In recent months, the cost of operating in the public cloud has quietly but significantly increased—especially for healthcare providers. With Microsoft’s withdrawal of SPLA (Service Provider License Agreement) support in public cloud environments, many medical practices are now facing a new reality: higher IT costs with fewer licensing options.
💸 From Predictable to Pricey
For years, SPLA licensing allowed healthcare IT providers to offer flexible, cost-effective cloud computing in public cloud environments. But with that option gone, practices are now being pushed toward more expensive licensing models—often without the budget or infrastructure to absorb the change.
This shift is particularly painful for small to mid-sized clinics that rely on predictable IT costs to manage tight margins. What was once a scalable, affordable model has become a budgeting headache.
PIP’s private cloud delivers exceptional service at a consistently lower and more predictable cost.
🧠 Why It Matters for Healthcare
Healthcare IT isn’t just about servers and software—it’s about patient care, compliance, and continuity. Rising cloud costs can lead to:
- Delayed upgrades to critical systems like EMRs and practice management tools.
- Reduced investment in cybersecurity and data protection.
- Increased pressure on internal IT teams to “do more with less.”
And in a sector where uptime, privacy, and performance are non-negotiable, these trade-offs can have real-world consequences.
🛡️ PIP Private Cloud: A Strategic Alternative
At PIP, we anticipated this shift. That’s why we’ve spent over 20 years building a private cloud infrastructure tailored specifically for healthcare. Our Australian-based datacentres are purpose-built to meet the unique demands of medical practices—consistently outperforming public cloud solutions in both cost efficiency and support reliability. Our platform offers:
- Predictable pricing with no surprise licensing changes.
- Enhanced security and compliance tailored to Australian healthcare standards.
- Secure Certified Australian Datacentres to ensure the integrity and privacy of your patients data.
- 24/7 IT support from an Australian support team that understands the unique needs of your medical practice.
- Microsoft 365 Management, as a Microsoft partner we can support, manage and discount your Microsoft 365 requirements.
- IT Managed Services, bundled with your cloud computing offering if needed
Whether you’re running Medical Director, Best Practice, Audit 4 or Genie Software, our private cloud, medical hosting platform, ensures your systems are fast, secure, and always available—without the volatility of public cloud pricing.
📣 What You Can Do
If you’re a practice manager or healthcare IT lead, now is the time to:
- Review your current cloud licensing and identify any SPLA dependencies.
- Evaluate private or hybrid cloud options that offer more control and cost stability.
- Talk to your IT provider about how they’re managing the shift—and whether they’re passing those costs on to you.
Need help navigating the change?
We’re here to help. Contact us to learn how PIP’s private cloud can protect your budget—and your patients.
