What cloud-based practice management software means for your veterinary practice

3 mins

Nobody opens a veterinary practice to look after a server. Yet that is what running practice management software on site involves: buying the hardware, installing updates, checking backups, and fixing things when they fail.

With cloud-based software, the provider does that work. Your team can get on with patients and pet owners, and the software stays up to date in the background.

IDEXX practice managed software is cloud-based. This article covers what that means in practice, and how you can check the security behind it for yourself.

No server to buy or look after

With cloud-based practice management software, the software and your data are hosted by the provider. You do not need to run a server in your practice, so there is no server to buy, house, or replace, and less hardware for your IT provider to look after. Animana and ezyVet both work this way.

Your computers, network, and internet connection still need to suit the job. ezyVet’s guide to getting your IT ready for the cloud is a useful starting point, and ezyVet also publishes its system requirements.

Updates and backups handled for you

Both Animana and ezyVet provide automatic updates, so your team does not install each new version by hand. Both also include backups of your data, so you are not relying on a server in your practice to keep copies.

If you want the detail, such as how often data is backed up and where copies are kept, ask for it at your demo.

Access that follows your team

Cloud software lets your team reach practice information without being tied to one workstation. ezyVet supports remote access for teams working off-site or across several locations, and Animana provides access to centralised practice data. Ask to see how access permissions would work for your team.

Security you can check

Moving to the cloud should not mean trusting security without evidence. The IDEXX Trust Center lists independent SOC audit reports for its software, providing full transparency. These reports, written by an independent auditor, describe how a provider manages security controls.

Your practice’s own habits still count. Use strong, unique passwords for staff accounts, secure your wireless network with a password, and turn on two-step verification for email and for any other account that offers it. The National Cyber Security Centre’s guidance explains how two-step verification protects an account even if the password is stolen.

Keeping your practice running

Cloud software relies on an internet connection, so it is worth agreeing a simple plan with your provider and IT provider before you switch. Decide what your team would do during an internet or service interruption, whether a backup connection would suit your practice, how you would record work temporarily, and where you would find service updates. Writing it down once means everyone knows what to do.

Choose around your working day

Hosting is one factor among several. How the software fits your clinical work, administration, equipment, and team matters as well.

IDEXX offers cloud-based practice management software through Animana and ezyVet. Explore both to see which fits how your practice works. See how IDEXX Veterinary Software fits your practice.

Quick answers

Do I still need a server in my practice?
No. IDEXX practice managed software is hosted for you. You still need computers, a network, and an internet connection that suit the job, so involve your IT provider.

Are backups included?
Yes, both products include backups of your data. Ask your provider how often data is backed up and where copies are kept.

Where can I find security information?
The IDEXX Trust Center lists audit reports and penetration testing summaries for Animana and ezyVet, which you can request.

What happens if the internet goes down?
Agree a plan with your provider before you switch, including whether a backup connection suits your practice and how you would record work temporarily.