Healthcare organizations need cutting-edge technologies to manage medical records and improve patient care. But even the most advanced technologies come with issues. One promising solution of interest to healthcare experts is blockchain. Here’s why.

What is blockchain?

Although the technology is known for enabling cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, blockchain has a broader use beyond an alternative form of currency. And to understand its importance, you need to understand three key concepts:

• Blocks
  These are encrypted data or documents. In healthcare, these can be in the form of test results.
• Chains
  Chains make data harder to counterfeit by linking every block with the one that preceded it using an encrypted address.
• Decentralized networks
  By using decentralized networks, each computer in the network can check for suspicious modifications in the chain. Every block added to the chain gets distributed to all the computers in the network, and when one computer tries to alter previous blocks without authorization, others can compare it with their local copies and deem it as fake.

Blockchain was originally developed to eliminate the need for centralized banks to process and validate transactions. The technology allows people to freely transfer money because each computer in the network can examine the chain and confirm the legitimacy of a transaction.

As a result, transactions are much safer and more efficient. They cannot be modified unless every computer in the network is compromised simultaneously. That level of data security and integrity helps reduce costs in the healthcare industry.

Blockchain technology in healthcare

Even with the use of digital files, data loss continues to be one of the biggest problems in healthcare. One notable incident is from the American Medical Collection Agency (AMCA), where 25 million patient data records were compromised due to a hacking incident.

Here’s how blockchain can address the problem of data loss:

• Medical histories and records can be stored in a chain that patients can access and control. If a primary care physician needs to see the patient’s medical history, they need to get the patient’s authorization first.
• Payments between banks, government entities, insurance providers, and patients can all be coordinated in a fraction of the previous time needed and without costly intermediaries.
• Healthcare equipment usage, depreciation, and life cycles can be automatically tracked in a chain to keep tabs on the status of expensive and fragile fixtures.

What’s more, ransomware has hit healthcare hard over the past years, and service providers are forced to rely on costly solutions to keep up with the exponential growth in digital records. Blockchain technology can resolve both issues of security and rising costs at once.

Adopting new technology can be intimidating, especially for an industry as heavily regulated as healthcare. Blockchain has already been adopted by several organizations, but before you embrace this technology, you need full-time IT experts to assess your systems and manage your security. To learn more about blockchain in healthcare, give us a call.

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Once the stuff of science fiction, artificial intelligence (AI) is currently on track to becoming a key part of modern businesses. According to experts, 2020 is the year that 85% of all customer interactions with a business will occur via machine learning programs. eCommerce businesses are among those that will benefit greatly from the use of AI to interact and serve their customers. Here’s how.

Predicting what your customers want

AI has many uses in eCommerce, benefiting both the business and the customers. For instance, machine learning, a subset of AI, can be used to identify customer habits and their interests based on search histories (both inside and outside of a specific business’s site).
With the proper configuration, machine learning can be used to analyze shopping behaviors to customize and tailor the online shopping experience to specific users. Product recommendations, pairings, and promotions can target individuals, improving the customer experience, and in turn, your bottom line.

“I’m looking for something a little more…”

Machine learning is also great for cataloging products. In the past, businesses would send out dense and cumbersome product catalogs where customers could find — often with difficulty — the items they were looking for.

Today, consumers are able to upload photographs of a product — say, an article of clothing — that’s similar to what they want to purchase or pair with another. Through AI, a website will be able to analyze the photographs and make suggestions based on data from the uploaded images.

Customers can still talk to a “representative”

More and more users are relying on eCommerce over face-to-face sales interactions, thanks to advances in “plain language” systems. Machine learning is getting better at interpreting conversations and answering with natural-sounding responses. By replicating the in-person shopping experience, eCommerce businesses can shift away from the overheads of brick-and-mortar stores. This will allow them to make significant savings in capital expenditures and human resources, all while reducing the opportunity for costly human error as well.

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Virtual reality (VR), the technology that immerses users in digitally created simulated experiences, is experiencing a surge in growth. There are now many more uses of VR than first realized. These include applications in academic research, engineering, design, the arts, and entertainment. It is also helping businesses save time and money. Find out how.

Create your own VR prototypes

With the help of VR, you’ll no longer have to rely on manufacturing when you want to see what your product physically looks like and how it might work. These virtual products allow you to make any changes before production. Model creation in VR, for example, can save company resources, as these virtual prototypes allow manufacturers to examine a product and make changes without the time and money of building a physical model.

VR for engineers

As with manufacturing, VR is also time- and cost-efficient for engineers, architects, and other professionals who work with building large structures. It replaces traditional approaches, such as rendering small 2D models, and offers a more immersive experience that helps in designing structures.

Virtual tours

Let’s say that you’re a real estate agent showing houses to potential buyers. Your buyers may be in a different state or simply don’t want to spend time going from house to house. VR allows customers to see what the property looks like in a three-dimensional setting without them having to actually be there.

Showing all the angles of a product

In order to entice buyers into making a purchase, you must first give them an idea as to what your product actually looks like, and they need to see as many angles as possible. With VR, customers see your product from all angles without touching it. Furthermore, it allows customers to see a product in action. Shoppers can thoroughly examine a product before purchasing it.

Take customers on an adventure

If you are in a tourism or adventure-based business, you can use VR to give customers a taste of what to expect from the attractions. Imagine that you have an amusement park, and you want to attract customer attention. You can offer a short VR simulation of one of your rides so people can see whether or not they’d like it. Or if you own a resort or campground, you’ll also be able to create VR versions of whatever activities you offer.

If done properly, VR has the potential to take your small- and mid-sized business to the next level. If you have any questions about how you can mesh VR with your company, don’t hesitate to send us an email or give us a call. We’ll be more than happy to assist you.

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Did you know that you can connect a mouse to your Android tablet and use it as you normally would on a desktop computer? A mouse is just one of the many accessories supported by many types of Android devices. Depending on which accessory you use, you can make your device easier or much more fun to use.

USB keyboards, mice, and gamepads

Android phones and tablets don’t usually have standard, full-size USB ports, so you can’t plug a USB accessory directly into it. To connect such an accessory to the device, you’ll need a USB on-the-go (OTG) cable. This is a micro-USB adapter that you can purchase from any computer store for a couple of dollars.

From there, your accessories should work without needing any further configuration. In fact, USB OTG allows you to use other USB devices, such as a flash drive, with your Android device.

Keep in mind that not every Android device has the port that’s required to support USB OTG. This is the case with some smartphones. To avoid wasting money, be familiar with your device’s specs and ports before you purchase a USB OTG cable.

Bluetooth keyboards, mice, and gamepads

USB OTG cables sure are handy, but they can make your supposedly portable device not so portable anymore. Bluetooth technology effectively remedies the problem. Most Android devices allow you to connect wireless mice, keyboards, and gamepads directly by pairing them through the Bluetooth settings.

Using each accessory

All accessories should work in a plug-and-play manner. Here’s what you can do with some of them:

• Keyboard – Once connected, you should be able to use this accessory to type on your Android tablet as you would on the onscreen keyboard. Many of the keyboard shortcuts work as they do on computers, too. These include Alt+Tab for switching between apps, and Ctrl+X, C, or V for Cut, Copy, and Paste respectively.
• Mouse – Connecting a mouse will allow you to navigate and click on things using a mouse cursor instead of tapping on the device itself. You can still use the touchscreen while the mouse is connected.
• Gamepad – While gamepads can be used to navigate through your Android’s home screen interface and launch applications, they’re better used with games that support controllers.

There are so many ways to have fun and extend the functionality of your Android device. If you have any questions about Android or are looking to integrate it into your business, give us a call and we’ll be happy to advise you.

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