UCHealth migrates 17,000 mailboxes to Microsoft Office 365, rejecting Google offers

EW DELHI, INDIA: The University of Colorado Health (UCHealth) has migrated 17,000 mailboxes to Microsoft Office 365 from three disparate healthcare organizations on multiple legacy email platforms.

During the selection process, UCHealth did not select Google. The migration was done in less than three months, Microsoft said.

UCHealth, a new healthcare system formed by Poudre Valley Health System, University of Colorado Hospital and Memorial Health System, will save $13.9 million in costs throughout an 11-year period by switching to Microsoft enterprise subscription solution.

Steve Hess, CIO for UCHealth, said that Microsoft's commitment to data security, privacy and compliance with HIPAA standards, coupled with its willingness to sign a comprehensive Business Associate Agreement for Office 365, gave it the confidence we needed to overcome cloud anxieties.

As per its strategies, UCHealth's will integrate its legacy IT solutions into single solutions including its enterprise resource planning, electronic health records and email systems. Instead of Google, UCHealth chose Office 365 because of its functionality and usability, and because it supports HIPAA requirements beyond what other vendors provide.

"When we decided to go with a subscription model, we knew we needed enterprise-class capabilities that offered strong support for all our needs, including offline editing, deskless workers and mobile devices," said Fernando Pedroza, UCHealth's VP of Technology Services.

The flexibility that comes from enablement of remote and mobile employees through the Office 365 SharePoint and Lync components, as well as Microsoft's separate Yammer social media solution, appealed to UCHealth.

With more of the healthcare workforce being mobile, and given UCHealth's geographic spread, it was important to have additional tools available for remote collaboration and communication throughout UCHealth's network.

Specifically, Microsoft Office 365 Lync is being used to host meetings, share desktop presentations, and find appropriate individuals and expertise quickly and effectively. Microsoft Yammer is being used to share information and project statuses, find expertise quickly, and celebrate organizational successes.