates regularly, cutting-edge security measures, like VPN and encryption, are required.
Cloud solutions deal with the changing landscape of cyber threats with updates developed by engineering teams that solely focus on security. In an on-premise environment, the IT department is required to take care of every threat when it arises. On the contrary, when pharma companies opt for public cloud computing services, security concerns and issues are solved by either hiring an external resource who is invited on-site or assigning an IT team to tackle the problem. With the help of the cloud, security concerns can be seamlessly resolved remotely.
Compliance, cloud, and the pharma industry
Another reason behind the slow traditional uptake of cloud technologies in pharmaceutical companies is the strict compliance and regulatory requirement. With regulations like HITRUST and HIPAA, pharma companies need to put in extra thought before migrating to the cloud. But today, good cloud service providers work together with their pharma clients to make sure they are compliant with all the necessary regulatory and compliance guidelines. The clinical trial sector is expected to rise in the upcoming years. For this pharma research niche to thrive, a HIPAA compliant cloud-based database and increased computing power are needed.
Automatic, seamless software updates and unprecedented control over data
On-premise systems continually become outdated and depreciate quickly. Moreover, their ability to provide robust security decreases over time. Cloud’s central distribution and management of software updates assure that pharmaceutical organizations enjoy the benefits of the latest, most secure versions and features in cloud environments while eradicating the pain of maintaining deteriorating computer systems.
The benefits of cloud technologies for pharma companies are endless. Cloud computing technologies also help pharma organizations in streamlining their capacity of sharing data and information across multiple geographies. Teams can also collaborate with external authorized parties, like Contract Research Organizations (CROs) and vendors.
Any reliable and reputable cloud system’s design will be focused primarily on security assurance and authorized access, and will be equipped with the most recent security measures, including encryption and multi-factor authentication (MFA). Before choosing a cloud service provider, it is important to review their certifications and audits and match them against industry standards to make sure the service meets the data security, access, and control needs that pharmaceutical companies (and the industry itself) require.
GoDgtl offers leading-edge cloud consulting and migration services. Check out our service offerings for cloud managed services and much more here.