We recognize that cloud computing has several unique challenges in the healthcare industry. Virtualization of resources such as processing, network bandwidth and storage are not sufficiently well advanced for most applications to provide the price/performance the Cloud could offer today. And, most healthcare applications optimized for only one proprietary hardware stack will not run efficiently on the Cloud. So, while the objectives of cloud computing are noble and will doubtlessly have a profound effect on the discovery processes at large, well-funded institutions, in its present form it will do little to meet integrated healthcare’s need to “connect” rural end-users to the main axis of innovation… an eco-system of healthcare technology innovation that converts concepts into field-ready solutions. To capture healthcare innovation on a grand scale, a few things must occur. The shift from designing applications for monolithic super computing platforms to more efficient and cost-effective High Performance Computing (HPC) clusters must happen. This enables an application-centric approach to the entire Integrated Healthcare Eco-System that can provide the linkage to the Cloud for healthcare stakeholders of every size. To facilitate such a shift, we need to create an environment where HPC processes and standards that optimize turnkey solutions can evolve so that all stakeholders can take full advantage of this computing power (e.g. Apple – We have an app for that, the Android platform). Consistent with any new environment, the software developers’ toolkit must include an automated code conversion appliance for fast development of new Cloud deployable applications as well as the conversion of thousands of existing legacy healthcare applications, enabling them to scale and deliver to their fullest potential. And, the specialized needs of high resolution image and visualization data transfer and storage must be met. Finally, hardware manufacturers of C-Scan, MRI and other data rich diagnostic equipment like GE, Siemens, Philips, Toshiba and others, must open their proprietary databases to allow a seamless flow and fusion of information in a patient centric world. Europe and Asia are already creating the means to harness innovative HPC environs like that described above for Green Testing, Automotive, Aerospace and the Computer Industries by using Patent Boxes. Profits from patented products that are developed and sold from within these “boxes” can be tax-free. Large hardware manufacturers are partnering with software developers to take advantage of this opportunity to bring new jobs and skills to remote locations. Why not provide the same advantage for our healthcare industry by using Innovation Clouds in rural America? By establishing Innovation Clouds within the next evolution of data and co-location centers, Converging Technology Centers (CTCs), rural markets become sources of medical innovation and research. To be successful, these centers must be structured to address the biggest impediments to HPC adoption by the industry: · For end-users, clusters are still hard to use and manage · System management & growing cluster complexity · Power, cooling and floor space are major issues · Third party software costs · Weak interconnect performance at all levels · Applications & programming — Hard to scale beyond a node · RAS is a growing issue · Storage and data management are becoming new bottle necks · Lack of support for heterogeneous environment and accelerators · Application Integration is becoming the #1 roadblock · Better management software is needed · HPC clusters are hard to setup and operate · New buyers – require “ease-of-everything” · Parallel software is missing for most users · Many applications will need a major redesign · Multi-core will cause many issues to “hit-the-wall IDC Survey of End Users, 2009 Centrally managed, we can meet these challenges. CTCs in a few remote and hardened locations that are connected to the high speed infrastructure and to skilled resources who co-locate with Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) and hardware partners to create turn-key solutions for the industry. This new capability has the potential to deliver the robust and the rich Cloud solutions that end-users require, even on their iPads, without the acquisition, integration or management of costly and complex proprietary supercomputer hardware. |