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Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Working Anywhere: today it's the hospital

xray.jpg

I'm try to take the title of this blog -- Notes From Anywhere -- seriously and blog from wherever I happen to be most days. Today, I'm in Emerson Hospital in Concord accompanying my son who is in for X-rays. The hospital accommodatingly provides guest WiFi, so I can work from the waiting area. I'm not sure this is necessarily a giant step forward, but it is handy for staying in touch.

I remember once advising a hospital client about WiFi wireless networks when they were new. Being an old radio and RF guy, I cautioned them not to introduce new wireless technologies into their environment without doing careful interference testing with life-support systems and other critical hospital gear. The guy looked at me with an amused look, and said, "You don't understand -- we already have the wireless networks; we just want to know how to manage them." Oops. So much for the all-knowing analyst.

Today, hospitals have nearly as many computers and networks as they do patients. Some patients even get WiFi in their rooms so they can stay in touch with family and friends. And visitors like me can work from waiting areas with guest WiFi. And why not? After all, you can be sick Anywhere.

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