Woburn Pediatrics Associates was an early adopter of electronic medical records (EMRs). In its two offices, medical professionals are currently using mobile tablets to access patient’s medical records and to document patient visits.

Woburn soon realized that its controller-based WLAN hardware could not meet the needs of its growing practice and the growing number of devices on the network. The clinics had already installed VMWare and were well-aware of the advantages of virtualization.

To upgrade its WLAN solution, Woburn Pediatrics decided to turn again to virtualization. This time, they deployed ADTRAN’s Bluesocket (News - Alert) vWLAN solution.

The scalability of Bluesocket means that an unlimited number of mobile devices can function on the WLAN at the same time. Virtual deployment meant no expensive hardware purchase and no ripping out and replacing a legacy system.

“My ideal [WLAN] solution would provide future-proof scalability, cost-effective access and ease of use,” said Wayne Jenness, who works as Woburn’s IT manager. “ADTRAN's vWLAN provided everything I was looking for, plus it can run as a virtual machine on our existing VMware infrastructure.”

EMRs provide the ultimate example of the benefits of virtual Wi-Fi. Slow connections and slow application speeds only frustrate healthcare workers as they attempt to make the switch to using mobile devices on the job. If workers fail to adopt new technology, then medical practices waste their mobile investment. A robust vWLAN architecture makes adoption of mobile technology much easier for employees.

vWLAN facilitates multiple processes within the medical practice. In addition to accessing EMRs, healthcare workers can utilize the network for computerized physician order entry and for barcoding, which helps with medication management.

Over virtual Wi-Fi, doctors and nurses can share test results, like CT scan images, in real-time so that collaboration is instantaneous. VoIP over wireless also ensures quick access to key personnel through a variety of communications applications. An additional benefit of vWLAN is the facilitation of administrative tasks like charge capture, coding and billing.

“Woburn Pediatrics wisely leveraged their investment in VMware by deploying vWLAN to scale their Wi-Fi network environment,” stated Chris Koeneman (News - Alert), VP of sales for ADTRAN’s Bluesocket business group. “The deployment showcases how virtualization is positively impacting Wi-Fi networks.”

To find out more about ADTRAN (News - Alert) visit the company at ITEXPO West 2012. To be held Oct. 2-5 at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, TX, ITEXPO (News - Alert) is the world’s premiere communications and technology event. Visit ADTRAN in booth # 1313. For more information on ITEXPO West 2012 click here.