IoT Logger vs Data Logger Cloud: Cost Comparison for Pharmacy Monitoring

The environmental conditions inside a pharmacy and the whole supply chain need to be monitored very closely in order to be in compliance with the strict GxP requirements.

Recently, more and more cloud solutions are being used for this purpose of monitoring. The big question is: which approach the proper one? Cloud hosting and cloud computing popularity has grown mainly because of its various advantages highlighted below.

Advantages of Cloud Hosting and Cloud Computing

First of all, these solutions are cost-efficient because of the reduced IT investments and technical know-how.

Secondly, cloud hosting and computing come with both recovery and built-in backup functionalities, which makes the storage of data very secure.

Thirdly, they offer a wide range of scalability both in terms of storage and processing capabilities.

Furthermore, maintenance efforts of the cloud user are significantly reduced because of its efficiency.

Different Models for Cloud Services According to How They are Outsourced

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

This is a cloud model where most of the responsibility is taken by the client. The client is responsible for running the database and applications on the middleware and operating system.

The middleware and operating system, in turn, are responsible for the operation of virtual servers, which is done by the cloud provider. Large organizations are the primary beneficiaries of the Infrastructure as a service (Iaas), and especially those that wish to keep and have total control over their software and application infrastructure.

These organizations, however, don’t mind having a specialized provider handling and operating the hardware. Most of these organizations only buy the hardware when it is needed.

The benefit of having another provider handle the power is the varying assignment of storage and processing power as they do change over time depending on the demand.

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

In this kind of cloud model, the cloud provider is the one who is given more responsibility. This is because both the middleware and operating system are included in the virtualized servers.

This cloud model is not only flexible but also offers great speed for companies that prefer running their own application in a “ready for immediate use environment.”

Software as a Service (SaaS)

Sometimes also referred to as cloud application services, this cloud model encompasses the biggest cloud market. Business applications are directly accessed through a browser in this cloud model, even though no installations or downloads are needed on the side of the client.

Public Cloud

This is a model of cloud computing that delivers IT services using the internet. In this model, the person that is responsible for managing and developing resources is the cloud vendor. These resources are shared across the network by many tenants.

There exists a small section in the public cloud that is known as the Community Cloud. The community cloud is also widely used in many organizations. However, access can only be granted to those users whose requirements are joined and not to the public.

Private Cloud

This cloud model is designed to be solely used by only one organization. The resources used in computing are not disclosed to the customers because they are isolated.

When one compares a private cloud to a public one, private cloud is more expensive by a substantial margin. This is because the number of resources needed to keep the cloud running is multiplied by every new member that joins.

Hybrid Cloud

This is basically a cloud model that is a mix between a private cloud and a public cloud. Here the resources are planned and coordinated as an environment that is infrastructure integrated.

Resources between the public cloud and private cloud can be shared with the data and application workloads. This, however, is subject to the technical policies and the organizational business of the company.

In today’s world, the popularity of cloud computing has tremendously increased, and the main reason for this trend is the vast revenues accrued from using this method.

Other sectors that rely heavily on cloud computing include insurance, banking, telecommunications, and industrial manufacturing. For every business function, there are many cloud applications. Part of the reason why these industries use cloud computing services is to comply with safety and more stringent requirements.

GxP Compliant Application: Which is the right setup for an IoT logger and data logger cloud?

First and foremost, validation of the database, including the monitoring solution that will use an IoT logger and data logger cloud, must be done via computerized system validation (CSV).

CSV is a process that is documented and assures that a computerized system performs how it was meant to perform in a manner that is both consistent and can be reproduced at any moment.

What this means is that documentation of requirements must be done and validation writing of test plans must occur. Writing of the risk assessment after risk evaluation has occurred must be done. Testing of functionalities should be completed and documented in accordance with the test plan.

Finally, a report of validation is prepared, which shows all the efforts of validation that were used.

For users who do not mind validating the provider of the cloud infrastructure, nor managing the installation and maintenance of software on their own, PaaS or IaaS could be a good option.

On the other hand, for those who find difficulty doing this--or perhaps don’t have an experienced IT team at their disposal--SaaS would be the best choice.

This is because SaaS offers the advantage of having one provider of the solution instead of having a cloud infrastructure and software vendor separately for the IoT logger and data logger cloud.