Here are what I see as the key aspects of this design –
– Business objective:
This a professional service supporting a rural area. The service is consulting, provided primarily at the business office, but some of the providers work out of a second office as well.
– Business requirements:
Common scheduling of clients
Schedule access required at both offices and provider homes
Telephone is the primary scheduling interface to clients
Consulting is paper intensive
Fax (function not identified)
Billing mechanism (invoice, remittance, collection) to clients or insurance companies
HIPAA applies
Accounting for small business
Client data is extremely sensitive
– Business constraints:
Staff is non technical, use of technology limited to home user experience
Power to office is unreliable, past 60 days shows 3 days of power outage and over 4 hours of noisy line
Under 6 on staff
Cellular is not part of the current forecast
Second office has no business relation with first
Limited police presence in area
All calls outside of immediate area are toll, but extended calling plan available
I have my own thoughts on the best technical solutions. The short version is Internet PBX for telephony, and ASP solution to scheduling, billing, and accounting with a Web interface and smart card. Internet fax service, and a single office email. Thin client with browser and nic, DSL Internet access that includes managed router and firewall and managed or internal switch, UTP wiring.
I am leaning towards an IP telephone versus soft phone so the providers can bring it to the second office or home and receive client calls. I am leaning towards a open solution on the thin client for cost and performance.
If you have a different perspective on the technical solution approach, I am interested in hearing it.
