September 19, 2005

NORTHERN IRELAND'S LARGEST HOSPITAL IMPROVES EFFICIENCY WITH TELINDUS AND TRAPEZE NETWORKS WIRELESS SOLUTION

Pleasanton, CA., Odiham, UK 19 September 2005 — The Royal Group of Hospitals in Belfast, which consists of four linked hospitals, is leading the way for improved efficiency in practice through a secure mobile network provided by network solutions partners Telindus and Trapeze Networks.

The wireless network was implemented by Telindus following a three month pilot, which began in November 2004. Based on a Trapeze wireless LAN (WLAN) Mobility System™, it now covers a third of the hospital group, and is expected to cover the whole complex within the next two years.

To further increase efficiency and productivity for its 6,000 staff, the Royal Hospital Group is piloting a 'bed head' prescription solution whereby doctors post prescriptions to the system via tablet PCs to dramatically reduce administration time from three hours down to one, allowing the hospital to discharge patients and free beds more efficiently. With an average of 100,000 outpatients per year this could equate to an additional 2,000 available hospital beds based on the average patient stay of three days.

The further use of PDAs provides staff with greater mobility as they can access information and applications from the hospital network from anywhere within a ward; the information is secure and access rights for users are extended from the existing wired infrastructure policies. Wi-Fi tags allow staff to locate people, drug carts and essential medical equipment in a fast and efficient manner. Wi-Fi tags also include an alert button for staff and patients, which tracks them on a map so that help can quickly be dispatched to their specific location.

The Royal Hospital Group, consisting of the Royal Victoria, Royal Jubilee Maternity Service, Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children and the Dental Hospital, is Northern Ireland's largest and best known hospital complex, treating more than half a million people every year. The Group chose to work with Telindus and Trapeze because its existing wireless network was difficult to manage and it needed a stable, reliable and secure wireless solution for its material management system. Most materials in a hospital have a limited shelf life and it is essential to manage the stock properly and cost efficiently. Ease of use through centralised management and the option to extend the system were therefore among the key criteria for the Group.

"We chose to work with Telindus because it has an excellent track-record in implementing best-of-breed technology solutions. The Trapeze Ringmaster software is ideal for our needs as it allows centralised management of the system at the touch of a button. Since the wireless network has been installed, we have been able to make considerable cost savings through improved efficiency in the material ordering system and the design of the wireless network itself means that it has proved to be easy to manage. On top of that, people have commended me on the reliability of the network," said Christy Donnelly, Network Manager at the Royal Hospital Group.

Technical details
The Telindus Secure Mobility Solution is based on a Trapeze Networks platform, which includes three Trapeze 2x MX-400 Mobility Exchange Switches, 1x Trapeze MX-8 Mobility Switch, 136 x MP352 Mobility Points, a Ringmaster Tool and a Ringmaster Management software. Telindus will continue to implement the solution and provide ongoing training and support.

Need more information about Trapeze Smart Mobile™ wireless solutions? Call us today and talk to a Trapeze representative: 877.359.8779