With experience come valuable lessons. At one time, our software engineering team at TechCentral by Henry Schein One put a lot of effort into carefully helping our dental practice customers choosing and bundling IT hardware . Unfortunately, even though TechCentral always assists you with choosing the devices that can work for the practice needs, some customers will figuratively “tear apart” TechCentral suggestions in price-driven reasoning. We did not want these customers to feel like they were being nickeled and dimed, so we reimagined our Hardware-as-a-Service (HaaS) offering to be simpler and more streamlined. This eventually led us to Omnicore, our “network-in-a-box” solution.
Managed and licensed for the specific needs of the digital dental practice, Omnicore includes all of the vital components practices need to help them have a more reliable, secure IT infrastructure. Omnicore’s predictable monthly cost includes:
Server monitoring and maintenance is included in the Omnicore subscription, so there aren’t any additional charges for normal service on the system, saving your budget while giving you peace of mind.
The most popular Omnicore add-on is the inclusion of a Full-site Workstation Bundle. This ensures the practice’s workstation technology, the primary interface to digital dentistry, is current and compatible with the office’s digital technology (like 3D imaging).
There are important distinctions between Omnicore’s operating expense model, in which TechCentral leases the equipment to the dental practice, compared to the standard capital expenditure model, in which practices must purchase the IT equipment and shoulder the responsibility of monitoring the equipment, patching the software, and maintaining the hardware.
1. Prioritized User Experience
While routine maintenance happens automatically, there are often situations that require a custom solution. With Omnicore, TechCentral owns the assets and actively participates in the end-user experience. We have an entire team dedicated to handling special requests for the customer. For example, some customers will sign up for a 2D service package only to find out that they need more memory and a better graphics card for a new 3D digital imaging unit they want to bring online. After a call to customer service, we can take care of adding that capability to the network for them for an additional charge.
2. No Warranty Worries
The Omnicore platform includes warranty on all the centralized equipment provided with the system. TechCentral’s all-inclusive, worry-free approach is a better deal compared to what a small IT company might offer. A local IT company probably does not specialize in dentistry and will bill for ad-hoc maintenance on practice-owned equipment that is out of warranty. Also, if you choose to purchase the additional end-point protection plan for your workstations, you will get the same active monitoring, management, updates and anti-virus protection that you get with your network hardware, ensuring that your entire network is protected end-to-end.
3. Rapid Installation, Remote Management
Unlike local IT companies with limited resources, TechCentral has a national presence and can deploy field teams for installations nationwide. Physical delivery and installation of the Omnicore asset time varies, but may be completed in just 1 day depending upon the size and complexity of your practice software and digital technologies. It may take just another half-day for the Remote Assist team to get the customer online with their practice management system and imaging software. Generally speaking, our remote management capabilities are highly efficient and minimize disruption to your workday.
4. Unparalleled Security Backed Up by National Company
Security doesn’t start with things we all know and love, like anti-virus software—it starts with data backup. With Omnicore, data is stored locally on the server, backed up with network-attached storage, and securely replicated in the cloud. A redundant cloud copy is also stored at another secure data center.
Another critical layer of security is the firewall. Firewalls can help can help provide protection against outside cyber attackers by shielding your network from malicious or unnecessary network traffic. Firewalls can also help prevent malicious software from accessing your network via the internet. Omnicore comes with a business grade firewall that we configure for your practice.
Beyond the enterprise-grade security stack, TechCentral manages operating system updates for the servers and workstations. For example, if customers own their own equipment, they may simply hit the “update all” button. However, as recently reported, some Windows updates are causing system crashes.1 TechCentral actually has a dedicated team that tests updates and backups on internal devices to minimize problems on the customer’s end.
Finally, to make sure we’re doing everything we can to protect our customers; TechCentral is subject to internal security audits conducted by a third party. We’re not just an IT provider; we’re part of Henry Schein One, a company focused specifically on dentistry and dedicated to protecting our customers.
While the landscape of technology has definitely changed, the idea of IT from a customer’s perspective has not. Dentists and their teams don’t want IT problems; they just want to do their jobs. You have enough to worry about running your practice and providing patient care. You shouldn’t have to worry about a technology stack that’s out of sight in the utility room, nor should you worry about budgetary surprises or unexpected IT expenditures. Omnicore, and more broadly HaaS, is the ideal solution that provides the peace of mind you deserve.
To find out if Omnicore is right for your practice, request a free technology assessment by either visiting www.HSTechCentral.com/Omnicore/DPS/blog or calling TechCentral at 844.206.1228. TechCentral can perform a remote assessment to determine if Omnicore is right for you.
1https://www.windowslatest.com/2020/10/18/windows-10-kb4579311-patch-tuesday-update-issues/
This article is paid for by Henry Schein One TechCentral. Certain components of the products or services described above are provided by third parties. Henry Schein One, LLC. and its affiliates are not responsible for, and expressly disclaim, all liability for damages of any kind arising out of the use of those third-party products or services.
Donovan Gregg, TechCentral Senior Staff Software Engineer, is a technology enthusiast that has worked in the IT industry for nearly 20 years, including over a decade at Henry Schein TechCentral. He has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge in all things related to technology from quantum computing to circuit engineering and flying FPV drones. Donovan has been an integral part in managing valuable relationships with various large software and hardware companies to vet out the most ideal IT solutions for the unique needs of the dental market.