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Archive for WiFi
March 25, 2009 at 11:31 am · Filed under WiFi
Awareness is growing about the challenges of developing and maintaining safe and effective wireless medical devices. What with IEC80001 moving forward (due to be finalized next year) and the recent series of wireless medical device workshops, people in hospitals and among vendors are asking more of the hard questions about wireless. Amongst the turmoil, participants are jostling for position. This post looks at common problems with Wi-Fi, a report from U.K. alliance ERBI, and some alternatives to Wi-Fi.
Problems with Wireless
Those of us who are old enough, think back to the golden age of wireless medical devices — channelized analog telemetry. These systems were so basic and limited in scope (a couple dozen transmitters typically covering just a single 30 bed unit) that they had few problems and required little maintenance. Today, larger hospitals are pushing the envelope with a few hundred patient monitors and a thousand or more wireless infusion pumps. These wireless devices are using sophisticated client radio/access point (AP) communications protocols to maximize capacity, whether using Wi-Fi or WMTS. We’ve since left the golden age far in the past.
More information on the issues with wireless communication in hospitals here.
November 10, 2008 at 11:36 am · Filed under WiFi
Employees want anywhere, anytime access and IT departments now have more wireless choices than ever to give them just that. Which should you choose? Network World has gathered representatives of each of the three major mobile broadband technologies into a live chat room and asked. The shoot-out panel was led by Network World Wireless Alert Newsletter writer and analyst Joanie Wexler. The participants were Edgar Figueroa, executive director of the Wi-Fi Alliance; Dan Warren, director of technology of the GSM Association; and Dr. Mohammad Shakouri, vice president of marketing of the WiMAX Forum.
Participants were questioned about true per-user bandwidth. They were asked about support for smartphones and the type of applications their technologies were best suited to serve. Plus, they were queried on billing rates and killer roaming charges. Each explained under what circumstances his respective technology was the best choice for the user.
The complete discussion is available here.
October 20, 2008 at 3:30 pm · Filed under WiFi
Some of the largest companies in the technology world are putting their names behind a move to build a free wireless network from so-called ‘white spaces.’
Microsoft and Google were among the companies praising a recent FCC report which concluded that the establishment of a free wireless network in the empty spaces between broadcast channels would not interfere with any other device, paving the way for the system to move forward.
