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CUPERTINO, Calif. (November 5, 2007) - Vocera Communications, the nation’s leading wireless voice communications company, is making the human voice bolder and more colorful. Its new Vocera Communications Badge - B2000 has enhanced 802.11b/g wireless support and a new vivid display to help mobile staff communicate more effectively. In addition, a new set of colorful protective sleeves allows facilities to identify teams and enables users to have some fun personalizing their Vocera experience.  

Beneath the colorful sleeves, the B2000 technology provides more wireless connectivity options with 802.11b/g support, an easier to read OLED screen, and enhanced wireless radio performance, improving the communication of critical information.

While the colorful sleeves allow departments to distinguish themselves and give the staff a chance to accessorize, there is advanced functionality behind the new Badge design. One of the most unique features of the B2000 is its surface. Both the outer surfaces of the Badge and the sleeves have been treated with an antimicrobial agent from BioCote® that inhibits the growth of bacteria, fungus, and mold on the surface, thereby protecting the product from degradation. Vocera is the first and only in-building wireless communication solution that has incorporated this antimicrobial technology.

The Power of Your Voice
“The human voice is at the heart of quality, patient-centered care, and customer service,” says Brent Lang, Executive Vice President for Vocera. “Live voice carries connotation. It can calm a patient, signal urgency in a call for help, or help a colleague understand the next step in a task or process. Vocera delivers live human voice conversations in the right place, at the right time, to solve critical communication challenges.”

The Vocera Communications Badge is the only wearable, hands-free instant voice communication system available on the market. The Vocera Communications System combines Wi-Fi, voice over IP (VoIP), and speech recognition technologies for rapid communication in a lightweight device that enables the user to communicate with colleagues over a wireless LAN.

System Upgrades
The Vocera Communications Badge - B2000 enhancements include an improved wireless radio which will support WiFi Multimedia (WMM), an industry standard for Voice Quality of Service (QoS). This means the B2000’s voice packets can be prioritized over an 802.11b or 802.11g wireless network, boosting Vocera’s speech quality and reducing unclear calls. A high-performance patch antenna extends the reach of the wireless signal, reducing the chances of dropped calls in areas with poor wireless coverage. The design of the new Badge, based on a Linux platform, has been improved to provide better durability to withstand harsh environments.

“By virtue of leveraging 802.11g, we were hopeful these Badges would improve performance and reliability, not only for Vocera users, but for all devices utilizing the Genesis wireless network. Nursing reaction has been very positive with regard to the performance of the devices,” said Jamie Allen, Telecommunications Supervisor for Genesis Health System, a participant in the beta program for the new Badge. Furthermore, our staff is enthusiastic about the new, brighter displays on the Badges, as well as the white cast and multi-colored protective sleeves.”

The B2000 Badge maintains Vocera’s existing security protocol support while adding support for new protocols, including Advanced Encryption Standard-based WPA2 and WPA2-PSK, and EAP-FAST.

Vocera Communications Badge - B2000 will be available for general release in the United States in December 2007. More information about Vocera Communications, Inc. and the color of your voice is available at www.vocera.com/color.

About Vocera Communications
Vocera Communications provides wireless communication systems enabling instant voice communication among mobile workers for leading institutions and companies requiring enhanced customer service, productivity, and teamwork. Vocera is installed in more than 20 percent of the “Most Wired and Most Wireless” hospitals. The company, based in Cupertino, California, sells to customers in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. For more information, please contact the company at 800-331-6356, or visit the Web site at www.vocera.com.