Ascom Announces Advanced Nurse Call System Integration --ANCSI--.

Business Editors, Health & Medical Writers

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.--(BW HealthWire)--Sept. 28, 2001

Ascom(R) Provides Superior ANCSI:

Improving Healthcare Staff Efficiency,

Caregiver Working Conditions and Patient Care

Ascom Wireless Solutions Inc. (AWS) announced today the availability of Advanced Nurse Call System Integration (ANCSI) for the Ascom Freeset DCT1900 in-building wireless communication system.

Integration of the Freeset DCT1900 with a supported Nurse Call System (NCS) enables the Freeset wireless telephone to act as a single lightweight, portable nurse call master that nurses can carry on their person.

Ascom's ANCSI meets the requirements of healthcare facilities that are actively searching for innovative solutions that will enable caregivers to spend more time administering care to patients. AWS has developed strategic relationships with many of the major NCS manufacturers in North America in order to successfully serve the needs of the healthcare market.

The Ascom solution offers ease of integration, superior handset functionality and message handling capabilities. A major advantage of Ascom's ANCSI is the ability to support the Telocator Alphanumeric Protocol (TAP) 1.8 which enables a direct connection between the Freeset DCT1900 and all major Nurse Call Systems. The benefit of this direct connection is that the Ascom solution does not require a separate and expensive software application to act as a protocol converter to communicate with the NCS.

A direct connection between a NCS and the Freeset wireless phone system also enables timely group paging. Nurse Call Systems with an alphanumeric text-paging interface can send text messages to the Freeset portable telephone, as with a traditional pocket paging system. This functionality enables the wireless handset to be deployed for code team calls, so a caregiver or administrator in a centralized call center can initiate a code team call resulting in timely notification to all code team members.

Ascom's ANCSI allows caregivers to quickly and easily review more than one nurse call message at a time on the Freeset portable telephone. When caregivers are actively engaged in conversation on their wireless handset, message notification is still received when a nurse call message is initiated from a patient station or master station. The caregiver can immediately review the message on the handset's display, without hanging up the phone, which presents a significant advantage in a critical message environment such as a hospital.

After reviewing a nurse call generated message, the caregiver can press a single button on the Freeset portable telephone to immediately establish direct contact with the calling patient station. This "Talk Before you Walk" capability can drastically improve caregiver efficiency by preventing unnecessary visits to a patient's room. While talking with a patient, the caregiver can initiate NCS commands from the Freeset portable telephone. The Freeset portable telephone communicates with the NCS, enabling the caregiver to instruct the NCS to execute predefined tasks, such as "send CNA to Room 123".

"Here at Ascom, we are excited about the introduction of ANCSI. The ability to integrate a NCS with the Freeset DCT1900 in-building wireless phone system can produce tremendous improvements in staff efficiency and thereby ultimately improve working conditions in healthcare facilities. No other wireless system offers a nurse call integration package that is as feature-rich and technologically advanced as the Freeset DCT1900," said Chad West, President of Ascom Wireless Solutions.

Product Overview

Freeset DCT1900 is a digital in-building wireless telephone system that can be connected to an existing business communications network. Freeset delivers communications to mobile employees within the working environment allowing users to make and receive calls as if they were using a desk phone. The Freeset DCT1900 operates at a low radio frequency power and in the 1900 MHz frequency, which prevents interference with sensitive equipment.

About Ascom Wireless Solutions Inc.

Ascom Wireless Solutions Inc. is based in Research Triangle Park, NC and is a subsidiary of Ascom Tateco AB. Ascom is a global market leader for in-building wireless solutions and sells its products through a network of Premier Distributors throughout the Americas. Ascom Tateco is a subsidiary of the Swiss Ascom Group, a leader in telecommunications and service automation with over 10,000 employees worldwide. For more information visit www.ascomwireless.com.