Frequently Asked Questions

What is SaaS?
Why do you call your service IPD?
What are centrally managed operations?
What are the advantages of IPD?
What are Thin Clients?
What are the benefits of Thin Clients?
Can Thin Clients meet all my practice needs?
What determines the speed of my office's IPD network?
What safeguards are in place to keep my system operational?
Do I purchase a license to use the Program Director software?
Do you offer a 'turnkey' system?
What does your IPD service cost?
How are the fees for the IPD service paid and what do they include?
What is the minimum commitment period for the IPD service?
How can I evaluate IPD?


What is SaaS?

Software as a Service ('SaaS'). Advanced Ortho is a SaaS provider that offers what is often called software on demand. This is where orthodontists are offered software specifically designed for one-to-many hosting, meaning that one copy of the software is installed for use by many clients who access the software across the Internet. This delivery method provides many benefits that translate into lower operational costs for doctors and makes orthodontic practice management much easier. On-demand access to all patient data via a secure web connection . . . from any computer, anywhere, anytime.

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Why do you call your service IPD?

We believe the term Internet Program Delivery best describes the service we provide for our clients.

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What are centrally managed operations?

In our case, it is the process that delivers the Program Director functions, with your data, from our servers to the workstations (PCs, Macs or Thin Clients) in your office. All the data processing takes place on Advanced Ortho's servers in Los Angeles, California and only screen updates and Keyboard / Video / Mouse (KVM) input is transferred, via the Internet, between our servers and your practice. All the servers and related operations including support, backups, data security measures, emergency failover systems, etc. are managed and provided from Advanced Ortho's datacenter. Some of the many advantages offered by this method of operation are listed below.

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What are the advantages of IPD?

IPD offers many advantages over a LAN. Some of the advantages are obtained at the time of implementation; others are realized over the period of operation. These advantages include:

Lower Implementation Costs:

• Practices upgrading to Windows-based software often face major expenditures for new PCs. But if you have PCs that are capable of supporting a browser (or Macs with an OS X operating system), they can usually serve as workstations on an IPD network. Since the speed of your office IPD network is based on: (1) the processing speed of Advanced Ortho's servers, and (2) the speed of your Internet connection, the speed of your IPD network is not degraded by using older PCs as workstations.
  
• Practices that need new hardware can purchase lesser-equipped, less expensive PCs. They also avoid having to purchase an expensive RAID Fault-Tolerant server, with a backup device, for the system. This reduced cost makes it easier, financially, for the practice to convert to paperless operation.
   
• IPD software is made available by subscription agreement, which eliminates all up-front software licensing costs.

• Those who opt to use Thin Clients can expect to reduce long-term operating costs. Unlike PCs, Thin Clients do not become obsolete and require upgrading every few years. Since Advanced Ortho's servers do all the processing, they are constantly upgraded to ensure your network operates at optimum speed and the costs of upgrades are shared by many clients. And because Thin Clients have no moving parts, their MTBF rate works out to be about 19.97 years; if you used them 24 hours per day, 365 days per year!
   
• In recent years, electrical power has become very expensive in many states. Paperless operation increases the number of workstations needed in the practice so the lower power consumption of Thin Clients (compared to PCs) can result in significant savings.
  
• Supporting Program Director is more efficient and less costly with IPD. If errors occur, corrections are made on the servers, which are located in Advanced Ortho's datacenter. For the same reason, updates are simplified. This easy access reduces costs and helps keep our support fees low. (Read 'Internet-Based Orthodontic Software Facilitates Better Support Services')

• It is easier and costs less to backup practice data when it is on a server in our datacenter. For that reason, data backup is provided as a part of our IPD hosting. Your fully encrypted data is protected by these different means:
  
  1. It is always on our RAID Fault-Tolerant servers.
  2. The data is continuously backed up to storage servers & devices in the datacenter; it is also backed up to offsite storage servers, devices and media.
  3. Your practice data is backed up to a CD monthly and sent to you for archiving; an additional hard copy of the data is archived by Advanced Ortho. 

• If your office is damaged by fire, wind, water, earthquake, etc IPD can enable you to quickly get back to seeing patients. Most orthodontists have arrangements to share the offices of friends or colleagues in case of such disasters. Once you have office space, all you need is a PC (or Thin Client) and an Internet connection and you are back in business. And if you have been operating in paperless mode, you have access to all your patient records!

Operating Multiple Offices:

• IPD is the ideal solution for operating multiple practice locations. All offices operate using exactly the same data from our servers . . . in real time. No more 'carrying' data between offices with all the backups and restorations that method requires.

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What are Thin Clients?

Thin Clients are small devices that can be a key component of IPD networks because they offer long-term savings. The concept behind using Thin Clients is simple: why use high-maintenance PCs when the same functionality can be obtained by using a workstation with no moving parts? Advanced Ortho's powerful enterprise servers contain the Windows XP-based Program Director software and do all the processing; only Keyboard / Video / Mouse (KVM) input is transferred between the servers and the practice.

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What are the benefits of Thin Clients?

Using Thin Clients delivers these benefits:

• They can be remotely upgraded/reconfigured.  
• Eliminates constant operating system upgrades and puts an end to the expensive upgrade spiral common to PCs. Whenever we upgrade our servers, all users on the network get a performance boost without having to change the Thin Client.
• Small, they are easily used chairside and in other limited-space areas.
• Increases productivity. Employees only have access to applications you authorize; unauthorized downloads from the Internet, or other sources, are not possible.
• Provides higher reliability: Thin Clients have no moving parts to wear out (150,000 hours Mean Time Between Failure ('MTBF') vs. 20-30,000 hours MTBF for a PC).
• Greater security. Theft of a Thin Client cannot endanger confidential patient information as no data is stored on it!
• They are virus-proof: there is no way for a Thin Client to become infected!
• Reduced power consumption - Thin Clients consume 80% less power than PCs.

Two primary factors determine the speed of your IPD network: (1) the speeds of Advanced Ortho's servers and the broadband carriers they are connected to; and (2) the speed of your office's Internet connection. Since we always provide multi-processor, state-of-the-art servers and have on-demand broadband speeds of up to 40gbps, it is your Internet connection that will  determine your network's speed. The quicker your connection speed, the faster your network operates. The fact is that if you have business-class DSL that can provide a consistent speed of 3000kbps for downloads and 768kbps for uploads (available in most areas and at very affordable fees); you will be very pleased with the speed of your IPD network. If these speeds are not offered at your location, you would probably be best served by operating our software in a local area network until such speeds become available.

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What safeguards are in place to keep my system operational?

Advanced Ortho takes extraordinary precautions to make sure your IPD network is always operational through the use of multiple servers and redundant broadband connections. Data is also stored in several locations, including remotely from the datacenter. In the event the broadband connection from your Internet Service Provider (ISP) goes offline, with the proper (inexpensive) equipment installed the system can automatically switch to a dialup connection, via modem, until the broadband connection comes back online.

Datacenter Safeguards:

Seismically designed to withstand an 8.3 magnitude earthquake, the building has dry-pipe, and water, fire suppression systems. Security cameras located throughout the datacenter are monitored 24x7 by onsite personnel and entry is possible only through secure gates with a photo-bearing pass. Fiber optic cable runs under the datacenter’s raised floors and a self-contained cooling system cools computer equipment via floor and ceiling vents.

Besides being on a Los Angeles DWP preferred service grid, power sources include: (a) five UPS systems with hours of battery power; and (b) five diesel generators with the capacity to power a city of 25,000. With 90,000 gallons of onsite fuel, the generators can provide power for up to 30 days.

The datacenter’s powerful servers are concurrently connected to 3 of the world’s largest, most reliable bandwidth providers with on-demand speeds up to 40gbps available.

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Do I purchase a license to use the Program Director software?

Licenses can be purchased or used by subscription agreement. 

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Do you offer a 'turnkey' system?

Through a combination of services utilizing third-party providers, clients can be furnished a turnkey system.

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What does your IPD service cost?

Call us at 877.803.4412 for the cost of the specific system you need for your practice.

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How is the fee for the IPD service paid and what does it include?

Monthly IPD fees are paid, in advance, via an automatic electronic funds transfer from your bank account by OrthoBanc. IPD fees include the cost of hosting the software and data, all support & enhancement services, Microsoft's Subscriber Access License fees, data & image storage, and data backup and archiving. Network services and constantly updated anti-virus protection for all vulnerable workstations can also be included.

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What is the minimum commitment period for the IPD service?

Unless specifically required by special 'package' contracts, we do not require a minimum commitment period; all IPD service is furnished on a month-to-month basis.

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How can I evaluate IPD?

You can register for an Online Demo and schedule a session with one of our trainers. This allows you to see the software and the speed of the system based on your current ISP connection.

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'The Road to Paperless Nirvana' written by Hugh R. Phillis, DMD and published in the Orthodontic Cyberjournal in December 2003, discusses IPD, Thin Clients, etc.

A February 2004 article, 'Starting a New Paperless Orthodontic Practice: Tips for the New Graduate and Existing Practices' written by Jesse M. Dana, DDS and published in the Orthodontic Cyberjournal, discusses the use of IPD, Thin Clients, etc. in a very high tech practice.