UK Public Sector - Government Technology Strategist : NHS

Protecting Data

Nick Umney — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:14:39 GMT

I need to ensure that my database is secure

Before joining Microsoft I worked for a large distribution company, we created a high level data model for the organisation – identifying our key information, where it was held and in what technology. The interesting thing in this exercise was that the key data, the data that kept the business running, was stored in an Access 2.0 database on an unsecured machine in a branch office. There were challenges not only around how the data was secured but also how it was distributed, backed-up, recovered etc.

Whilst this isn’t a witch-hunt against Access (it’s a great tool), this example hopefully demonstrates that it’s important that we know where our data lives, identify who is responsible for it, and equally importantly that it’s on a platform we can secure and manage. Just as an aside and to end the story – we used the SQL server migration tool to upgrade the Access databases to SQL server. You can choose to leave the user front end in Access should you wish.

If your data is already in SQL Server then you can start to take advantage of data encryption. In SQL Server 2005, we enabled the encryption and decryption of data at rest by providing built-in functions for applications to call. With 2008 we extend this capability to enable encryption of an entire database, data and log, without the need for application changes. One key benefit of the SQL Server implementation is that it will provide a much richer ability to search encrypted data including both range and fuzzy searches. This is in addition to Bitlocker support that Windows Server 2008 introduces.

Transparent Data Encryption & External Key Management

From SQL Server 2005, encryption and key management was contained entirely within SQL Server. To some small applications and users this is acceptable. However, with the growing demand for regulatory compliance and the overall concern for data privacy more NHS organisations are leveraging encryption as a way to provide a defence in depth solution. SQL Server 2008 will provide a mechanism for SQL Server encryption to work with third-party key management products.

Green IT: Virtualisation

Nick Umney — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 14:45:48 GMT

Virtualisation technologies enable you to cut costs and save energy.

Microsoft has just launched a fantastic new site that helps you understand the benefits of virtualising your IT infrastructure.

Here you can read case studies pick up resources and link to communities.

However, the most important area is the ability to create your own virtualisation benefits report

BizTalk RFID – Connecting the Edge to Enterprise – 29th October 2008

Nick Umney — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:33:52 GMT

Overview

With the increasing deployment of RFID across a variety of business domains, from traditional supply-chain scenarios through to tracking of any critical assets within a business such as specialist equipment within a health-care environment, criminal justice even through to critical document tracking.

This seminar provides an overview of the Microsoft platform for RFID and includes customer case studies and demonstrations of the platform. The Microsoft platform for RFID is BizTalk Server 2006 R2.

BizTalk RFID puts real-time, asset visibility within reach of every customer, spanning systems, people, and processes both within and across organizational boundaries. BizTalk RFID empowers customers to make informed business decisions with real-time data from geographically dispersed, yet integrated systems—putting you one step ahead of the competition. All this coupled with the confidence of an enterprise-class infrastructure, regardless of your company size. Your business, connected.

Agenda

Morning Session

10:00am - 10:30am

Arrival and Registration

10:30am -10.45am

Welcome & Introductions

10:45am- 11:30pm

RFID Scenarios & Microsoft Approach – How the Microsoft RFID platform provides solutions for some typical business problems addressed by RFID.

11.30am-12.15pm

Customer Case Studies - Overview of how BizTalk RFID has been deployed by customers across a variety of different business domains such as supply-chain, restaurants and asset management

12.15pm-01.00pm

Lunch

1.00pm-1.45pm

Demonstration – Demonstration of RFID platform and capabilities

1.45pm-2.00pm

Close & Final Q&A – Open question and answer session and closing remarks

Location

Microsoft London (Cardinal Place), 100 Victoria Street, London SW1E 5JL click here for a map

At the Conclusion

You will have a better understanding of how Microsoft RFID technologies can help your organization gain greater visibility to the edge of their enterprise and integrate data to drive and improve business performance.

Primary Audience

This event will be particularly valuable to senior IT professionals interested in RFID and the Microsoft platform for RFID.

To Register

Please click on the above link to register. Space is limited and therefore it is advisable to register early to avoid disappointment.

iSUG Cool Stuff

Nick Umney — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:41:50 GMT

Richard Lane and I attended the iSoft User Group conference (iSUG) last week where we did a total of 10 sessions across two days. One of the highlights (for us at least) was a session entitled 'Cool Stuff' where we had a chance to share some of the new and exciting technologies coming out from Microsoft - both from a professional and a consumer perspective. Below is a quick list of topics (with associated links) that we covered:

Medical Search Services

NHS health care workers who have a connection to the National Network for the NHS (N3) are now able to access a range of trusted clinical information sources in one place, using Medical Search Services.

The service provides access to trusted clinical information resources when and where they are most required. With practical functionality built around day to day needs, Medical Search Services offer a range of information resources to staff who may not regularly have used existing NHS library services.

SilverLight

We then demonstrated our DeepZoom technology starting with the memorabilia collection at the Hard Rock Cafe and then showing how this can be utilised in healthcare showing the Microsoft CUI patient journey demonstrator - with the secondary care demonstrator using the technology to present medical charts.

HealthVault

We then showed our healthcare consumer focus with HealthVault - as described in a previous post

PopFly

We switched gears and had some fun developing a mash-up or two using PopFly

Photographs

Finishing off with photographs we showed how photo's could be taken with a mobile and shared using Live Mesh and Windows Live. We also showed how new technology from Microsoft research - namely AutoCollage and Photosynth.

Unified Communication in Healthcare

Nick Umney — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 10:27:00 GMT

This week I'm travelling to Cumbria in the north of England to discuss the issues they face collaborating and communicating across one of the most geographically challenging areas of the country. Like most NHS trusts consultants and staff spend lots of time travelling between the different locations, often to meet with colleagues. This not only costs in terms of time and money but also has an impact on the environment.

Instant Messaging, Voice & Video

One of the things I'm intending to talk about is of course Office Communications Server and its use in Healthcare. One of the first things I tend to show is the ability to connect to colleagues and peers quickly moving from a Instant Messaging conversation to an interactive voice/video conversation. People are always surprised how easy it is to add additional parties to the conversation by simply dragging them into the conversation window. This is fantastic for multi-disciplinary teams to be able to connect and communicate effectively.

Interactive Meetings

One of the things that invariably comes up during these conversations is the use of video conferencing. Many Trusts in the UK have made significant investments in these technologies - but typically these require specialist hardware, networks and dedicated rooms. The biggest challenge however is that it forces people to move to the appropriate facility to access. Our model is very different in that we bring the technology to the user so that they can communicate with colleagues and peers on their terms and time-scales.

To assist me I'm taking along one of the new Roundtable devices. For those that haven't seen them - they look like the picture on the right. The Roundtable is a new web-cam having 5 cameras and 5 mirrors to give a 360 degree view of the room. Its simply a usb device that plugs straight into my PC. Using active speaker recognition people see a panoramic view of everyone in the room as well as a close up of the person speaking. So a great scenario for this is when you have a real meeting at a trust location and two or three people joining the meeting either from home or another location. The Roundtable makes any room a video conferencing room...

As well as being being able to see and to speak to people Office Communications Server offers the ability to share information whether that be a set of slides, pictures, desktop applications as well as collaborative tools such as white boards and polls.

In addition Office Communications Server meetings can be recorded making this an ideal environment for providing training - basically if you miss the meeting you can access the recording at a later date.

Beyond the PC

The other key element of Office Communications Server is the ability to connect to people on the telephone. Lots of people in healthcare have invested significant sums in IP telephony and whilst there are obvious benefits in rationalising to a single network all it means for end users is a new fancy telephone on the desktop. With Office Communications Server we break down these barriers in communication connecting users on PC's with users on the telephone (whether its an IP phone or not). So if I receive an email from a colleague as they are online I can use instant messaging or make a voice or video call to their PC. If they are not online I can call them on their desk-phone or their mobile. Don't worry if you haven't got IP telephony today with the addition of an IP bridge Office Communications Server will talk directly to your existing PBX.

I personally use one of the new usb telephone handsets connected to my PC as I don't have a traditional desk-phone anymore. This type of device works really well for me as I spend a lot of time on the telephone and like the feel of a handset (I guess I'm just old fashioned that way!) There are lots of alternatives though such as headsets, web-cams ands speaker phones.

In fact Microsoft has developed, along with a range of partners, a new breed of IP telephones which runs Office Communicator right there on the handset. These devices are Internet enabled so I can take one home, plug it into my wireless router and all of my phone call conversations are routed to that device securely over the Internet.

We also have a version of the office communicator for mobile devices. this means that I can be online to colleagues and peers on my mobile device as well as on my PC.

From Cure to Care (and walking the Dales)

Nick Umney — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 16:17:52 GMT

I’ve just returned from a fantastic weekend of walking in the Yorkshire Dales at the annual Boots and Beer Festival. This is the third year we have attended and the event keeps getting better with over 540 walkers (and presumably drinkers) participating and enjoying great walks and stunning scenery. We opted for the long walk on Saturday and the medium walk on Sunday clocking up 26 miles in two days.

So why am I writing an article here? Well this year I armed myself with a new device – an Omron Pedometer. The great thing about this device (apart from being very light and very easy to use) is that its USB enabled. This allows me to connect the pedometer to my pc when I get back from my weekend of exercise. Many people will be familiar with the Device Center in Windows Vista – this lets me connect my phone, mp3 player etc and synchronise the data between them.

I’ve recently installed the HealthVault Connection Center which lets me do the same for any personal medical devices I may have – such as the pedometer, heart monitor, blood pressure monitor etc. Once the device is connected to my PC I can then upload my exercise data to my own personal HealthVault.

HealthVault is a personal health platform that lets you gather, edit, augment, store, and share health information in a secure web site. HealthVault allows me to organise my Health Information, manage any health conditions I may have, get healthy and fit (and stay that way) and make the most of visits to the Doctor. In future HealthVault will help me connect with Doctors and Hospitals directly.

As soon as I connect the pedometer to my pc the HealthVault Connection Center synchronises the data to my PC:

I can then automatically upload the exercise data directly to HealthVault

Should I wish to go and look at my HealthVault details I simply go to the web and securely logon to my HealthVault. As you can see I personally use my Microsoft Live Id to do this (you use this every time you logon to the NHS Resource Centre). There are other options available in HealthVault as well.

Once I have logged on I can control my Health information directly, add or change information and choose to securely share my information with family members or healthcare professionals:

I can also go and look at the specific details uploaded from the pedometer:

As well as being able to connect devices to HealthVault it’s also possible to connect applications – one of the first I have used is MSN Health and Fitness. Whilst being quite US centric today it does allow you to use virtual earth in a very innovative way. Once I had enabled MSN Health and Fitness to pass information to my HealthVault account I can use it to create new cycle or walking routes.

Using virtual earth I can plot my exercise route right there on the map (I can even add my own photos, 3d models and create and download a 3d tour/video if I wish). The great thing about this is that I can then store this route in my HealthVault and then link my exercise data directly to the route.

I’ve created a quick representation of the walk we did in the Dales on Sunday –this was a medium walk of 10.5 miles starting and ending in Hawes.

Whilst this map is useful it does not tell the whole story. So I switched to the 3d view in virtual earth. You now start to see the climb up to Hearne Top (number 2 on the map) is actually 500m above sea level, an believe me it was quite a climb after my ‘healthy’ breakfast at the B&B.

Hopefully you can start to see how these technologies can help us in terms of health and fitness. They are also becoming incredibly important in the treatment of long term conditions. Take a young male in his teens with diabetes – sometimes the only interaction with a healthcare professional is an appointment at the GP or if the patient has some sort of episode and ends up in A&E. Technologies such as HealthVault enable these appointments to much more informed with the patient being able to share information directly with the GP.

...and finally – always remember to drink (and to exercise) responsibly!