System and Security the SAP

¶ … System and Security

The SAP BusinessObjects software and BusinessObjects XI software are both used to help companies maintain a competitive edge and really understand their business intelligence and performance management data (SAP, 2011). Both Emdeon and Emergency Medical Associates use the software to help them protect user data in a way that they can still access it when needed. Because the companies are in healthcare, which can literally be a life and death business quite often, it is vital that they have access to patients' healthcare information when they need it. At the same time, however, it is not appropriate to share that information with just anyone. Because there is a serious need for both privacy and immediate access, Emdeon and Emergency Medical Associates have chosen BusinessObjects software to handle their business needs and the needs of their patients from an information and privacy standpoint.

There are always people to contend with. In other words, the issue is never just about data. There are individuals who are affected by the data and who also affect the data in any organization (Cranor, 2008). Since that is the case, it is very important that any company in the healthcare industry have software that allows very human interaction with the data that is collected. The BusinessObjects and BusinessObjects XI tools are primarily designed to provide that interaction while still blocking access from unauthorized parties. Companies that are involved with healthcare must provide large volumes of important information, and sharing that information is something that these companies are required to do to help their patients. At the same time, they also have to comply with private acts such as HIPAA, so they have to be very careful how and why they are providing any information. If it is offered to the wrong hands, the company could be in serious trouble and the patients' personal information could be compromised.

In any organization, tools like these can show the importance of privacy and how it can be coupled with the need for free access of information among specific groups. For example, while it is true that personal healthcare information should not be given to just anyone, doctors must be able to access it rapidly in order to save lives. There is a delicate balance between access and privacy that must be met through software (Miller, 2005). There are times when software fails to provide the protection that it should, but that is generally not the case with these particular tools. They should be used by any healthcare organization that is committed to keeping patient records private but also providing them via the internet, so that a patient can be treated anywhere in the world and his or her medical history can be quickly called up and verified. It could make a serious difference in that patient's treatment.