Bosse Söderberg
Technical IT strategist
Södra Älvsborg's Hospital

The project with ThinLinc started as a way to get secure remote access to the hospital's internal network. Several suppliers of external systems needed access to the internal network to perform maintenance. Since the regional government had problems with the Nimda virus in the beginning of the 21st century it was decided that security had to be increased and a more strict control of the network enforced.

- We test different products to see which one fits us best, and ThinLinc provides the function we want plus the possibility for extended usage of the same technology, for instance server-based computing. With most solutions the connection is secure up to the firewall, but with ThinLinc it's secure all the way to the server.

- The solution with remote access using ThinLinc has proven to be good and fills all the demands we have today. We are using it as the basis for the changes we are making, and will be making, to achieve the level which Södra Älvsborg's Hospital and the regional government demands for information security. The goal for me is that we will conduct 30% of our business via ThinLinc in the future, says Bosse.

Several of the suppliers for the hospital are using ThinLinc to access the hospital without any problems. Since the ThinLinc client is small and uninvasive to the system where it's installed, this is also a part of the positive reception.

Increased accessibility

In the project for server-based computing there are thoughts on how to increase the availability by for instance letting the employees log on using personal key cards and a card reader, and keep the session when moving to another workstation.

- We have to be flexible and let the technology support the operation, and allow for more time with the patients. Then we will use the technology to be a part of this, listening to what the doctors and nurses tell us. Support can be given in many ways, but that there is support to be had is essential to our production environment and the demands for accessibility. IT-service, who maintains all IT technology for the hospital, among others, has certified personnel on ThinLinc, which shows that we believe in the product and the technology on which it is based, Bosse remarks.

- With every choice you make regarding IT technology you have to base the decision on a balance between, among other things, function, support and price, where cost effectiveness will be the deciding factor. This has been a hard nut to crack in the scenarios when we have discussed other products similar to ThinLinc.

Function before product

Bosse is also positive to the way ThinLinc is constructed, where the product isn't tied to specific other software but can exchange parts for other software with similar functionality. Many other systems are tied to a specific product, which restricts you as customer.

- Our focus is on a function, rather than a product, Bosse says, and ThinLinc fits our way of thinking very well.