Needs+Analysis


 * Needs Analysis**

=
By the year 2012, the retail pharmacy industry is expected to increase by more than twice the amount as of now, due to an aging population, as well as the increased utilization of prescription drugs. If CVS wants to be on top of things, they would need to hire more employees- to operate and provide service in our new stores in high-growth markets. With that, they need a new network system. It currently runs on the RX2000 which is an outdated pharmaceutical system that tends to be extremely slow in speed. With such a large company that is continuously expanding, CVS needs a more reliable system, whether it be updated or a new system be installed in general. The CVS Corporation network system is pretty well built, however there are some minor issues associated with it. RxConnect is the name of the new CVS/Pharmacy Corporation’s proprietary pharmacy computer system replacing Rx2000 in late 2010. It relies on broadband internet connections to adjudicate insurance claims, manage patient profiles, manage pharmacy outreach calls, as well as connect with CVS's corporate portal and rxnet. RxConnect is a Windows 2000-skinned version of Linux; it was designed to compete directly with Walgreen's Intercom Plus pharmacy computer system. There has however. been some problems with the new system. As more and more CVS branches are converting to the new system, there have been problems with the system being extremely slow and crashing occasionally. As CVS is one of the largest pharmacies, it is important to have a more reliable system that is efficient an effective, and should have invested in something more stable.======

=
It is with the provided information that leads to the proposal that the CVS Corporation could do with a more secure and reliable network systems. It is suggested that the company chose to use T-3 lines as these are the best fit for a large international company, that wishes to expand in the ever-growing pharmaceutical industry. T-3 lines offer the best support and are the most reliable connection. Leased lines provide guaranteed bandwidth and information can easily be shared through the network created by leased lines. Leased lines can be useful for telephone, data, or internet services. Local area networks can be linked though leased lines. T-3 lines are also much faster than the current T-1 lines, VPN and DSL. 24/7 service with full support and faster connectivity is also available with the service. A hub must be installed inside the building, because it will enable access of the internet. T-3 lines are definitely the most expensive.T-3 lines are definitely the priciest out of all telecommunication lines, but are a necessity for CVS Corporation. With that being said, a more secure router needs to be selected as well, in this being the Cisco Aironet 350 Series wireless LAN (WLAN) router. This router excels in performance compared to the outdated symbol system router and provides for a better working environment. However, the Cisco Aironet 350 Series is a non-upgradable IEEE 802.11b and could cause more of a hassle in the future. The Cisco Aironet 350 does, however integrate into an existing network as a wireless overlay and creates freestanding wireless networks enabling mobility quickly and cost effectively. With the Cisco Aironet 350, organizations can also easily accomplish frequent LAN changes and overcome limitations created by older buildings, leased spaces, or temporary sites.======

Previous Page - Current Network Costs

Next Page - New Network - RXConnect