TMCnews Featured Article

There is no disputing the countless benefits of SIP phones; from their noise reduction technology to lower power consumption to HD Voice, these phones make the standard landline look nothing more than archaic. Accordingly, companies all over have been charging forward on the SIP phones innovation front – particularly as markets like the small- and medium-sized businesses clamor to get their hands on these devices so as to stand strong against large enterprises.

This week, Jeron Electronic Systems Inc., a provider of healthcare communications systems, announced that it has joined hands with Brekeke (News - Alert) Software, Inc. to integrate Jeron’s Provider 790 nurse call system to enterprise level SIP wireless telephony systems in acute care facilities. Granting SIP wireless phone integration to Provider 790’s VoIP-based communications platform will free staffers, who are typically bound to nursing stations, and deliver mission critical nurse call alerting and communication to mobile caregivers.

One of the main benefits of Provider 790 SIP wireless phone integration functionality is its ability to offer team nursing assignments and rollover, or the process of asking caregivers to only receive calls only from their patients. With this functionality, if the first caregiver can’t respond, the call automatically routes to the next caregiver in the team. Moreover, with this SIP integration staffers can enjoy facility-wide alerting and mobile communication in which patient calls route over the facility’s LAN to the assigned caregiver’s wireless SIP phone. Mobile caregivers can answer their patients’ calls from any location within the LAN coverage area.

Other benefits of the SIP phone integration include: patient call information, in which the caregiver’s phone display includes the room number, bed (if applicable), and call priority for patient-initiated calls; one-touch answering in which pressing the “Talk” button on the SIP phone provides an instant connection to the nurse call intercom station; no blocked calls as multiple voice paths on the nurse call and multiple SIP trunk connections ensure that caregivers will always be connected to their patients; and no special codes to remember as pressing the “*” key brings up a voice prompt menu of options, such as setting service requirement or upgrading the patient call.

As put by Myles Cochran, Jeron’s director of marketing, reliable wireless communication is a critical tool in providing timely response to patient demands in the hospital environment. “There is a tremendous amount of pressure to maintain and improve the level of patient care,” he said. “A networked solution for wireless phones increases the efficiency of staff by keeping mobile caregivers in direct communication with their patients.”

In other industry news, SIP phones provider Panasonic (News - Alert) recently celebrated the fact that three of its Panasonic SIP Cordless Phone products – the KX-TGP550, KX-UT123 and KX-UT136 – have been certified by Epygi Technologies interoperable with the Epygi Quadro IP PBX (News - Alert). The alliance relies on Panasonic’s global leadership in the DECT cordless telephone market with Epygi’s enterprise PBX, according to company officials.

“When we first heard that Panasonic was launching SIP telephone solutions, the Epygi team was eager to further develop our relationship with the company,” said Warren Sonnen (News - Alert), director of product management, Epygi Technologies.  “With Panasonic’s extensive experience in the business telephone market, we knew these phones would be a great addition to our IP phone partner program.”