7 ms·

>They pick Azure because somewhere along the line the mid- and upper-level managers, including director-level IT people, have been made to believe that anything

>They pick Azure because somewhere along the line the mid- and upper-level managers, including director-level IT people, have been made to believe that anything other than Windows is insecure and not suitable for HIPAA. I'd argue it's less because of a belief that a non-Windows environment is inherently insecure and more that Microsoft very aggressively promotes their products as being compliant with regulations like HIPAA. This isn't limited to PaaS. For example, I think that Teams will likely gain a foothold in healthcare environments over Slack because MS markets Teams as explicitly HIPAA compliant. (Slack explicitly is not). Things like that buy them a lot of mindshare when it comes time to choose a PaaS provider.

throw_14JAS 7y ago
It'x a brilliant piece of marketing from MS, if you think about it. Many decision makers, even in spaces with HIPAA data, have no real idea what it entails. They are frightened of screwing it up. What Microsoft sells is a "good enough" solution that speaks the right language for the decision makers. In turn, this makes their decision less risky while still satisficing the requirements.
- commandar 7y ago
  Exactly. From the perspective of high level decision makers, PaaS is heading toward being a commodity good, so differentiating your platform can be what makes a deal and making regulatory compliance "easy" in heavily regulated industries can be a pretty strong differentiator. If you have an existing business relationship with a company and already trust them to help you navigate regulatory hoops, there's going to be strong inclination to continue to trust them as you expand your infrastructure to the cloud. Like you said, it's the kind of very smart, long-term marketing I tend to associate with "New"/Nadella Microsoft.
  - ta999999171 7y ago
    Like the new "Windows Terminal" project - EXCELLENT marketing strategies in recent years. I still don't trust them, but credit where credit is due.
    - throw_14JAS 7y ago
      I encourage you to consider how your statement, "I don't trust Microsoft," sounds to a higher level exec or department head. I don't mean this as a criticism -- I notice there's a tendency for ICs to state their opinions in such a way that hurts their perception. Namely, if you were to state to a higher level manager that you "don't trust Microsoft", you will come across as a crank. Or a developer who doesn't see the bigger picture. To improve perception, folks should try to reframe their personal preferences ("I don't trust MS") as risks to the business - "I worry that MS will lock us in to their platform and jack up prices". The former is reputation-harming; the latter is being a savvy 2nd order thinker, who looks beyond just what the MS salesman says.
      - ta999999171 7y ago
        That would be the first reason I'd give to someone that questioned my "crank" statement. The next one would be the PRISM connection (Skype architecture, etc), and FISA orders they're surely under. It's not totally they're fault I don't trust them. Buuuuut, it is partly. Definitely appreciate the feedback - lucky for me, I have removed myself from corporate tech bureaucracy, become self-employed, and can preach from my poor man's pulpit ;D
- deleted 7y ago
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jsperx 7y ago
“Director-level IT” healthcare person here. We use AWS but are evaluating Azure because of the way Microsoft includes VDI in the form of Windows 10 Multi-Session licenses available only with Azure+Windows Virtual Desktop. Classic Microsoft bundle approach. Oh, and Slack is available with HIPAA compliance — https://slack.com/help/articles/360020685594-slack-and-hipaa https://slack.com/help/articles/360020685594-slack-and-hipaa Also, as someone who actively shops for SaaS offerings for healthcare users, I can say that AWS and Azure are some of the very, very few organizations who offer anything with HIPAA compliance that isn’t locked away at the most expensive “contact us for pricing” tier. It’s so annoying. Never a chance to try a service with a low cost/stakes pilot/prototype because they hit you with the full sales pitch and highest price points. Being able to dip our proverbial toe into AWS with a low time/dollar commitment was a huge win.
- tixocloud 7y ago
  Side note: interesting point on trying services with low cost/stakes pilot/prototype. How would you expect to try things out? Would it be similar to online demos that many other SaaS companies employ?
- tomrod 7y ago
  note: I would love to connect with you to discover other's director level experiences. I'm relatively new in the healthcare space after spending awhile in finance and utilities. If you'd like to connect, see my email in-profile.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]

throw_14JAS 7y ago

It'x a brilliant piece of marketing from MS, if you think about it. Many decision makers, even in spaces with HIPAA data, have no real idea what it entails. They are frightened of screwing it up. What Microsoft sells is a "good enough" solution that speaks the right language for the decision makers. In turn, this makes their decision less risky while still satisficing the requirements.

commandar 7y ago
Exactly. From the perspective of high level decision makers, PaaS is heading toward being a commodity good, so differentiating your platform can be what makes a deal and making regulatory compliance "easy" in heavily regulated industries can be a pretty strong differentiator. If you have an existing business relationship with a company and already trust them to help you navigate regulatory hoops, there's going to be strong inclination to continue to trust them as you expand your infrastructure to the cloud. Like you said, it's the kind of very smart, long-term marketing I tend to associate with "New"/Nadella Microsoft.
- ta999999171 7y ago
  Like the new "Windows Terminal" project - EXCELLENT marketing strategies in recent years. I still don't trust them, but credit where credit is due.
  - throw_14JAS 7y ago
    I encourage you to consider how your statement, "I don't trust Microsoft," sounds to a higher level exec or department head. I don't mean this as a criticism -- I notice there's a tendency for ICs to state their opinions in such a way that hurts their perception. Namely, if you were to state to a higher level manager that you "don't trust Microsoft", you will come across as a crank. Or a developer who doesn't see the bigger picture. To improve perception, folks should try to reframe their personal preferences ("I don't trust MS") as risks to the business - "I worry that MS will lock us in to their platform and jack up prices". The former is reputation-harming; the latter is being a savvy 2nd order thinker, who looks beyond just what the MS salesman says.
    - ta999999171 7y ago
      That would be the first reason I'd give to someone that questioned my "crank" statement. The next one would be the PRISM connection (Skype architecture, etc), and FISA orders they're surely under. It's not totally they're fault I don't trust them. Buuuuut, it is partly. Definitely appreciate the feedback - lucky for me, I have removed myself from corporate tech bureaucracy, become self-employed, and can preach from my poor man's pulpit ;D
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]

jsperx 7y ago

“Director-level IT” healthcare person here. We use AWS but are evaluating Azure because of the way Microsoft includes VDI in the form of Windows 10 Multi-Session licenses available only with Azure+Windows Virtual Desktop. Classic Microsoft bundle approach. Oh, and Slack is available with HIPAA compliance — https://slack.com/help/articles/360020685594-slack-and-hipaa https://slack.com/help/articles/360020685594-slack-and-hipaa Also, as someone who actively shops for SaaS offerings for healthcare users, I can say that AWS and Azure are some of the very, very few organizations who offer anything with HIPAA compliance that isn’t locked away at the most expensive “contact us for pricing” tier. It’s so annoying. Never a chance to try a service with a low cost/stakes pilot/prototype because they hit you with the full sales pitch and highest price points. Being able to dip our proverbial toe into AWS with a low time/dollar commitment was a huge win.

tixocloud 7y ago
Side note: interesting point on trying services with low cost/stakes pilot/prototype. How would you expect to try things out? Would it be similar to online demos that many other SaaS companies employ?
tomrod 7y ago
note: I would love to connect with you to discover other's director level experiences. I'm relatively new in the healthcare space after spending awhile in finance and utilities. If you'd like to connect, see my email in-profile.

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]