Intermax HealthCloud

The Initiative Originated from Intermax

A few years ago, the cloud revolutionized the world, and healthcare institutions, too, were confronted with the emergence of public cloud solutions. However, there were concerns about storing patient and client data in a service like Microsoft Azure. The main issue was the “Cloud Act,” a U.S. law that requires American tech companies to hand over their data to U.S. government agencies in the event of emergencies, even if the data is located outside the United States. Currently, about 25% of Dutch data centers are in American hands, as we’ve previously discussed in this blog.

The Strength Lies in the Right Mix

To address these concerns, Intermax sought to offer a future-proof cloud environment for the healthcare sector within a 100% Dutch solution, ensuring that the healthcare sector retains control over privacy-sensitive data. This led to the creation of the HealthCloud, a solution that operates with the speed and flexibility of a public cloud but is located on Dutch soil in Bytesnet’s data centers. Intermax manages this private environment exclusively for the healthcare sector. Several hospitals and other healthcare organizations in the Rotterdam and The Hague regions now use this solution, not just because of its security features.

“Pay as you use”

It’s important to note that technological advancements are happening too quickly for healthcare providers to manage their required infrastructure independently. “By creating scale and investing with multiple parties, we’ve achieved significant cost advantages,” says Herwin Jan. This means customers pay based on usage but still comply with the strict security requirements of the healthcare sector, such as encryption, redundancy, and disaster recovery. This also necessitates a different investment model for healthcare clients. “Pay as you use” allows them to take better advantage of the latest available technologies, rather than depreciating older infrastructure. You can find additional information about HealthCloud on Intermax’s website here.

The Collaboration Between Intermax and Bytesnet Went Even Further.

Computing Power for Research

The research department at Erasmus MC requested additional computing power for scientific research. The business relationship between Bytesnet and Erasmus MC dates back to 2008, concerning Datacenter services and connections. However, this request was different and more challenging. In scientific research, the challenge isn’t just handling vast amounts of text data available worldwide; there’s also a significant amount of image data, including X-rays, MRI images, and videos, within the hospital. This required additional computing power. “Intermax provides a significant portion of the necessary computing power, while Bytesnet handles the ever-expanding data storage,” concludes Herwin Jan. The research department at Erasmus MC now uses the computing power of the HealthCloud.

Achieved Results

• Control over research data in an optimally available and secure environment in the Netherlands, subject to Dutch law and the certifications of Intermax and Bytesnet: ISO 9001, 14001, 27001, NEN 7510, and ISAE 3202.
• Enhanced protection of ownership rights for research reports.
• The ability to conduct more research faster due to the extremely high computing power.
• Faster publication of research reports.
• Enhanced the reputation of healthcare provision at Erasmus MC, which, as we have all come to realize, is a global leader.

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About Intermax

Intermax is the most certified cloud-sourcing company in the Netherlands. The company’s vision, that systems are there to support people, not the other way around, leads to a unique approach to cloud solutions. The best solutions are found not in technology but in the experience of the people using it. Security, efficiency, involvement, and transparency are highly valued at Intermax. This approach has earned the company the Best Workplace award multiple times. Intermax is part of the Intermax Group. For more information, visit their website.

Acknowledgment

On behalf of Bytesnet, we want to thank Herwin Jan Steehouwer for sharing his story, and we hope to continue playing an important role in the healthcare sector together.