Vocera Extends Reach With Wireless Partnerships

Vocera Communications announced deals this week with device and application providers to increase the reach of its enterprise wireless system.

The announcements, which took place at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society conference in New Orleans, had a health-care focus. But the new partnerships and capabilities would benefit any enterprise.

A partnership with Sprint/Nextel lets Vocera's wireless voice capabilities extend from the enterprise wireless LAN to the wide area over Sprint's mobile broadband services. Users traveling outside the WLAN can remain connected to the Vocera system through Sprint and Nextel phones.Vocera also said it's integrating its system with Motorola's MC-70, an enterprise-class digital assistant, to give MC-70 users full access to Vocera functionality. MC-70 users will be able to use the device's built-in speakerphone to communicate.

Other partnerships announced this week include a deal with Cisco Systems to expand connectivity between Vocera systems and the Cisco Call Manager; a partnership with Dictaphone to let users speak into their Vocera "badges" to dictate notes; and an agreement with WorldWide Interpreters Partnership to add translation services to the Vocera platform.