Trekkie communicator ready to go

Brun sent me a link to a BBC News article titled Trekkie communicator ready to go. He and I were talking about it at one point during Velta's birthday party on Saturday. Sutter actually had a team at a Vocera presentation in the bay area evaluating this product about three weeks ago. Several of our hospitals are very interested in installing the system.

The Vocera Communications Badge is a wearable device that weighs less than two ounces and can easily be clipped to a shirt pocket or worn on a lanyard. The actual size of the device is 4.2" tall x 1.4" wide.

It enables instant two-way voice conversation without the need to remember a phone number or manipulate a handset. It is controlled using natural spoken language. To initiate a conversation with Jim and Mary, for example, the user would simply say, "Conference Jim Anderson and Mary Guscia." In addition, when a live conversation is not necessary, text messages and alerts can be sent to the LCD screen on the back of the badge.

It uses the 802.11b wireless networks that we are installing in most of our locations.