Reporting an Experience on Design and Implementation of e-Health Systems on Azure Cloud

Electronic Health (e-Health) technology has brought the world with significant transformation from traditional paper-based medical practice to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)-based systems for automatic management (storage, processing, and archiving) of information. Traditionally e-Health systems have been designed to operate within stovepipes on dedicated networks, physical computers, and locally managed software platforms that make it susceptible to many serious limitations including: 1) lack of on-demand scalability during critical situations; 2) high administrative overheads and costs; and 3) in-efficient resource utilization and energy consumption due to lack of automation. In this paper, we present an approach to migrate the ICT systems in the e-Health sector from traditional in-house Client/Server (C/S) architecture to the virtualised cloud computing environment. To this end, we developed two cloud-based e-Health applications (Medical Practice Management System and Telemedicine Practice System) for demonstrating how cloud services can be leveraged for developing and deploying such applications. The Windows Azure cloud computing platform is selected as an example public cloud platform for our study. We conducted several performance evaluation experiments to understand the Quality Service (QoS) tradeoffs of our applications under variable workload on Azure.Comment: Submitted to third IEEE International Conference on Cloud and Green Computing (CGC 2013

Government cloud computing and the policies of data sovereignty

Government cloud services are a new development at the intersection of electronic government and cloud computing which holds the promise of rendering government service delivery more effective and efficient. Cloud services are virtual, dynamic and potentially stateless which has triggered governments' concern about data sovereignty. This paper explores data sovereignty in relation to government cloud services and how national strategies and international policy evolve. It concludes that for countries data sovereignty presents a legal risk which can not be adequately addressed with technology or through contractual arrangements alone. Governments therefore adopt strategies to retain exclusive jurisdiction over government information. --cloud computing,electronic government,data sovereignty,data ownership,information assurance,international data transfers

On being part of the solution, not the problem: taking a proportionate approach to managing records

Purpose – This article seeks to provide a perspective on a future pathway for records management that is based on taking a proportionate approach rather than striving for perfection. This approach requires a re-interpretation of traditional principles and their application in practice and recognition of the predominance of people in successful information and records management in the digital domain. Design/methodology/approach – The views are the author's based on the headline findings of a major research project (AC+erm) which investigated issues and practical strategies for accelerating positive change in electronic records management. They incorporate views on contextual developments since the project, in particular the characteristics of today's hybrid and increasingly mobile office environment such as the use of recognition technologies. Findings – The ten headline findings of the AC+erm project are shared. Two strategic findings are highlighted, namely, articulating a vision of successful electronic records management and the approach to applying records management principles in order to realise that vision of success. The article then focuses on two of the other findings, about the need for information and records professionals to adopt proportionate and risk based approaches and to ensure they (the records professionals) are an essential part of the solution not the problem. Post the project, views on these and tactics for addressing them are discussed with reference to real examples and potential future research and development. Research limitations/implications – The research that provides the context for the article was qualitative and therefore its findings transferrable rather than generalisable. The views expressed about tactics for moving forward are intended to contribute to the debate about approaches to managing records in the democratic, digital domain. Practical implications – A proportionate approach to managing records by definition implies a risk-based approach. This may prove challenging in organizational, societal and cultural contexts that are risk averse. Originality/value – The research which underpins this article was the first on the subject to be conducted in the UK and adopted a unique evidence-based approach. Undertaken in the context of the “promise” of electronic document and records management systems, its findings are relevant in the broader systems solutions. They provide a context for this perspective on current and potential tactics for addressing strategic issues for managing records in the digital domain. This provides a significant contribution to knowledge and debate in this field

Pivotal role of Information Communication Technology in Record and Archive Management

Record keeping is an ancient art that has survived in human activities for millennia, becoming ingrained in their everyday routines. Records that are well-maintained are an important element of an individual\u27s or organization\u27s memory. Many of the records are saved as event logs, transaction logs, and decision logs. The significance of preserving records, particularly when it comes to archiving them is largely concerned with managing the evidence of an organisation\u27s actions as well as the reduction or mitigation of risk connected with it, and is part of an organisation\u27s wider role of governance, risk management, and compliance (Tarantino, 2008). Records and archive management is a process that is unique to each individual and corporate entity though it may not be entirely evident in its formality. It is committed to the management of information throughout its life cycle that is from creation to final disposition or archive. The procedure includes identifying, classifying, storing, protecting, retrieving, tracking, and deleting or permanently preserving records. It is clear that change, which is thought to be constant, has found its way into conventional methods of record and archive management by incorporating Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into the system, with the result being a tremendous effect for future generations to study and enjoy. Therefore, this paper set to discuss the “The Pivotal Role of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in Record and Archive Management.” The topic is presented in segments for well detailed write-up and better understanding. Sub-topics or segments of the topic were discussed in the following. Records and archive management is a process that is unique to each individual and corporate entity, but it may not be entirely evident in its formality. It is committed to the management of information throughout its life cycle, from creation to final disposition or archive. This procedure includes identifying, classifying, storing, protecting, retrieving, tracking, and deleting or permanently preserving records. It is clear that change, which is thought to be constant, has found its way into conventional methods of record and archive administration by incorporating ICT into the system, with the result being a tremendous effect for future generations to study and enjoy. As a result, the purpose of this paper is to discuss the “Pivotal role of Information Communication Technology in Record and Archive Management,” which will include the following topics: an overview of record and archive management, the role of information communication technology in record and archive management, the prospects of ICT use in record and archive management, the challenges of ICT use in record and archive management, and so on

No file left behind: the predicament of archival appraising in the digital age

Technology is continually changing. New advancements in technology allow records creators to employ a plethora of different mediums. Records created born-digitally are entering the archives, and archivists are challenged in appraising records that may be available only on outdated or unreadable software or hardware platforms. This thesis examines key issues regarding working with, especially appraising, born-digital materials in archival collections. The archival profession confronts inadequate education on technological challenges, a need to reexamine archival theories and methodologies regarding appraisal, and a general terror when it comes to working with born-digital material. Through use of interviews, this thesis explores the practical side of appraisal through a discourse on what current archivists are working on, their methodologies, and their advice and recommendations for those just starting to work on born-digital material. The thesis argues that even the smallest steps to address challenges with working with born-digital material mark a step in the right direction

The Archives of U.S. Foundations: An Endangered Species

A foundation's archives preserve records of the programs, activities, products, governance, people, and history of the organization that may have enduring cultural, historical, research, or institutional value. Ideally, an archive should be part of a comprehensive records management program consisting of a records policy, a short-term records retention schedule, and an archive collection policy.As important as archives can be, little has been written about them in the foundation management literature. In truth, the creation and maintenance of archives, if undertaken at all, is typically an afterthought, and rarely considered a key information management responsibility. As the U.S. foundation sector matures, more attention must be paid to the retention and safekeeping of records that are important to historians who document not only the work, people, and institutions that foundations support, but also the very foundations themselves. Using data collected on the 300 largest U.S. foundations through a survey commissioned by The Commonwealth Fund in fall 2012, this essay reports on the current status of archiving in the foundation sector and recommends ways to improve policies and practices in an area that is too often overlooked

Open Data, Grey Data, and Stewardship: Universities at the Privacy Frontier

As universities recognize the inherent value in the data they collect and hold, they encounter unforeseen challenges in stewarding those data in ways that balance accountability, transparency, and protection of privacy, academic freedom, and intellectual property. Two parallel developments in academic data collection are converging: (1) open access requirements, whereby researchers must provide access to their data as a condition of obtaining grant funding or publishing results in journals; and (2) the vast accumulation of 'grey data' about individuals in their daily activities of research, teaching, learning, services, and administration. The boundaries between research and grey data are blurring, making it more difficult to assess the risks and responsibilities associated with any data collection. Many sets of data, both research and grey, fall outside privacy regulations such as HIPAA, FERPA, and PII. Universities are exploiting these data for research, learning analytics, faculty evaluation, strategic decisions, and other sensitive matters. Commercial entities are besieging universities with requests for access to data or for partnerships to mine them. The privacy frontier facing research universities spans open access practices, uses and misuses of data, public records requests, cyber risk, and curating data for privacy protection. This paper explores the competing values inherent in data stewardship and makes recommendations for practice, drawing on the pioneering work of the University of California in privacy and information security, data governance, and cyber risk.Comment: Final published version, Sept 30, 201