From time to time we are asked about the technical nature of our program, simple questions like "What version of Windows do I need?" to detailed technical questions like, "What database server are you using?" On this page we would like to present a basic technical review of Andromeda PMS + EMR.

Web Applications

Andromeda is a web application, which means that you sit down at your computer, go to a web page, type in a password, and begin using the program. For most people, you go to a web page with Internet Explorer, but the alternative Firefox is gaining ground very fast. We support both, but we encourage people to use Firefox, it has many more features than Internet Explorer, it is more flexible and more stable and more secure.

What Version of Windows? Because it is a web application, you can use any version of Windows. Or the Mac, or Linux for that matter. We have never asked a customer to upgrade or change their computers for our program.

One drawback of some web applications is, quite frankly, that they are clunky and difficult to use all day. This is because their authors are young and were not around in the nineties when we all learned how to make programs easy to use. Andromeda is very easy to use (we suspect it may be the easiest web app out there) becaus we were around in the nineties and know how to make the programs easy for the staff.

The Web and Database Server

Every web application requires a web server. This is a computer that delivers pages to the browser. This computer also holds the database.

One nice thing about the internet is that you do not need your own server, you can share one with other people. Our smaller practices do not need to buy a server, we put their data onto our server and they connect through the internet. Larger practices will sometimes need their own server.

We use the popular PHP programming language for our web pages, and the powerful PostgreSQL database server.

Security

Andromeda uses something called "Secure Socket Layer" to connect you to your data -- this is the same technology used by banks, and is the most secure connection available on the internet today.

The backups that we transfer from server to server are also encrypted before they ever leave your machine, giving you the knowledge that your system will always be available and that your confidential patient information is protected.

The Andromeda Framework

Every programmer needs a set of tools that tie together all of the various efforts needed to make a complete system. Andromeda PMS + EMR was built with and uses the Andromeda Project, a software framework created by Secure Data Software and made freely available to other programmers via the internet.