When every second counts, buyers of hospital clock systems time and time again turn to Inova’s OnTime Ethernet clocks.  Ok, so maybe there are too many puns in that opening sentence, but there are absolute truths buried in there.  Take, for example, a hospital system in Indiana that needed around-the-clock support.  (Ok, I’m done now)  But seriously – when Reid Hospital in Richmond, Indiana purchased 450 Inova OnTime™ Ethernet clocks, they did so to fit their existing technology footprint.

Reid Hospital had previously made an investment in Cisco Power over Ethernet switches back in 2007.  According to the clock purchaser, the clocks helped to justify the investment in the PoE Cisco switches.

In healthcare facilities like Reid Hospital, synchronized time is critical to daily operations, whether it’s checking on patients or delivering medications.  When shift workers’ schedules are in sync, patients can count on uninterrupted care whenever they need it.

Here are some commonalities we’ve seen from hospitals that rely on OnTime for timekeeping:

• Hospitals depend on PoE devices like OnTime because they’re CE-marked for low RF emittance.  Compared to wireless clocks that require A/C power or batteries, our network clocks are powered by the network itself, and don’t transmit or receive radio frequencies.  This is an especially important consideration when purchasing clocks that will be located near sensitive medical equipment.

• Hospitals are the biggest buyers of our stainless steel 6-digit clocks for emergency rooms and operating rooms.  Inova is the only manufacturer of a stainless steel clock that matches the décor of OR facilities.  Inova OnTime is also the only clock that features three-quarter-height seconds, meaning that it’s easy to read and distinguish between full-height hours and minutes and three-quarter-height seconds.

• Hospitals love the look of our analog clocks in patient rooms because they don’t emit light, which could detract from a darkened room environment for sleeping.  Because they’re synchronized to the network, doctors and nurses can trust the times shown for medication administration and other time-critical tasks.

I wrote before about my efforts to understand the jargon that come with being a technical writer with essentially no technology background.  I’ve recently worked on some FAQs for Inova’s OnTime Clock and have a new list of terms to share!

• 10/100 BaseT Cable – A complicated term for a pretty common item:  an Ethernet cable.  It’s best broken down to understand the entire term:
  • 10/100 identifies that the port supports two different Ethernet speeds: 10 or 100 megabits per second
  • BASE is short baseband.  Basically, each signal can use a single frequency on the wire.
  • T indicates that each pair of wires is twisted together.

• Cantilever Mount – A mount on the left or right side of a device, allowing it to be mounted on the wall.
• DHCP – Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol; this is a communications protocol that lets network administrators manage and automate the assignment of IP Addresses on an organization’s network.
• DNS – Domain Name System; this is the way that Internet domain names are located and translated into IP Addresses. A domain name is a meaningful and easy-to-remember “handle” for an Internet address.
• Flush Mounting – Mounting style that allows a device to be backplate-mounted so the face of the device is flush with the wall.
• Host Name – Unique identifier for a device on a TCP/IP network, making it easier for users to identify and remember the specific device.  For example, the name can refer to the device location (3rdFlrConRm).
• IEEE 802.3af PoE – The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) created the 802.af standard in 2003 to Identify power supply standards for PoE devices.
• IP Address – Unique identifier for a device on a TCP/IP network.  For example:  11.15.55.233
• Midspan Power Injectors – Allows users to upgrade existing infrastructures so that PoE applications can be used.
• NTP – Network Time Protocol; allows for time synchronization of computers within a network.
• Pendant Mount – A ceiling mount, where a device is suspended from the ceiling.
• PoE – Power over Ethernet; PoE provides a means of delivering DC power to Ethernet connected devices.
• SNTP – Simple Network Time Protocol; used to synchronize time on computers
• Surface Mount – This is a simple flat wall mount identified for devices.
• Telnet – A network protocol and a software program that allows users to remotely access the command console of a computer over a network.
• Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) – Device that provides emergency backup power when the primary source fails.
• VOIP phones – Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) phones; allows for the delivery of voice communications over the Internet.

Quite frankly, I wish I could implement NTP within my “network” of friends and family; it seems like it would be a sure way to eliminate any excuses about being tardy due to clocks being set differently!