By KRISTA GIFFORD
Published: March 31, 2008
In February, Socket Mobile participated as an exhibitor in what was a record-breaking year for the annual Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Conference at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. With more than 28,000 attendees and 900 exhibiting companies, the success of the event reflects the growth and increasing importance of healthcare IT worldwide.
This year, the Socket Mobile focus was on mobilizing healthcare resources with the SoMo 650 handheld computer and industry-specific applications from our Vertical Industry Partners (VIPs) in healthcare. VIPs who had a presence in the Socket Mobile booth included DDH Software, Epocal, EQ2, e-SUNtech and Sculptor Software. Additionally, Socket Mobile products were showcased in a number of other company’s booths including Fujitsu, InfoLogix, Cisco, Dell, Panasonic, MDA and Cogan Systems.
Highlights from the conference included a number of exciting announcements made around new solution offerings from our partners, and the achieving version 4.0 of Cisco Compatible Extensions (CCX) certification for three of our products, one of which — the SoMo™ 650 handheld computer running Enhanced Wi-Fi® Companion™ (e-WFC) Software — was demonstrated in the Cisco booth as part of their showcase on recent CCX designated devices. In addition, we announced the availability of an antibacterial version of the SoMo 650 handheld computer and an upcoming antibacterial product line designed specifically for healthcare and other markets that involve hygiene-sensitive environments. The Antibacterial SoMo 650 garnered much interest and received favorable attention from those who stopped by the Socket Mobile booth.
Marc Osgoodby, the Director of Sales for North America at Socket Mobile, gave a well-received presentation, SoMo 650: The Mobile Computer for the Shared Vision, which demonstrated how Socket Mobile products used in conjunction with offerings from our VIPs create an end-to-end solution ideal for use the healthcare arena. We also conducted a survey among conference attendees that revealed several insights about the spending plans and IT goals of the healthcare industry for 2008. Echoing the overarching theme of HIMSS 2008, the survey data showed that improving patient care, particularly Bedside Point of Care (BPOC) is the predominant goal of healthcare professionals in 2008.