Aruba Networks, Motion Computing announce unified communications and data access healthcare solution

Aruba NetworksMar 1 2010

Aruba Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARUN), a global leader in 802.11n wireless LANs and secure mobility solutions, and Motion Computing, a leading provider of integrated mobile computing solutions, today announced a certified healthcare solution to reliably deliver unified communications services and data access at the point-of-care. The solution uses Aruba’s adaptive 802.11n and Virtual Branch Network (VBN) technologies to deliver the quality-of-service, security, and remote access needed to simultaneously support voice, video and data applications on Motion C5 Mobile Clinical Assistants (MCA) and Motion Clinical Workstations (MCW-200).

“Providing unified communications and automated patient data management at the point-of-care requires that the Wi-Fi network follow in lock-step as clinicians with C5 or MCW-200 devices roam through a hospital campus or satellite clinic”

“Unlike general data access services, point-of-care voice and video communications are latency-sensitive and require special handling,” said Manav Khurana, Aruba’s Head of Industry Marketing. “Our high-speed 802.11n wireless LANs are application-aware, and automatically adapt themselves to deliver the bandwidth, airtime, and quality-of-service required by unified communication applications at the point-of-care. The resulting wire-like performance enables Motion’s platforms to take clinical productivity to a new level.”

The Motion C5 is a hospital-grade slate tablet PC and the healthcare industry’s first MCA. The tool improves clinical productivity, optimizes electronic medical record (EMR) utilization, and enhances clinician efficiency by enabling the use of technology directly at the point of care. The flexible MCW-200 workstation improves communication and collaboration involving complex work-flows and information-rich content, delivers up to 15 hours of battery life, and is available with integrated voice and video support. Aruba’s Adaptive Radio Management (ARM) technology improves the wireless performance of both devices by automatically optimizing Wi-Fi band selection, load balancing, and power levels in real-time, an important function in a healthcare facility’s dynamically changing RF environment.

“Providing unified communications and automated patient data management at the point-of-care requires that the Wi-Fi network follow in lock-step as clinicians with C5 or MCW-200 devices roam through a hospital campus or satellite clinic,” said Mike Stinson, Motion Computing’s Vice President of Marketing. “Aruba’s 802.11n solutions deliver assured access to latency-sensitive communications services, regardless of where the clinician is working. That makes possible a wide range of new opportunities to improve patient care and reduce staff workload.”

Typical applications supported by the new solution include:

• Video and Voice Communications: improves collaboration among clinicians both on campus and remotely with wireless medical cart video and voice communications;
• EMR and Clinical Documentation: saves time and minimizes redundant work by enabling clinicians to enter patient data and access reference materials at the bedside or on-the-go;
• Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE): reduces prescription fulfillment delays and errors with real-time access to drug-drug and drug-allergy contraindications;
• Electronic Medication Administration Record (eMAR): uses real-time barcode checks to help enforce the “5 patient rights” (right drug, recipient, dosage, route and time) during drug administration;
• Practice Management: improves efficiency with anywhere, anytime access to scheduling and resource planning information;
• Mobile Image Consult: enables more expedient comparative studies and bedside patient education through mobile access to reference copies of PACS images.

Seamless remote access is an important feature of the new solution. Aruba’s VBN technology securely extends network access off site via inexpensive Remote Access Points (RAPs), which provide secure, authenticated remote access to a hospital’s data center. Controllers in the data center handle all VBN-related configuration, management, and security tasks. Centralizing these services in the controllers simplifies the design and installation of the RAPs. VBN delivers an identical user experience remotely as clinicians using C5 and MCW-200 tools enjoy on the hospital campus, without compromising privacy and security regulations.