Ascom launches its latest innovation - Myco

• MYCO Launch Event - Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney
• Guest speakers from GE Health Care & Health Informatics Society of Australia (HISA) 
• Purpose Built Smartphone for Clinician and Nurses • Help to deal with the threat of “alarm fatigue” 
• Key features: Touch screen, 3G and Wi-Fi, Top display, long-lasting swappable battery and a robust design

Ascom Australia launched its latest innovation, Myco - a purpose built smartphone designed around clinician and nurses. The launch event was hosted in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney on 10th-12th of November.

Feargal O’Farrell, Sales and Marketing Director of Ascom, unveiled the key features of Myco and outlined the importance of the dedicated Nurse User Interface. “Our User Experience team have spent a lot of time workshopping with nurses and caregivers to understand what is required to build a user interface that helps nurse’s process alarms and information better”. “Through a single sideways swipe can exit the Nurse User Interface and access the standard Android screen and the other installed applications, and with another swipe can revert back to the Nurse User Interface. The Nurse User Interface addresses the core issues of building a safer environment of patients with better alarm handling.”

An overview of some of Myco key features:

• Top Display for "At a Glance" notifications 
• Barcode scanner
• Carrying clip 
• Durability
• Long-lasting swappable battery 
• Prioritised mission-critical Apps. 
• Patient-centric user experience.
• Fully centralised management.
• Compact, lightweight, and highly ergonomical design

The session programme comprised of not only discussions from Ascom, but also presentations from Paul Merrett - GE Healthcare, describing Simplified Patient Alarm Management and Greg Moran from Health Informatics society Australia (HISA) presenting on HISA, strategic priorities and on e-health -observations of current market trends.

Ascom are proud to finally release Myco to the world of healthcare, and welcomed active discussions around the device - overall positive feedback was received.

For more information on Myco visit www.ascommyco.com or further articles from the launch event from Australian Ageing Agenda & IT Pulse. 

Ascom Myco Update

On October the 1^st, Ascom announced the release of our new Smartphone the Ascom Myco – “My companion”.

We’re really excited about Myco, it’s a smartphone designed for nurses & clinicians. Myco has all the standard features of a smartphone, such as a touch screen, 3G and Wi-Fi, but in addition it has a robust design for withstanding knocks and drops, and also moisture and dust for maintaining hygiene.

Additional features include, a top display that can show scrolling messages and a coloured LED to show the priority of the message. A Barcode reader enables patient and medicine identification for improved safety using current and coming technologies.

We focused on three important areas: to reduce alarm fatigue, mobilise the information to the point of care and improve clinical workflows. 

The official launch event of the Ascom Myco will be held at the below states: 

• Melbourne November 10th
• Brisbane November 11th
• Sydney November 12th

There will be live demonstrations, exciting guest speakers and a great chance to meet the team and find more on what we have installed for MYCO.

Enquire now to see if there are still spots available to attend

Ascom Launches a New Solution for Integrated Workflow Intelligence in Healthcare – the Ascom Myco Smartphone

On the 1st of October, Ascom released a new purpose-built smartphone for healthcare. The Ascom Myco, specifically designed for nurses and clinicians.

Together with Ascom Unite middle-ware, nurse call systems and 3rd party apps, Ascom Myco is an important influence when solving the equation of managing with limited resources and high demands on quality of care.

See full press release for further information or visit www.ascommyco.com

Ascom Solution Set Webinar

Last month Ascom conducted a Solution Set Webinar, focusing on some of our key products and solutions.  People joined in all across Australia, from a range of various companies all with an involvement in healthcare (please note Ascom also provides to several different industries including Aged Care, Corrective & Prisons, and Industrial industries, Retail, Education, Rail and Hotel).

Feargal O’Farrell our Sales & Marketing Director, presented a detailed overview of some of Ascom’s most significant solutions. These included:

• Mobile Duress
• Critical Messaging
• Call Systems
• Patient & Asset Tracking
• Clinical Computing

Starting off with a brief background into Ascom and the benefits involved, we then moved on to the importance of alarms, the different types of alarms and also critical messaging through Duress systems, Nursecall systems, and Patient Monitoring.

The different types of patient and asset tracking devices were discussed, along with RTLS. Clinical computing concluded the presentation discussing the Amis-50 cart and our smartphone app Unite Axess.

There was a great response to the webinar, those who attended left with a strong understanding of Ascom’s range of solutions and were only eager to find out more.

For this reason we will be holding another webinar on the 30^th of October, that will include further information related to our new product release the Ascom Myco smartphone.Please email au-marketing@ascom.com if you are interested in attending.

Ascom releases major software upgrade for DURAsuite

Ascom has released a major upgrade of its DURAsuite application that is specifically designed to manage critical messages and alarms. 

The release of DURAsuite 5 further safeguards the security and wellbeing of staff and patients for a complete High Availability (HA) architecture with automatic IP failover and complete data replication. These enhancements provide a complete redundant solution with minimal downtime and near zero data loss.

Click here to read the full Press Release 

Aged and Community Services Australia Conference 2014

Ascom recently attended the 2014 Aged and Community Services Australia National Conference (ASCA) in Adelaide.

The theme this year was based on ‘Coming of Age, Redefining Ageing’. ACSA designed the conference to redefine the experience of aging in our communities as the sector has swiftly matured and is ready to create a new image/pathway for Aged Care.

Delegates met to network with associates old and new and to learn how providers of residential and community services are adapting to change and will help in redefining ageing. Along with presentations and talks from some of the most valued in the industry, businesses had the chance to present their own products in the exhibition.

Ascom exhibited and showcased core products as well as practical demonstrations of Nursecall & Messaging illustrating how to prioritize messages & alarms to enable better workflow for the users with ability to display these message’s on Ascom i62’s and Smartphone with the Unite Axess application. Overall it was a great 3 days & Ascom received some really good feedback and interesting discussions.

If you wish to learn about Ascom product's visit www.ascom.com.au or email au- sales@ascom.com 

Health Facilities Design & Development Victoria Conference

Ascom partnering with Schneider Electric exhibited and sponsored the coffee cart stand at the Health Facilities Design & Development Victoria Conference, to help fuel the delegates over the two days at the Bayview Hotel in Melbourne.

However it wasn’t all about the great coffee, the conference highlighted cutting edge insights from experts that shared their tails and tribulation. The purpose of the conference was to inform and demonstrate to health facilities the changing needs of the local health demographic. Specialists from a variety of businesses worked together to create tactics to successfully achieve the core objective. Projects that where showcased to mention a few was VCCC, Monash Children’s, Bendigo Hospital and The New Midland.

It was great opportunity for healthcare professionals, construction specialists, contractors, and architects to join in the one room and collaborate together, whilst listening to high quality presentations. All delegates left the conference feeling more familiar about strategies required to ensure successful development and completion of their upcoming projects. 

HICS 2014

Last week Ascom attended Australia's Health Informatics Conference, at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (11-14^th of August), held by the Health Informatics Society of Australia (HISA).

HIC is Australia’s premier digital health, e-health and health informatics conference centered around investing in e-health, improving the climate for investment and innovation in e-health and strategic opportunities.

The conference bought together stakeholders from various roles of healthcare so they could assist and collaborate on each other’s health informatics projects. The programme was jam-packed with several workshops, informatics events, networking opportunities, and Australia’s largest e-health expo.

Joining together with our partner Advantech Australia in a shared stand was the perfect opportunity to present our range of products that can support the health industry. Some of the solutions on display was Advantech AMiS-50 Workstation-on-Wheels (WoW), Pocket Pad (an industry grade tablet). Ascom Nursecall and Mobility products (I62, Unite Axess).

In all aspects HIC 14 was a fantastic conference. Delegates enjoyed their time, we made use of the opportunity to talk and demonstrate how our solutions can improve workflows and increase productivity in the workforce and the response we received was nothing but encouraging.

PRESS RELEASE: ASCOM AND UNITINGCARE HEALTH ENABLE MOBILE POINT-OF-CARE

UnitingCare Health, one of the largest providers of health and community services in Australia, announces successful signing with Ascom for the provision of a Workstation on Wheels (WoW) solution for St Stephens Hospital in Queensland. 
The roll-out of the Workstation on Wheels (WoW) solution aims to provide a fully integrated nursing station that optimises the patient care process by enabling mobile point-of-care. Click here to read full article. 

AMIS-50

Want to learn more about how Ascom's mobility offerings along with solutions such as AMiS-50 can improve your hospital contact us
au-marketing@ascom.com or 03 9677 8907

Nursecall Roadshow & Webinar

To help introduce Telecare IP and Ascom Nursecall Solutions in Australia, Ascom held a roadshow event late June across 3 of our major cities, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

Due to the overall success, the roadshow followed on with a Webinar. 

The seminars were held by Ascom’s Sales & Marketing Director- Feargal O’Farrell.

Various topics were discussed however the main focus’ being:

·         Clinical communication systems

·         Applications supporting our Nursecall Systems

·         Optimised solutions for better efficiency and workflow

·         Workflow engine: The power of one integrated hospital communication system

Ascom Nursecall Video

For those who came along to the Roadshow were lucky enough to meet and chat with some of Ascom’s experts, and to experience a live demonstration of the operative Nursecall System. The objective of the roadshow was to both advertise and inform the audience of Ascom’s all in one communication solution. Offering a complete system including components; application, mobility and Nursecall, making it easier to integrate with the one vendor providing convenient and efficient services.

Together, the roadshow and webinar were an overall achievement for Ascom. Awareness was raised by highlighting how Ascom’s all in one solution will enhance communication in mission critical situations, with both patient and staff.

If you wish to hear more about the our solutions or require any additional information contact 02-9698 9000 or email au-marketing@ascom.com

ITAC 2014

Together with partner Juniper Networks last week Ascom attended the annual Information Technology in Aged Care conference (ITAC).

Hosted in the beautiful city of Hobart, ITAC bought together representatives of the aged care industry to discuss the impact that technology now has in the industry and the solutions that can help support the everyday environment they deal in.

Topics that were discussed included and where not limited to:

• Assistive Technologies
• NBN Pilot Projects 
• Business Improvement through technology
• Consumer Choice – is technology a key? 
• Clinical Service Delivery 
• I.T Governance 
• Social Media

The purpose of Ascom & Juniper exhibiting was to demonstrate our application suite for managing mission and life-critical alert systems support by a strong stable portfolio of network solutions.

Overall, it was a great two days, we believe our live demonstrations helped raise a lot of interest and illustrated how our systems and solutions can contribute to improving staff collaboration and enrich communication with their patients.

Ascom 2-Day Introduction Program

When Ascom acquired Integrated Wireless late last year as per the following press release, they acquired a workforce well versed with Ascom product and solutions, but not necessarily with the “Ascom Way”. As a result Ascom recently held an induction program for all the members of the Australian team.

The program was held in Sydney & Melbourne last week, which was delivered by 7 of Ascom’s senior management from Europe. The main purpose of the visit was to establish networks with the Australian team and to give an overview and understanding of Ascom’s global business operations.

(Sydney Team - Introduction Program)

(Melbourne Team - Introduction Program)

There was alot of discussion around Ascom's product portfolio which comprised of Ascom IP-DECT/VoWiFi Mobility systems, Ascom Unite Messaging system, Patient Monitoring integration and Nurse Call systems.

The Ascom Australia team found the program very interesting and certainly felt part of the global picture after the weeks activities.

Integrated Wireless Becomes Ascom Integrated Wireless

Ascom Wireless Solutions, a world leader in mission-critical communication, recently acquired the Australian based company Integrated Wireless. 

This strategic acquisition is an important step in the Ascom Wireless Solutions global growth strategy, giving the company direct access to the Australian and New Zealand markets and provides a foothold to further build up its position in the Asia Pacific markets.

Integrated Wireless is a well-renowned specialist provider of wireless communication systems in Australia and New Zealand and has been the exclusive distributor of the Ascom Wireless Solutions portfolio for over ten years.

“The Ascom Wireless Solutions strong focus on healthcare is also very interesting for our markets”, says Leo Silver, Managing Director of Ascom Integrated Wireless

Click here to read full press release

HIMSS14 Annual Conference & Exhibition

Last month Ascom attended the Annual Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) conference in Orlando, Florida (23-27th of February).

HIMSS is the industry’s largest health IT conference, with its core focus on achieving better efficiencies in health through information technology, understanding that healthcare is about patients and the positive impact information technology has on improving overall patient engagement.

 The programme was packed with interactive workshops, keynote speakers and networking opportunities. There was a variety of speakers including Hilary Clinton, all extremely impactful and understanding the concerns we face in healthcare today.

Our exhibition highlighted purpose built wireless telephones in healthcare and discussed the key attributes that distinguish a purpose-built device from a standard device and other solutions such as nursecall, duress, patient and asset tracking  that can overall improve workflow and productivity in the workplace.

The reaction to our Ascom solutions that were presented were extremely positive with many delegates expressing keen interest. Overall HIMSS14 was a great event and a fantastic chance to engage and talk to customers. 

Computer on wheels

A study conducted revealed that hospitals in the US that still use old technology, lost over $8.3 billion as it lead to a loss in productivity and increased patient discharge times. Click here to read the full article 

Advantech with Ascom have released the latest mobile medical cart the AMiS-50. Understanding the importance of adopting new technology to improve safety, productivity, mobility and in turn the bottle line. As mobility is a central feature of the healthcare delivery the AMiS-50 allows healthcare professionals to gain access to required information systems, data resources and people as they move between wards, clinics, laboratories, operational theaters and offices. 

The AMiS is constructed to be flexible and tailored to individuals/hospitals needs with over 30 different attachments such as scanner holders, hand disinfection, bottle racks, baskets, clinic folder holders, storage box attachments and more.

To find out more visit www.ascom.com.au/amis or contact us today on +61 02 9698 9000

Ascom Annual Sales Conference 2014

Ascom Australia Staff from around the state went to the Gold Coast last week for our Annual Sale Conference.

Staff met for the 3 day conference to review the past 12 months, share experiences, opportunities and plan for an exciting 2014. Guest speakers included Joakim Heino (Ekahau), Howard Hsiung (Advantech) & Ken Badenfours (Ascom Sweden)

A big congratulations to Andrew Weiss (Melbourne) and Anna Palozzi (Sydney) who were rewarded Sale consultants of the year.  

Accepting the annual cricket bat award.

Product discussions lead around new products for 2014 such as Computer on wheels (AMiS-50 - Advantech), Personal Alarm (Disty-Guard), Location analytic platform (Ekahau -Vision 2.0) and Patient Monitoring (GE Healthcare). 

A big thank you to all guest speakers including Ken Badenfours (Partner Program Manager) making the long 30 hour journey to join us from Sweden to present and discuss future plans and products. Recapping the value we have with our VoWifi, IP-DECT, Nurse Call and paging technologies that smartly integrated via our software like Unite and DURAsuite optimising Mission-Critical processes. 

Ascom i62 Achieves Wi-Fi Alliance Certification

Ascom i62 Achieves Wi-Fi Alliance Certification
 
We are pleased to announce that the Ascom i62 is now certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance, a non-profit industry association dedicated to Wi-Fi technology, of which Ascom has been a member since 2007.

About Wi-Fi Alliance
Wi-Fi Alliance is a global non-profit industry association of hundreds of leading companies devoted to seamless connectivity. With technology development, market building, and regulatory programs, Wi-Fi Alliance has enabled widespread adoption of Wi-Fi worldwide. The Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ program was launched in March 2000. It provides a widely-recognised designation of interoperability and quality, and it helps to ensure that Wi-Fi-enabled products deliver the best user experience. Wi-Fi Alliance has certified more than 15,000 products, encouraging the expanded use of Wi-Fi products and services in new and established markets.
For more information, please see URL: http://www.wi-fi.org/

Summary of Certifications:

CLASSIFICATION	PROGRAM
Connectivity	Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ a, b, g, n WPA™ – Enterprise, Personal WPA2™ – Enterprise, Personal
Optimization	WMM®

The Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ Interoperability Certificate is available at the following URL:
http://www.wi-fi.org/certified-products-advanced-search
(Search for Certification ID: WFA18672)