Technology and implants
Cloud-based dental software
Cloud-based dental software is practice software that runs over the internet on a vendor's servers, so the office does not host it on its own server.
The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology describes cloud computing as a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources.
For a dental office, this means practice management software that you open through a web browser or app. The vendor hosts the data and handles updates and backups.
Cloud systems change who holds the data, so a practice needs a business associate agreement with the vendor. Offices should also check what happens to their data if they leave the vendor. Internet outages can stop access, so a plan for downtime matters. See business continuity plan.