There's a Bad(ge) Virus Going Around

There's a Bad(ge) Virus Going Around

By CWNP On 05/08/2009 - 9 Comments

Holy smokes batman.  Vocera's gear is slick.  Complicated on the back-end...but slick.  Of course, like any good IT system, the complexity is hidden from the end-user.  There's only one button, and the rest is just voice recognition bliss.  We already had a phone system that works fine, but who wants to use that old thing when you have a Star Trek communicator?  Within a week, everyone in the office suddenly wanted a badge.  It's like a virus that everyone wants to catch.  We learned very quickly that it's one serious electronic leash though.

You need a BEEFY server - seriously - to run their application.  It's easy to install, straight-forward to configure, and then you just have to learn how to interface with the system as an end-user.  It's not quite like using a telephone, but it's not difficult.  The system design is so well thought out that it even works well over our patheticly slow VPN link - something I thought impossible at the onset of testing.  

Steve Newson, Vocera's SE Manager, came out HIMSELF to do the installation/training.  This guy ROCKS!  It's no wonder he's the SE Manager. :-)  He had the system up and running, teaching us each step of the way, literally in minutes.  Then he volunteered our local SE - Mike Hoberg, a long-time friend of mine - to give us whatever we need in the way of help & product training.  How could we ask for more than that?  That's SUPPORT right there. Big hug from CWNP!

I work in the highly-esteemed, but seldom seen BatCave, along with my two P-I-Cs Marcus and David.  It's about 1,000 square feet of space in my basement surrounded by block walls and devoid of windows.  Every so often, I have to go top-side for food and what-not.  When I first wore my Vocera badge top-side, my wife asked what it was.  I gave a quick demo to everyone in the kitchen, and then even my 10 year old twins wanted one.  We only have 4 badges with our kit, and there are 10 people in the company.  This system is ony for testing purposes, not for production purposes, but I have to warn you - it causes badge envy in a big way.  Badge envy is not for the faint of heart...

Everyone should give this product a good look before dismissing it as a new fad.  It's certainly not a fad.  In fact, I have to believe at this point, that it's going to be (seriously) the communication method of the future.  It's just so dang fun to talk on the phone now. :-)  Kudos.

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