The future of the healthcare industry will be shaped by a range of disruptive themes, with cloud being one of the themes that will have a significant impact on healthcare companies.

Healthcare providers are extremely cost-conscious because they are under constant pressure to improve patient care while maintaining profitability. Cloud solutions support this by reducing the costs of in-house IT infrastructure. Cloud computing also greatly reduces the time required to deploy software, which can take months in on-premises deployments. Cloud software deployment and updates can be conducted remotely and typically very quickly, so employees can spend less time waiting and be more productive. Major categories of cloud solutions include infrastructure as a service (IaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), and software as a service (SaaS).

Healthcare is one of the biggest targets of ransomware attacks, in which hackers infect a computer system and demand payment to restore it. One of the best-known examples is the 2017 WannaCry attack, which affected over 200,000 computers in more than 150 countries, costing $126m in the UK alone and up to $7.9bn globally. As cloud adoption grows, developers are increasingly aware of security risks and how to combat them. Security measures for cloud include minimising attacks, controlling logins, and improving data encryption.

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However, not all companies are equal when it comes to their capabilities and investments in the key themes that matter most to their industry. Understanding how companies are positioned and ranked in the most important themes can be a key leading indicator of their future earnings potential and relative competitive position.

According to GlobalData’s thematic research report, Cloud Computing in Healthcare, leading adopters include: Allianz, AmerisourceBergen, Appian, Assicurazioni Generali, AXA, Express Scripts, Humana, MetLife, NIB (GU Health), and Ping An Insurance.

Insights from top ranked companies

Ping An Insurance

Chinese insurance giant Ping An Insurance built its own cloud computing system Ping An Cloud in 2013 and was able to utilise big data, AI, blockchain, and big data to support its business. In late 2018, the company formed a strategic partnership with GitHub to expand and open up their public cloud IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS services to external customers.

AXA

AXA has adopted IBM’s private cloud and AWS and Microsoft Azure for its public clouds. The company has also used Google Cloud to support projects. AXA store and manage data on private and public clouds, due to its high speed and security promises from IBM Microsoft Azure.

Humana

Microsoft provides cloud computing, AI, and voice technology to Humana. With Microsoft and Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR), Humana intends to develop predictive and intelligent technologies through Azure cloud.

To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the healthcare industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Cloud Computing in Healthcare.

  • Apple
  • Accenture
  • Cigna
  • UnitedHealth
  • Cleveland Clinic
  • Munich Re
  • Mayo Clinic
  • Walmart
  • Allianz
  • One Medical
  • Anthem
  • LabCorp
  • Walgreens Boots Alliance
  • Tencent
  • HCA Healthcare
  • Assicurazioni Generali
  • Quest Diagnostics
  • Tenet
  • Centene
  • McKesson
  • CVS Health
  • Fresenius
  • Kaiser Permanente
  • Molina Healthcare
  • DaVita
  • CommonSpirit Health
  • Apollo Hospitals
  • Capsule
  • Berkshire Hathaway
  • Ramsay Health Care

GlobalData

GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.

GlobalData’s Thematic Scorecard ranks companies within a sector based on their overall leadership in the 10 themes that matter most to their industry, generating a leading indicator of their future earnings and relative position within key strategic areas.